Edward Hopper, “Cape Cod Evening,” 1939, oil on canvas Art museums are different things to different people: must-see obligations for some, art education for others, places of reverie and contemplation for others. For me, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art is a place to visit some old friends — the first modern […]
Author: Jody Arneson
The Bride, the Butcher and the Little Boy: Ghost Hunting at Hotel Conneaut
The ghosts of Hotel Conneaut welcomed us for a hauntingly romantic Valentine’s Day weekend overnight stay and ghost hunt. First opened in 1902, much of the hotel remains in its vintage state – and lacks some modern conveniences. There is no elevator, but there ARE ghosts! In 1893, the Exposition Park Co. built a new […]
Snowy Hike to a Maryland Ghosttown
On Friday, a lovely, powdery snow fell, and I knew I wanted to go on one particular hike the next morning: to see the ruins of St Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in the snow. To get there, we’d have to follow the Alberton Road Trail in Patapsco Valley State Park into the ghosttown of Daniels. […]
Four Must-See African-American Sites in Alexandria, VA
Alexandria, VA is a city steeped in African-American history since its founding in 1749, but much of this history has become hidden over the years. Forgotten burial grounds, a former slave jail, and the Alexandria Black History Museum will help start your journey to discover Alexandria’s hidden history. In 1790, when the first federal census […]
A Hike Through Snow and Ice to Chimney Rock
Nothing compares to the crisp, clean air of winter and the magnificent view of a snowy landscape — sometimes offering quite a nice surprise from the scenes you are more used to. We were looking for a strenuous hike, so we decided upon the Chimney Rock – Wolf Rock Loop, frequently called the best hike […]
Fort Monroe by Segway
For almost 200 years, Fort Monroe has guarded the navigation channel between the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads — the natural harbor, or roadstead, at the confluence of the Elizabeth, the Nansemond and the James rivers. Surrounded by a moat, the seven-sided star fort is the largest stone fort ever built in the United States. […]
Bilger’s Rocks Update
I’ve visited Bilger’s Rocks twice now. The first time was cold, icy and foggy, and in February. But I was fascinated by this rock formation. It was fun exploring from on top, looking down into the crevices. But this second visit was all about experiencing it from within the rock formation itself. When I visited the first time, […]
A Tale of Two Cemeteries
If you visit Petersburg National Battlefield to learn about the Battle of the Crater, then you should take some time to visit two local cemeteries, Poplar Grove National Cemetery and Blandford Cemetery, as the young men on both sides who fought and died in that battle (as well as others in the area) are interred […]
Battle of the Crater — Petersburg National Battlefield Park
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg and the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, fought between June 1864 and march 1865. Petersburg was an important goal for both armies: four railroad lines met there before continuing on to Richmond, and most of the Confederate Army’s supplies funneled […]
Winter Hike in Catoctin Mountain National Park
Catoctin Mountain Park, located in north-central Maryland, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge−range that forms the northeastern rampart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the Appalachian Mountains System. Despite the federal government shutdown, the sunny, 50-degree day was too nice — especially in January — not to go hiking. This national park has […]
First State Heritage Park
The First State Heritage Park at Dover is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries,” linking historic and cultural sites in the historic city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. First State Heritage Park includes the Biggs Museum, the John Bell House, the Johnson Victrola Museum, Legislative Hall, the Old State House, […]
Fabulous Fort Ligonier
Fort Ligonier is a French and Indian War-era British fortification that served as a staging area and a post of passage for fortifications further west, such as Fort Pitt. Native American and French forces attacked the fort just once during the French and Indian War. In the Battle of Fort Ligonier, also known as the […]
Picnicking on Bickle Knob
We stumbled across Bear Heaven Recreation Area on one of our ramblings in West Virginia. We had gotten into the habit of just driving down a forest service road, or turning down a random rural road just to see where it would take us. Somehow, we ended up northeast of Elkins on a dirt road […]
Williamsburg’s Christmas Wreaths
Colonial Williamsburg’s Christmas wreaths are famous, evoking the spirit of simpler times, colonial American can-do spirit, and a nostalgic and idealized view of Christmas that focuses less on plastic Santa Claus light-up figures and more on family traditions. Many visitors come to Williamsburg in December specifically to enjoy the Christmas decorations and wreaths. I recall […]
Newport News’ Celebration of Lights
Celebration in Lights is a two mile drive through holiday light displays in Newport News Park, featuring some creative and well done lights arrangements. Celebration in Lights, Virginia’s first drive-through holiday light event, opens for its 26th season. Newport News Park is transformed by over a million individual lights, creating animated holiday and fanciful scenes. […]