South African needs help with trip from Washington DC to Boston

[Kevin]

Hi All,
Our family (4 of us, children aged 19 and 16) would like to travel from Washington DC to Boston and take in some of what is on offer inbetween. We leave DC on the 16th Nov and plan a stop in Philadelphia (no particular reason) for the first night and would then move straight to Boston or spend another night 'along the way'. We leave from Boston on the morning of the 19th Nov. I would think that we want at least a day or a day and a half sightseeing in Boston ?
We are open to suggestions and would appreciate some advice on what to do along the way as well as overnight stops please.
many thanks,
Kevin

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

There is much to see and do between Washington and Boston including historic sites, scenic venues, museums, famous homes, etc., etc. There are also many different routes available for your drive. So before we can recommend something, we'd have to know what it is you'd like to see, experience and accomplish on your trip.

AZBuck

[Kevin]

Thanks AZBuck,
We would like to experience the American history of the area. I was hoping we could travel from Washington DC on Sunday and take in some important places on the way to overnight in Philly. Next day (Monday) we can either spend in Philly or stop along the way to Boston or go straight to Boston bearing in mind that we need to leave Boston on Thursday morning, so I guess we want to arrive in Boston on Tuesday around midday.
We are back in Washington DC for Thanksgiving...any tips on what to do in DC on Thanksgiving? I believe that everything will be closed.
Thanks for your help,
Kevin.

[AZBuck]

Between Washington and Philadelphia there are two historic sites that you and your family should enjoy. The first is in Baltimore, Fort McHenry (http://www.nps.gov/FOMC/index.htm). This is an old fort that sits on a peninsula in Baltimore Harbor and is the place that inspired our National Anthem, besides which it looks out on great views of the harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. The second is Brandywine Battlefield (http://www.ushistory.org/Brandywine/thestory.htm). the site of a significant engagement during our Revolutionary War. In Philadelphia, you'll want to see Independence Mall (http://www.nps.gov/INDE/index.htm) and related sites nearby.

The drive from Philadelphia to Boston will take the better part (but not all) of a day. On the way are at least two sites worth considering, Mark Twain's home (http://www.marktwainhouse.org/) in Hartford, CT and Old Sturbridge Village (http://www.osv.org/) in south central Massachusetts. And of course in Boston itself there's the Freedom Trail (http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/).

All of the places I've suggested are within easy reach of major highways so shouldn't take you too far or too long to get to. And Thanksgiving Day is a holiday where most Americans will be at home with family. It might be a great day to walk the Mall, go to the Zoo, or explore Rock Creek Park. Have a great trip!

AZBuck

[Kevin]

Thanks a lot for your help and i know we are going to have a great trip!
BTW you have a great site, well done.

[scosm]

The most important historical sites in Philadelphia are Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell and they are right next to each other. I think you need timed tickets for these so you should check the websites. The National Constitution Center is also right there and is a great new museum.

There are a lot of other nice museums and other sites around there: Franklin Court (Ben Franklin's house), Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley, Christ Church, US Mint, the First National Bank and various other places.

To the south of Independence Hall is a square which is connected to Washington Square and a little farther south of that is neighborhood called Society Hill. This is a nice area to walk around in.