Plagiarizing Poets and Confederate Spies Inhabit Oak Hill Cemetery

Small in comparison to other Victorian rural garden cemeteries, at just 22 acres, Oak Hill Cemetery is a prime example of a rural garden cemetery, and is probably the most peaceful place in Georgetown, an historic neighborhood in Washington DC. Let the winding paths and terraces entice you to explore this quiet oasis in the […]

Discover the Hidden Beauty of the New Cathedral Cemetery

The New Cathedral Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery, with 125 acres, located on the westside of Baltimore. Established in 1871 in the Victorian rural garden cemetery style, it is the final resting place of 110,000 people, including numerous individuals who played important roles in Maryland history.   As you explore this cemetery, you can’t […]

Laurel Grove Cemetery: Port Jervis’ Most Haunted

I’d read on the NY Haunted History Trail that the Laurel Grove Cemetery, in Port Jervis, was both beautiful and worth visiting. And haunted!  Detail from the Cole family monument; the Cole monument is one of four rare metal (bronze, most likely) monuments within the cemetery. These are always cool monuments because they hold their […]

Sojourner Truth Driving Tour

Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and advocate for rights for women, endured slavery in New York from 1797 to 1828 when she was emancipated based on the law gradually ending slavery in New York. She lived almost her entire life in Ulster County, NY. She was a woman of determination, who pulled herself out of enslavement […]

Eight Great Hikes, Kayaking, Ruins, Forgotten Cemeteries and even Ghost Hunting in Patapsco Valley State Park

Maryland’s first — and largest — state park (not to be confused with much larger state forests) is strung out like glittering glass beads on a necklace along the Patapsco River south and west of Baltimore.  Established in 1912, the Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP) was Maryland’s first state park. It’s also Maryland’s most visited […]

Frederick County (VA) Photo Safari

Stonewall Jackson made Winchester his winter headquarters between November 1861 and March 1862. He was much beloved by the townspeople. Winchester’s historic homes and churches offergorgeous details such as this door knob. Historic Victorian homes such as this one fill the neighborhoods adjacent the oldest part of Winchester. Mount Hebron Cemetery holds four cemeteries, church […]

Discovering Black and African American History in the Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley Black History Project developed several driving tours, two of which actually combine quite nicely into one driving tour, doable in a few hours. The combined driving tour takes you through scenic backroads in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties in the Shenandoah Valley. Ultimately, this is an exploration of history that rarely makes it […]

Book T Washington National Monument

“We all should rise, above the clouds of ignorance, narrowness, and selfishness.”                    ― Booker T. Washington, The Story of My Life and Work Booker T Washington was born into slavery, probably on April 18, 1856, as that’s the date that John Burroughs, who enslaved him, recorded the birth of a male […]

Does Daniels, Maryland’s Ghost Town, Actually Have Ghosts?

Daniels is a little known ghost town sprawled on both sides of the Patapsco River within the Patapsco River Valley State Park, which we’ve written about before (several times actually). The hike along the old road into Daniels on the Baltimore County side of the river is about a 4.5 mile there-and-back hike, with a […]

Staying at Grandma’s Place — an AirBnB Vacation Fabulous Find

  We were looking for a fairly inexpensive house to rent while we explored the Catskills and we found “Grandma’s Place” in Woodstock NY.   Perfect for a couple or small family, Grandma’s Place is walking distance to the center of Woodstock. The house sleeps four comfortably: one double bed and one queen bed.  The […]

Albany Rural Cemetery

The Albany Rural Cemetery is as much a park as it is a burial ground. There are a variety of species of trees, and the roads lead you through undulating hills. Erastus Corning (1794-1872) – Founder and president of the New York Central Railroad, and is located on a large circular plot in Lot 2, Section 31. Erastus […]

Let the Autumn Colors Inspire You to Daytrip Too!

We would see amazing things if we could learn to be travelers in our own neighborhoods, Henry David Thoreau said. Fall is a great time to explore your own neighborhood and see it with new eyes. Grab a camera and take yourself out for a fun afternoon daytrip! One of my favorite things to do […]