According to Google, you can drive from Reston to Roanoke without leaving Virginia. My first stop was breakfast at Betty’s in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Looking at the map I notice Antietam just 15 miles out of the way! On the drive over I found the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Stop 2 (Sharpsburg, MD).

Stop 3. Antietam National Battlefield.

The next stop was Harpers Ferry.

I am ready to return to my original plan: Roanoke via Skyline Drive with a visit to Luray Caverns. Skyline Drive is along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains with panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley. Between it being partly cloudy and the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the views weren’t as good as they could have been.

Luray Caverns was amazing! They even had a small car museum.