What’s the best driving route from Charlotte to Washington, D.C.?
Heading from Charlotte to D.C. to return some old books I borrowed from my alma mater’s library back in 2013—what’s the best driving route from Charlotte to Washington, D.C.?
will be along I-85 N and I-95 N in 6 hours, 10 minutes, covering 400 miles.
Even though you are in a rush, you’ll want to see some of the sights along the way, right? We’re pretty confident you’ll be able to afford the extra few cents in library fines, though the head librarian’s stern lecture that you’ll receive might not be as comfortably absorbed.
Here are the highlights on a Charlotte—D.C. road trip:
and stop in Lake Norman, North Carolina’s largest man-made lake and a great spot to picnic
Scurry out of Lake Norman, but stop at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, featuring antique engines, vehicles, and other transport paraphernalia
Pause your charge up I-85 N in Salem, the state capital and home to the Old Salem Museums & Garden Administrative Offices, where you can stroll through gardens and an 18th century restored town with costumed staff, who will no doubt excoriate you for your library delinquency
, return your library books, and pay your fine. Then, take in some sites, from the Smithsonian to the Library of Congress—but if you borrow anything, return it on time!
Protect your car on your library book-repatriation trip (or any road trip, for that matter), with a robust
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