Washington DC is the capital city of the United States – and its very political heart. Washington is a monumental city, with impressive white-marble buildings, memorials and some of the very best museums. It also boasts extremely pleasant residential districts, dotted with antique houses, parks and gardens, making for a lively, multicultural city.
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Day 6 — Boone → Asheville
Standing on a plateau between the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville grew into a popular destination. Its several craft breweries, fashionable restaurants and vintage shops draw plenty of tourists, and yet the town didn’t give up on its rustic mountain character, nor on its proud hippie commune, still hale and hearty.
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Day 7 — Asheville → Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg, at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is known for its many lively music festivals and various distilleries. Nearby, in Pigeon Forge, is the Dollywood theme park, a complex with attractions and shows based around country music queen Dolly Parton.
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Day 10 — Obed Wild and Scenic River → Nashville
Nashville – aka Music City, USA, draws millions of music enthusiasts every year to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium and the Johnny Cash Museum – the shrines of country and pop music. Nashville and its surroundings are also brimming with typical honky-tonks. The city overlooks the Cumberland river, making for very pleasant riverbank walks.
