Lets say you were going from DC to Georgia

[quakerboy]

And you had 5 days to kill getting there. Where would you stop, what would you do.

Or more to the point, what would you recommend that I should do, where should I go?

Also.. Are there any good places to directly observe the results of mountaintop removal mining in this general vicinity? I have a morbid desire to see this with my own eyes.

[woodsprite]

1. The Atlanta Aquarium, if you're going that far

Buy tickets online to save time though. We didn't think
we had to do that, but ended up killing a couple of hours
before we could go in.

We went down from Delaware, cut over from DC and came
down 81 through the mountains. Beautiful drive! Fort chiswell, VA
Had a mansion that was gorgeous that I want to go back
and tour. I saw quarries along the way, but maybe I didn't
know what I was looking at.

Also, where you go over into WV, there was a pretty river
Setting where they had kayaking and tubing (I think you
could rent them there). Looked interesting.

I hope you have a nice trip.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Colonial Williamsburg and the Jamestown site, if you haven't seen them before

Otherwise, the Smokey Mountains area of North Carolina.

If you go along the coast, try Charleston, South Carolina, for a fine historic district, or Savannah, Georgia, for the same.

Maybe you could go down to Atlanta one way and come back another way to maximize your sightseeing potential.

[quakerboy]

5. Both sound interesting

Its a one way trip, though. I just put jamestown on the list of places to stop.

The far end of that leg of the trip is Savannah. Charleston is a bit closer. Maybe I will head inland between Richmond and Savannah.

[cbayer]

3. I would take all back roads, stop in weird and unique places and eat/sleep in "no chain"

local places.

Two sites I recommend are:

roadsideamerica.com - which has loads of some of the strangest things to see in this country.

roadfood.com - for small, local great restaurants

When we travel, I pick out places from those site, put the GPS on "Avoid freeways" and go.

IMHO, it's the only way to travel.

[quakerboy]

4. I will look into those websites

We plan to stay with a combo plate of family, friends, friends of friends, and new friends. Or camp. No hotels if it can be avoided.

[TBF]

6. I'd include Beaufort SC and Savannah GA on my route ... nt

[taterguy]

7. I'd spend most of it on the Outer Banks of NC

But that's just me

[Adsos Letter]

8. Skyline Drive through Virginia, and the Blue Ridge parkway in Virginia/North Carolina.

Congaree National park is worth a stop. Linville Falls. Outer Banks.