ACW Tour (Washington leg)

[joroas]

Are you in the US at the moment, or is this all due to happen at some point in the future?

No, the plan is to do this trip on 30/8/14 and, as I will be a retired teacher then, this will be the first time I have ever been able to go on holiday/vacation in September.  The tour ends on day 14, so we will be in Washington the weekend around the 14th of September. 

[joroas]

You can easily go over to Arlington Cemetery to see Arlington House, Lee's home.

We did Arlington last year, but it was, literally, a walk to the Kennedy graves and a toilet stop at the visitor centre.  Is there anything to see at Lee's old mansion?

[joroas]

I saw the ACW exhibit at the Smithsonian last year, but noticed that there is also an African-American ACW Museum and Fort Stevens, are these worth a look?

[Gallowglass]

We did Arlington last year, but it was, literally, a walk to the Kennedy graves and a toilet stop at the visitor centre.  Is there anything to see at Lee's old mansion?

That depends on what interests you. If you're looking for something that's exclusively focused on the Civil War and you have a limited amount of time to spend in the US, then perhaps not.

On the other hand, if you're interested in the history of a very powerful Virginia family who had connections to pretty much everybody who was anybody from the Declaration of Independence right through to the Civil War and who certainly made their mark on American history, then I would say that there certainly is.

I saw the ACW exhibit at the Smithsonian last year, but noticed that there is also an African-American ACW Museum and Fort Stevens, are these worth a look?

Again, the answer to this is a bit like the answer to the question about the Lee residence. Obviously, there's a narrower focus in that the museum focuses exclusively on African-Americans in the Civil War, but it's not a battlefield, is it? I think you need to decide whether you want to spend your time schlepping around museums and exhibitions during your visit (and you may well want to do just that, nothing at all wrong with it if that's your thing), or spend your time getting out onto the actual battlegrounds and seeing them for yourself.

For my first trip, I left the indoor exhibitions more or less alone and spent as much time as I could outside and on the battlefields. Obviously, I live here now, so I can go to a museum any time I feel like it, but even after the best part of six years here I'd choose a walk on the banks of the Bull Run or Antietam Creeks on a fine morning or afternoon over being jostled in downtown D.C. any day of the week. But that's just me.

Your mileage, as the fella said, may vary.

[Yankeepedlar01]

Seriously, if you're three days in the DC area, it is worth considering renting a car.

What have been telling you for weeks now,John? Rent a car like the man says!

[valleyboy]

I was at Gettysburg in April - I took a shuttle from the hotel in the city centre to the airport and hired a car and drove from there - that way i avoided driving in the city itself

I found it really strange driving on the "wrong" side of the road though I've done it lots in Europe before in my own car - the difference was that this time it was more of a challenge because everything inside the car was on my right side rather than on my left as well 

My wife really enjoyed Gettysburg as well but we made a point of hiring a guide for about 4 hrs and he was superb, driving the rental car around the battlefield

[joroas]

Well, holiday booked for August 30th and, as an EX-teacher, this will be my first ever holiday in September! 

[Yankeepedlar01]

Well, holiday booked for August 30th and, as an EX-teacher, this will be my first ever holiday in September! 

Ex-sounds great doesn't it? The reality is even better, take it from me!