Longtime readers of this blog know I love visiting cemeteries — especially the lovely “rural garden” or “garden park” cemeteries of the mid to late 1800s. So when I learned of historic Green Mount Cemetery, in northern Baltimore, I was excited. Green Mount Cemetery was established a the very beginning of the rural garden cemetery […]
cemeteries
Feeling the Love for the City of Brotherly Love
Remembering a favorite destination this past fall during this Christmas week! A sunny but cool October Sunday lured us to Philadelphia, a city we really haven’t had a chance to explore. I’ve been there a few times over the years, as have my husband and even my boys, on school field trips. We decided to […]
Accidental Tourist: How Playing a Game Brought Me to New Places
My husband and I recently discovered Ingress, a game we can play on our phones, either during a day trip or as the goal of a day trip. We first started it while biking along the C&O Canal. For those of you not familiar with Ingress, it’s an augmented reality massively multiplayer online role playing […]
The Famous and the Blameless at Laurel Hill Cemetery
If you are at all interested in exploring a cemetery, then Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, is the one you should start out with — especially if you think it’ll be the ONLY one you decide to tour. Laurel Hill’s creators and organizers intended the cemetery to serve as a civic institution designed for public […]
Remembering Our Dead
The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat The soldier’s last tattoo; No more on life’s parade shall meet The brave and daring few. On Fame’s eternal camping-ground Their silent tents are spread, And Glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead. The Confederate graves at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA. In honor of Veterans […]
Seeking Autumn Glory in Shenandoah National Park
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables My husband and I love going leaf peeping every autumn, and try to come up with interesting itineraries for a one- or two-day trip. This year we planned an overnight trip, leaving mid-morning to drive […]
Arlington National Cemetery: Quick Visit and Detour to Robert E Lee’s Historic Mansion
When Mike’s out-of-town guests requested to see some of DC’s lesser known attractions, they helped him take another look at local attractions he’d been taking for granted. He cheerfully agreed to blog about this — to encourage others to do the same! As someone who has lived in Maryland for close 20 years, I tend […]
Civil War History Galore at Hollywood Cemetery
Hollywood Cemetery is a classic example of the Victorian notion of creating park-like cemeteries, where families could go spend the afternoon or picnic in a picturesque and natural setting, contemplating nature’s beauty amidst reminders of life’s certain ending. Hollywood Cemetery is definitely a destination cemetery for sight-seers, even if you are not into tombstones. History, art, and […]
Tombstone Tourists at Loudon Park Cemetery
So much of our lives is dictated by chance. By chance, my mother suggested I take the ghost tour through Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Frederick, last summer. By chance, my husband couldn’t come, so I invited my friend Barb, a.k.a., Day Trip Pal, instead. Now the two of us have taken up “cemetery photography” — […]
Mount Olivet Cemetery: More History than Ghosts
I’ve discovered that when I tell some people I just toured a cemetery and had a lot of fun, the expressions on their faces cause me to wonder whether they think I’m a creepy death-obsessed devil worshiper. Other people exclaim “Cool! Why didn’t you bring me along?” A couple weeks ago, my friend and I […]