The 180-mile Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Monticello, Virginia, is :Where America Happened. It is said that this three-state route, spanning Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, holds more historical sites than any other in the United States. It was an active transportation route during the Revolutionary War, a critical transition zone for the Underground Railroad and a key battleground during the Civil War. On October 16, 2009, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation designated the 180-mile-long route of U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 15 Business and Virginia Routes 20, 231, 22 and 53 as the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway, covering the historical and cultural landscapes from the Gettysburg battlefield to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. This early corridor was the literal roadbed for the creation of our country and American ideals. Start in Washington DC. Visit the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and the U.S. Capitol, among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. Tour President Lincoln's Cottage in northwest DC, where Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation. Then drive to Gettysburg, I always tell friends and anyone who asks that a visit to Gettysburg requires three days. After all, it was a three-day battle and there is much to see...Culp's Hill, Cavalry Field, Pickett's Charge, Little Round Top, Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, Devil's Den, Shriver House Museum, David Wills House, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg Museum, Gettysburg National Military Park and Visitor Center. Stay at the Gettysburg Hotel on the Square and eat at the Dobbins House Tavern, which dates to 1776 and is the oldest building in Gettysburg. Upon departing for Frederick, Maryland, stop in Emmitsburg to visit the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a replica of the famed Grotto of Lourdes in France and the oldest such shrine in America. Also visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born citizen to be proclaimed a saint. In Frederick, visit the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. For dinner, local favorite Pistarro's Ristorante is highly recommended. Plan for a day at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, a beautiful spot where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converge, and Antietam National Military Park in Sharpsburg, Maryland, where 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after 12 hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. Also tour the Pry House Field Hospital, a new museum which also served as Union General George B. McClellan's headquarters during the battle. In Leesburg, visit the home of General George C. Marshall, who served as Chief of Staff of the Army from 1939-1945, was the architect of the European Recovery Plan, known globally as the Marshall Plan, was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1953 and also served as Secretary of State under President Harry Truman. Truly, one of the great statesmen of the 20th century. In Middleburg, in the Virginia Piedmont's scenic horse country, where Jackie Kennedy once walked the fashionable, tree-lined streets, take time to roam among the stylish shops, restaurants and inns, including the historic Red Fox Tavern, where Confederate heroes Jeb Stuart and John Singleton Mosby once met to discuss strategy. On to Manassas National Battlefield Park, where the Union and Confederate armies clashed for the first time on July 21, 1861. The battlefield is the size of New York's Central Park and can be walked in a loop from the visitor center, where a 45-minute film provides an excellent overview of the First and Second Battles of Manassas. Next stop is Culpepper, Virginia, and Brandy Station Battlefield, site of the largest cavalry engagement of the Civil War. Also see the Graffiti House, where generations of wallpaper have been peeled back to reveal handwritten notes, drawings and patriotic missives written by soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Stop at James Madison's Montpelier, home and final resting place of the Father of the Constitution and fourth president of the United States. Built in 1760, the mansion is the centerpiece of a 2,700-acre estates containing farmlands, forests, formal gardens, 135 buildings and a steeplechase course. Finally, we arrive in Charlottesville. Visit James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland, home of the fifth president of the United States, the Thomas Jefferson designed and inspired campus of the University of Virginia, including the classical Rotunda, and enjoy a southern buffet lunch at historic Michie Tavern. Then tour Monticello, the beloved home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The 14-minute introductory film, Thomas Jefferson's World, dramatically presents Jefferson's ideals and accomplishments and illustrates Monticello's central importance to his life and work. Walking the grounds and visiting his gravesite make for a sobering conclusion to a remarkable Journey Through Hallowed Ground.