This first picture is the view from the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Greeneville, Tennessee. When I plan a trip I find the route to our desired destination and then campgrounds along the way so this stop near Greeneville was one of those stops along the way. We actually camped at a wonderful little campground in Baileyton, Tennessee which is just a few miles from Greeneville. Greeneville was the boyhood home of the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson. Johnson requested to be buried with the American flag and US Contitution in his hometown of Greeneville. The cemetery is on a hill that overlooks Greeneville and is a beautiful place. Johnson and his immediate family members are buried at the top of the hill in the middle of the cemetry. Everyone buried here are service people or their families.
This is the gated area at the top of the hill that contains the Johnson family burial plots.
This is a view from the bottom of the cemetery hill and you can barely see the tall monument in the center of the picture which is that tall marker for Johnson's grave. By the way, he was buried with a copy of the constitution under his head and a flag wraped around him as he had asked.
From Greeneville, TN, we moved on to Luray, Virginia. I really love Virginia. It is a beautiful state and very varied in geography. We didn't know about the Sky Line Drive when we went to Luray but found it among the National Park Service parks. It is 89 miles long (I think) and was built first in the 1930's (I think). President Roosevelt (FDR - I think) started the move to built this roadway before he was president so he could build a vacation home along the drive. Sorry, but the actual history is going to take a real hit from me unless I have the information brochures in front of me and I don't. They are in the motorhome and I'm too lazy to go out there and get them just to get all the details correct!! Anyway, you can enter Skyline Drive at various points and drive for miles and miles. We were not prepared for the breath-taking views along the way!! What a serendipity (can't spell that either but I'm sure you know what I mean)! The Drive overlooks the Shennandoah Valley which as you know was a major military area during the Civil War. Signs along the drive tell you what happened in the valley below. I loved it! Learned a bunch this summer. Travel is very educational. Heck, I never heard of Andrew Johnson much less that he was the 17th president of the United States until we visited Greeneville. I have spent my entire adult life working and going home to get ready to go to work again so travel is something I never did. I really love being able to see this country and learn about it's varied history and people.
This is the gated area at the top of the hill that contains the Johnson family burial plots.
This is a view from the bottom of the cemetery hill and you can barely see the tall monument in the center of the picture which is that tall marker for Johnson's grave. By the way, he was buried with a copy of the constitution under his head and a flag wraped around him as he had asked.
From Greeneville, TN, we moved on to Luray, Virginia. I really love Virginia. It is a beautiful state and very varied in geography. We didn't know about the Sky Line Drive when we went to Luray but found it among the National Park Service parks. It is 89 miles long (I think) and was built first in the 1930's (I think). President Roosevelt (FDR - I think) started the move to built this roadway before he was president so he could build a vacation home along the drive. Sorry, but the actual history is going to take a real hit from me unless I have the information brochures in front of me and I don't. They are in the motorhome and I'm too lazy to go out there and get them just to get all the details correct!! Anyway, you can enter Skyline Drive at various points and drive for miles and miles. We were not prepared for the breath-taking views along the way!! What a serendipity (can't spell that either but I'm sure you know what I mean)! The Drive overlooks the Shennandoah Valley which as you know was a major military area during the Civil War. Signs along the drive tell you what happened in the valley below. I loved it! Learned a bunch this summer. Travel is very educational. Heck, I never heard of Andrew Johnson much less that he was the 17th president of the United States until we visited Greeneville. I have spent my entire adult life working and going home to get ready to go to work again so travel is something I never did. I really love being able to see this country and learn about it's varied history and people. 
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