A number of children’s drawings and paintings are hung in the museum. The artist of this wonderful painting is a second grader from Argyle, TX. (The artist’s name is withheld to protect the child’s privacy.) Hampton, VA and the NASA Langley Research Center is the birthplace of America’s space program. It was here that the […]
Year: 2018
Exploring Seneca Creek State Park by Kayak
The lake beckoned to us when we drove around the park for Winter Lights. Even as we were admiring the animated reindeer jumping across the road, we were thinking, “gotta come back during kayaking season.” The lake is Clopper Lake, at the Seneca Creek State Park. This state park — all 6300 acres of it […]
Ghost Hunting at Eastern State Penitentiary
Photo Courtesy Eastern State Penitentiary; photographerTom Bernard By day, Eastern State Penitentiary is a museum dedicated to educating the public about the history of both the penitentiary itself and incarceration in America. By night, it is a ghost hunter’s dream: shadowy figures, mysterious laughter, and footsteps have all been reported. EVPs are not uncommon. (EVP […]
Fort Wool
Located at the entrance to the Hampton Roads Harbor, Fort Wool, originally named Fort Calhoun, was built to maintain a crossfire with Fort Monroe, located directly across the channel, thereby protecting the entrance to the harbor. Along with Fort Monroe, Fort Wool was constructed following the War of 1812 to protect Hampton Roads from the […]
Eastern State Penitentiary Update
I first visited Eastern State Penitentiary about 10 years ago, and wrote about it in MidAtanticDayTrips in 2014, several years after the actual visit. It haunted me then, and still does. Even as the cell blocks high arched ceilings evoke a cathedral-like reverence, the cells still hold their secrets, and they’re not giving them up. […]
York’s Art Scene
York’s art scene is as varied and diverse as its many artists, with a mix of private galleries, public displays, and outdoor murals and sculpture. If you’re considering a visit to York — and if you’re not, you should — then consider dipping your toes into the variety of York’s artistic offerings! These fun “retro-rustic” […]
Museum of the American Revolution
How much do you really know about the Revolutionary War? While touring the Museum of the American Revolution, I learned some things I hadn’t known (or had forgotten since my high school US history class) and untangled some deeply held misconceptions from actual history. Perhaps I should have paid better attention… And that’s why this […]
Elk Life Day Trip
Elk Country says it all. Elk Country, straddling Clearfield and Elk counties, is home to the largest elk herd in the northeastern United States. And that’s where you go to catch a glimpse of these incredible beauties! Elk Country is by definition in the middle of nowhere. The best place to start this daytrip is […]
Browsing Bellefonte’s Spirits, Boutiques and Antiques
Bellefonte was named by a French diplomat on a land-speculation visit to central PA in the 1790s. He named the crossroads “la belle fonte” for the natural spring — “Big Spring” — in town that provides the town its drinking water. Bellefonte’s Big Spring was awarded the “best tasting water in the state” by the […]
Johnson Victrola Museum
Most of us, of a certain age that is, are familiar with record players. Growing up in the 1970s, I enjoyed a series of them; each, upon breaking, being gradually replaced with higher quality and more sophisticated versions. The origins of those record players were the victrolas, made possible by the inventiveness of a native […]
Paddling at Piney Run Park
If you’re looking for a relaxed paddle within easy reach of Baltimore, Piney Run is probably the place for you! We spent an enjoyable couple hours exploring Piney Run, which is located in Carroll County, MD, recently. There’s a kayak launch — always appreciated — that makes getting into and out of the lake easy […]
The Smithsonian Castle Serves as the Gateway to the Smithsonian Museums
The Smithsonian offers eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the Washington, DC area. The iconic — and original — Smithsonian building, known as the Castle, is a helpful information center — and therefore should be your first stop if you’re new to the Smithsonian […]
Eastern State Penitentiary Photo Safari
Refining the revolutionary system of separate incarceration first pioneered at the Walnut Street Jail, Eastern State Penitentiary emphasized principles of reform rather than punishment and was operational from 1829 to 1971. Eastern State finally closed its doors in 1971, after 142 years in use, and has since been named a National Historic Landmark. The former […]
Boal Mansion and Columbus Chapel
What’s an authentic medieval European chapel doing in the middle of Pennsylvania? You’ll have to daytrip to the Boal Mansion, in Boalsburg, to find out! The Boal Estate has been the Boal family home for more than 200 years. During a tour, you learn the story of America as seen through eight generations of one […]
Fort Monroe’s Casemate Museum
Fort Monroe, the largest stone fort in America, is a decommissioned military installation in Hampton, VA on Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. For at least 400 years, the point of land that now includes Fort Monroe has served as the key defensive site at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. […]