America in 250: Part 21-25

We're officially 10 percent of the way through our America in 250 series. The journey has taken us to some amazing places around the country so far and we're excited to show you even more things to do to celebrate the America's 250th anniversary.

1. Go on a ghost tour around America's most haunted city

Savannah Georgia has long been known as "America's most haunted city". The folklore surrounding the historic squares and buildings in the city. These stories have drawn people to the city to see these haunted locations for years. Ghost tours are one of the most popular activities to do around Savannah and there are several of them that run every single night.

During our visit, we did the Ghosts and Gravestones tour with Old Town Trolley Tours. They took us around the city, pointing out spots like buildings and cemeteries while telling us stories about the dark history of the city. Everything from the Yellow Fever epidemic to murders. We actually got to stop and walk through the Andrew Low House on our tour as well. The tour gives private access to a house that is known to be haunted by several of the people who have lived there. After that, we stopped at another location by the docks for a final spooky story before wrapping up.

There are several different walking and trolley tours to learn about the haunted history of Savannah. If you're curious about Savannah's dark history and are curious to see if any of the tales are true, go visit Savannah and find out on one of these ghost tours throughout the city.

However, if you don't believe in the ghost stories of Savannah but still would like to learn about the dark history of Savannah like diseases, murders, and more, check out The Original Savannah Dark History Tour by Savannah True History Tours. They run a popular nighttime walking tour talking about some of these historical events without talking about whether things are haunted or not.

This section was sponsored by Visit Savannah

2. Ride Soarin' Across America at Epcot

Soarin' Around the World is one of the most popular rides at Epcot in Walt Disney World but most people don't know they've recently changed the ride to celebrate America's 250th birthday.

The new version of the ride is called Soarin' Across America. The concept is the same but this time with sights and smells from across the United States. During the ride, you'll fly over swamps in the South, monuments in Washington DC, the Southwest desert, Alaskan wilderness, and the most prominent cities across the USA. It was really cool to see a bunch of places we've been to before as well as places that are still on our list to visit. There's also an updated video before you go on the ride talking about the 250th anniversary.

Soarin' Across America is running for a limited time in The Land Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World and in the Grizzly Peak area of Disney's California Adventure park in Anaheim, California. As of right now, they haven't released an end date for Soarin' Across America but it's expected to run at least until 2027 considering the time and effort put into this new version of the ride. If you're visiting one of the Disney Parks in America during the next year, we highly suggest riding this new version of the ride.

3. Visit a historic Spanish mission in California

Many people know that California became a state after a huge migration of people came to the territory in search of fortune during the Gold Rush era. But many people don't know that California's history started almost 100 years before that. The first European explorers in the state established forts and missions to spread the Catholic faith to the Native population in the area.

There are 21 historic missions that you can visit in the state today. During our most recent trip, we visited Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. Mission San Juan Capistrano is known as the "Jewel of the Missions", and walking around inside, it's easy to see why.

Founded in 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano is one of 9 missions founded by St. Junípero Serra in California. The mission served as an early settlement that contained farms, housed soldiers, and established the presence of European settlers in California. Walking through the mission, you're able to hear and read about what life was like in the missions and see the historic buildings and artifacts that tell the story of these early settlements.

Mission San Juan Capistrano had a large stone church that was destroyed by an earthquake while worshippers were gathered inside. 40 people died inside the church on the morning of December 8th, 1812. The ruins of the old church are still there to see today.

This mission also contains the oldest building in California that is still continuously used. The Serra Chapel, a small chapel inside the mission is still used to celebrate Mass and is the only remaining structure that St. Junípero Serra is known to have celebrated Mass. The chapel is gorgeous inside.

The parish church for San Juan Capistrano moved to the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano after construction finished in 1986. During our visit, we attended Mass here and got a guided tour after Mass to see how the new Basilica pays homage to the historic mission and old stone church that existed before the earthquake. This church is beautiful and worth visiting if you're visiting the historic mission.

