Lynchburg

Lynchburg needs 1 day: driving a stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 755 km scenic road connecting Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, with Appalachian Mountain overlooks just minutes from downtown, and visiting Point of Honor, an 1815 Federal-style mansion on the James River, the same afternoon. April-June and September-October bring the mildest weather, with fall foliage as an extra draw. It's inexpensive for Virginia. It's known as the 'City of Seven Hills' for its topography, and its proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway -the most visited road in the US national park system- made it a common starting point for exploring the range.