Summer; when a young (or old) Civil War buff’s fancy turns to National Park visits.   The Baltimore Sun provides a handy list of road trip planners, either of the read-a-book/DIY variety, or the more expensive guided tours.  One day I hope to make enough money off this site (current annual income still stands at $0) to afford one of the big tours.  The best I can do right now is standing reaaaally close to the park rangers as they speak.

Most of the major battles were fought on the same ground along the Mississippi River, along the coasts, near large Southern cities and in Virginia, between Washington and the Confederate capital in Richmond, said Michael Weeks, author of “The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide.”

“If you’re standing on one battlefield, you’re usually very close to five, 10, even 20 others,” Weeks said.

via Civil War: A road trip of Civil War sites – baltimoresun.com.