Belle Boyd was born in West Virginia in May 1844. Boyd became a Confederate spy before her 18th birthday and conveyed information and supplies to Southern military leaders. The 10-year-old Marie Isabelle Boyd moved into the Greek Revival-style house with her family that her father, Benjamin Reed Boyd built in 1853; two years later Boyd […]
Year: 2021
The Wildlife Refuge That Almost Became a Housing Development: Exploring Eastern Neck NWR
We visited Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) twice last month: once in the beginning of the month and then in the later half of the month because I’d read that the tundra swans had arrived. Both times we saw different birds: hawks, seagulls or terns, vultures, Cardinals, tundra swans from a very far distance, […]
Exploring the Art, History and Science of Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass
Still Life with Two Plums, 2000, Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick The Corning Museum of Glass should be on your bucket list, if it’s not already. Carrona (Carrion), 2011, Javier Perez, blown glass chandelier, assembled, broken; taxidermied crows, wire, monofilament; this provocative sculpture evokes opportunistic birds eating carrion in a pool of blood by the side […]
Walk through American History on Historic Huguenot Street
The Crispell Memorial French Church is a reconstruction of the 1717 stone church that wasused by the Huguenot families for both worship and education. The current structure was rebuilt in 1972. Historic Huguenot Street, in New Paltz NY, is one of the oldest, continuously occupied European settlements in America, dating back to the last three decades […]
Minnewaska State Park’s Must See Falls: Awosting Falls Hike
Awosting Falls are a spectacular water fall within the Minnewaska State Park, itself a very popular day-use park. The short and sweet Awosting Falls Hike is simply a must-do hike if you visit this park. The state park features a couple of “sky lakes,” as well as as about 50 miles of trails. With the […]
Fire and Ice: A Longwood Christmas Celebration
We started our Christmas season with a visit to one of our favorite lights displays: Longwood Gardens. We took a year off from our now almost-annual visits because of the pandemic, which made returning this year even better. We arrived during the daylight, the better to appreciate the last rose bloom … … and the […]
The Secret Flower in Skyline Caverns You Must See to Believe!
Skyline Caverns is a series of geologic caves and a tourist attraction located in Warren County, Virginia, one mile south of Front Royal. Unlike other caverns in the area, Skyline Caverns were discovered on purpose — a retired geologist went searching for them. Walter S. Amos went sniffing around for caverns that could be commercialized […]
A November Visit to Blackwater NWR
I’ve been to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) before, but never in November, when a lot of the waterfowl are there. The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located 12 miles south of Cambridge, includes more than 28,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and loblolly pine forests, managed freshwater wetlands and farmland. What drew […]
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Discovering a Unique American Perspective at the Rockwell Museum
The buffalo bursting out of the museum is named Artemus (for “art is a must”), and is the museum’s mascot The Rockwell Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate museum of American art located in the Finger Lakes region in downtown Corning, NY. The Rockwell Museum explores the people, land and ideas that shape America through the […]
Dog Bloopers from the Waterfowl Festival
In the spirit of Thanksgiving… After spending an entire weekend exploring the Waterfowl Festival, I went home to write up the article and figure out which photos to include with the article. As I comb through photos, trying to decide which to pick, I look for quality of the photo itself, as well as whether […]
The Waterfowl Festival Continues 50-Year Tradition of Celebrating Maryland’s Eastern Shore Heritage
The quintessential festival of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the Waterfowl Festival just celebrated its 50th year November 12 – 14 in Easton, a town that still retains its old-timey charm and is known for its vibrant culinary and arts communities, as well as its historic downtown. The town’s charm translates to the festival itself — the Waterfowl […]
Exploring Pennsylvania’s Main Street Across America and Lincoln Highway Experience
The Lincoln Highway is one of the earliest transcontinental highway routes for automobiles across the United States of America. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway runs coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City west to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The Lincoln […]
Spoil Yourself with a Weekend Stay at Thistledown at Seger House
I was delighted with a recent stay in the Thistledown at Seger House, a renovated 103-year-old Victorian mansion that is now a luxurious boutique hotel in Ligonier. Like this gorgeous mansion, Ligonier itself is one of those timeless American towns that get portrayed as such in movies — it’s the place everyone wants to live […]
Four Stops You Should Make Along the Highland Scenic Highway
The Highland Scenic Highway — WV 150 / WV 39-WV 55 — runs 43 miles through the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, meandering along the mountain ridges and reaching an elevation of more than 4500 feet. If you plan on spending a day exploring the Highland Scenic Highway (easily doable, since it’s only 43 […]
Spending a Delightful Afternoon at Spinners Pinball Arcade
This isn’t my typical daytrip, but it makes a very fun one — and it’s a great way to spend some time with family on a rainy day or super hot summer day! Spinners Pinball Arcade has more than 100 pinball machines, classic gaming consoles, skeeball, air hockey, foosball, golden tee, virtual pinball, and more. […]