Must-see sites along the Appalachian Trail

Me on the Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

My husband and I hiked and camped along the United States’ Appalachian Trail for about three weeks this summer. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers), extend­ing from Georgia to Maine and passing through 14 states. We hiked from Virginia, to New York, to Vermont, and were blown away by the area's beauty. I am not surprised millions of people hike this trail annually.

Below, I listed my favorite places in the area.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: We attended a ranger presentation on the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depres­sion-era work relief program that provided young men with boarding, food, and jobs related to conserving and developing the nation’s natural resources. Though the CCC was defunded when the U.S. entered World War II, many of the structures CCC workers built are still in use.

We also hiked to Rapidan Camp via the Mill Prong, Laurel Prong, and Appalachian trails. Rapidan Camp was the retreat of former U.S. president Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) and his wife, Lou. They built it as a get-away from the humid and hot Washington, D.C. before Shenandoah National Park was established,

A fun fact: More U.S. presidents (8) were born in Virginia than in any other state: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.

Rip Van Winkle statue in Irvington, New York.

North-South Lake Campground, Haines Falls, New York: Nestled in the Catskill Mountains, this range was the scene of “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” two cher­ished fictional stories by New York author Wash­ington Irving (1783-1859). Unlike Rip Van Winkle, however, we met the ghosts of neither Hendrick Hudson nor his Half-moon crew, let alone drank with them and awoke 20 years later. But we were blown away by the area's landscape.

Draft of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech to Congress on December 8, 1941, the day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Hyde Park, New York: Former U.S. presi­dent Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (1882-1945) home and museum showcase items like his retrofitted car, childhood ponytail (he did not have his first hair cut until he was about 5 years old), and wheel chair. The museum also has displays about the Depression, the New Deal, World War II, and FDR's life with wife Eleanor, with whom he was fifth cousins once removed.

Some fun FDR facts:

• Though the now-famous opening line of FDR’s speech to Congress read, “a date which will live in infamy,” in the original draft, the line was, “a date which will live in world history." (See photograph.)

• The first time a reigning British monarch ever set foot on U.S. soil was during FDR's presidency in 1939, when King George VI and Elizabeth visited.

Woodstock, New York: Famous for its 1969 music festival, the town also boasts a thriving arts scene and a Bud­dhist monastery.

My husband and me whitewater rafting in New York.

Lake Durant State Campground, Blue Mountain Lake, New York: We hiked the Blue Mountain Trail and undertook a 17-mile (27.3-km) whitewater rafting trip on the Indian and Hudson rivers. This was the highlight of the trip. It was an incredible way to see the area's landscape and appreciate its flora and fauna, and I highly recommend it.

Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Lake Placid, New York: This museum has memorabilia from the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, particularly from America’s 1980 hockey victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union – an event known as the “Miracle on Ice.” The U.S. team was coached by Minne­sotan Herb Brooks (1937-2003).

Burlington, Vermont: Home of Ben & Jer­ry’s ice cream, Vermont’s largest city (pop. 42,645) is a foodie’s paradise. Be sure to dine on locally grown food at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill (160 Bank St.) and A Single Pebble (133 Bank St.).

Jamaica State Park, Londonderry, Vermont: This park made national news in 2010 when about 3,000 artifacts were discovered along the banks of Salmon Hole. Most of the artifacts date from the Late Woodland period (1000 to 1600 A.D.) and are believed to belong to the ancestors of modern-day Abenaki.

View while hiking to Camel's Hump in Vermont.

Smugglers Notch State Park, Stowe, Vermont This site became a smug­gling hotbed when U.S. president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) passed an act in 1807 forbidding American trade with Great Britain and Canada. Today the area is a tourist attraction.

Nearby Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe is operated by Sam von Trapp and his father, Johannes. Johannes is the son of Georg and Maria von Trapp, on whom the 1965 musical The Sound of Music was loosely based. We hiked the Bingham Falls and Camel’s Hump trails, the latter being one of Vermont’s most famous hikes.