The mission is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9AM to 5PM. Admission is $11 for children 5 and older and students, $16 for seniors, and $19 for adults. California has missions you can visit across the state, including a trail you can follow called the California Mission Trail. Visiting one of these spots is a great way to spend a few hours and learn about the history of California.

4. Take a tour of the US Capitol

The United States Capitol is one of the most recognizable buildings in the country. Everyone knows it as the place that Congress debates ideas and creates laws. Most people probably assume it's not open to the public or hard to get into but this isn't the case at all.

The United States Capitol has a visitor center located on the lower level entrance. After passing through security, you're greeted to a large area with statues, an exhibit, a cafeteria, a gift shop, and the model for the Statue of Freedom that sits atop the dome of the Capitol. The statue is 19 and a half feet tall and is covered in symbolism of American ideals.

You can book tours for free through the US Capitol website or through the office of your elected officials. We've only gone through the tours offered by the Visitor Center so we can't speak to the tours through your elected official's office. During the tours offered by the Visitor Center, you're taken into the Capitol Rotunda, the Washington Crypt, and the National Statuary Hall.

The Capitol Rotunda is beautiful. Around the room, there are statues of presidents, huge oil paintings depicting events in America's early history, and a painting in the ceiling of the Rotunda called The Apotheosis of Washington painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi. This room is awesome to see in person. From outside, the dome is the most recognizable part of the Capitol so seeing it from the inside is an amazing experience.

The Washington Crypt is interesting. Originally built as the final resting place for George Washington but his family ultimately wanted him to stay at his home at Mount Vernon. Now, the room has some interesting displays and statues surrounding it.

The National Statuary Hall is located in the old House of Representatives meeting place. The room is amazing but it's easy to see why the House of Representatives outgrew this room in 1857. Now this room holds statues from every state. The National Statuary Hall is a collection of statues of famous figures from every state. Each state gets to send two statues of anyone from their state that they think represents their state history to be displayed in the Capitol. These statues are around the Crypt and this room. Statues can be changed out by new statues if people from that state want it replaced, however it is a process to do this.

That concludes the tour but there's still an exhibit to see. There is a permanent exhibit that highlights the Capitol. This includes artifacts from the Capitol's history, facts about Congress, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and what Congress actually does. There is a temporary exhibit called the Spirit of '76 that is on display right now. This exhibit shows how the country has celebrated other memorable milestones in our country's history, like the centennial and bicentennial as well as others. This exhibit is only running until April 10, 2027. It is free to visit and you don't need a tour to see the exhibit or enter the Visitor Center.

The Capitol is somewhere that every American should visit at least once. It's where ideas and debated and important decisions that affect all of our lives are made. The building is beautiful and free to visit. Next time you're in Washington DC, make sure to stop by.

5. Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most famous roads in America. Each year it can pull in more than 15 million visitors a year. That's more visitors than the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite combined. This is impressive for one road but as you drive it, it's easy to see why.

The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 469 miles between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the eastern border of North Carolina. The whole way it winds through some of the most gorgeous views in the Appalachian Mountains. The road took 52 years to complete and allows no billboards, gas stations, or commercial vehicles anywhere on the route. The only thing you'll see is a beautiful tree-lined road and pullouts that have wide open views of the Appalachian wilderness.

This road is popular year-round. We've only had the chance to drive it during the summer months. The fall is definitely the most popular time of year to drive. The autumn leaves around October and November in the Appalachian Mountains is beautiful. So many reds, oranges, and yellows are all around you as you drive and as far as the eye can see at the pullouts. The road can close at sections during the winter months so always make sure to check the conditions before driving late in the year.

Even if you're just passing by the Blue Ridge Parkway, it's worth it to hop on even for a little bit of your drive. It runs along routes with other roads and there are multiple entry and exit points along the parkway. America has many roads such as this one, scenic byways that make your journey more special and interesting. They help you slow down and appreciate the beautiful landscapes around the country, and few are more popular than the Blue Ridge Parkway.

So that wraps up our recap of episodes 21-25 of America in 250. All of the episodes are available to watch on our social media channels under the handle @americantravelarchives. Check back next week for another post of America in 250.