Combining American history and travel can be a great experience for the history buff or anyone interested in learning more about this country’s past. History-themed AAA Drive Trips make it easy by providing a map, suggested itinerary and details about stops along the way. Maybe one of these journeys will be your next road trip -- click on the name for the full printable information.
Civil War Sites: Gettysburg, Antietam and Harpers’ Ferry. Traveling through Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, you’ll follow in the steps of Union and Confederate soldiers to two of the most hallowed battlegrounds of the Civil War, as well as other sites that played vital roles in the conflict. The 417-mile trip begins in Philadelphia and goes on to Gettysburg, Sharpesburg, MD, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia and Frederick, Maryland. Estimated driving time 9 hours, actual time varies with time spent at stops along the way.
A Presidency Revealed: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. AAA developed a Roosevelt-themed drive trip due to the fact that many New Deal programs were specifically aimed at improving automobile transportation. The 1,154-mile route covers a large portion of the eastern United States, beginning in New York's Hudson River Valley, proceeding south to the nation's capital and continuing on to Warm Springs, Ga. The journey parallels key stages in Roosevelt's life, from his Hyde Park beginnings to his presidential triumphs to his final days. It also takes in two of the country's loveliest drives, Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway—roads that owe their existence to FDR's New Deal.
Lewis and Clark Commemorative Tour. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson won approval from Congress to finance an expedition to see if Americans could journey overland to the Pacific Ocean following two rivers, the Missouri and the Columbia. He chose Meriwether Lewis, an Army captain as the leader. In turn, Lewis chose a former army comrade William Clark to be co-leader. This ambitious 2900-mile journey follows the trail of the Lewis & Clark Expedition from Wood River, Illinois to Astoria, Oregon.
Historic Virginia. A road trip back in time, originating in the rich naval tradition of Norfolk and going to to Williamsburg, where you can experience Colonial life. Other stops on the 397-mile ride include Fredericksburg, Manassas and Yorktown.
