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 […]
Civil War
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 […]
10 Fun Things to Do in September!
September is summer’s last gasp, and is a favorite time of year. The weather cools, and toward the end of the month, autumn leaves start showing their colors. The mid-Atlantic region offers a wide variety of great things to do and see! There’s nothing quite like a Renaissance festival, whether it’s in Maryland or Virginia […]
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. […]
Swimming in History on the Miss Hampton II Harbor Tour
A great way to introduce yourself to the Hampton Roads area is to take a harbor tour out of historic downtown Hampton, VA, on the Miss Hampton II. Hampton is swimming in history, which the harbor tour brings to life. Four hundred years of European settlement is highlighted, from the earliest arrival of European ships […]
Truth in History at Belle Grove Plantation
Belle Grove Plantation, in King George, VA, is a gorgeous place, high up on a bluff on the eastern shore of the Rappahanock River. James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born there on March 16, 1751, although the house, which was the childhood home of his mother, Eleanor Rose Conway, where […]
Stonewall Jackson Winchester Headquarters
Beginning with this post, I’m starting a series of posts about Frederick County and Winchester, VA. This is the first installment of this series. To see others in this series, click on the label “Winchester and Frederick County” below this post. Between November 1861 and March 1862, Confederate Major General Thomas J. Jackson — more famously […]
Tunnel of Green: Appalachian Trail to Weverton Cliffs
The hike from Gathland State Park to Weverton Cliffs is a lovely walk in the woods, and is an ideal day hike that provides a taste of what through-hiking the Appalachian Trail is like. Plus, you’re likely to encounter some AT through-hikers, and they’re always interesting to chat with. The plan for the hike was […]
5 Fabulous Forts to Bring Your Kids to this Summer!
Everyone’s probably heard of famous Fort McHenry in Baltimore — well worth a visit! This is the fort that was being shelled by the British during the War of 1812, immortalized in Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner. But there are five other fabulous forts worth exploring: three in Maryland, and one each in Delaware and […]
Nine Places in Maryland You Don’t Want to Miss!
Summer is almost here, and that means, the peak of day trip season! If you’re getting ready for some day trips, then here are nine places in Maryland you don’t want to miss! Maryland offers astounding natural beauty, from its rivers to its mountains and forests, as well as history from its colonial past onward. Don’t check these […]
A Fort Not to Miss: Fort Delaware
Over the course of several years of writing this blog and just because of a natural curiosity about any potential day trip destination, I’ve visited the major forts in the immediate Maryland vicinity. It is true that each fort has something special about it — Fort McHenry has that magnificent historical attachment to the foundation of […]
What’s Haunting Dorchester County?
On a recent Sunday afternoon, I went on the Tubman Trail Ghost & Graveyard Bus Tour, offered by Chesapeake Ghost Tours. I’ve been wanting to go on one of Mindy Burgoyne’s ghost tours for a while — I learned of her blog and her ghost tours shortly after I began blogging in 2013. A sunny […]
Forgotten Fort Foote
I happened upon Fort Foote accidentally. I was on my way to Fort Washington, which I’d visited with my two sons years ago. I saw signs for Fort Foote and since I had all afternoon at my disposal, I turned and followed the signs to the fort. Fort Foote was constructed in 1863 on top […]
The Civil War Battle Nobody’s Heard Of
Almost everyone’s heard of the Battle of Gettysburg. But almost nobody has heard of the Battle of Monterey Pass, which took place immediately following the Battle of Gettysburg, as the Confederate troops retreated back into Maryland and across the Potomac into the relative safety of Virginia. The Battle of Monterey Pass was fought along a mountain […]
Six Great Romantic Dates for Valentine’s Day
It’s not to early to start planning that special date for your special someone! Romantic dinners are great, but truly impress your special someone with a creative idea to show how much you love to be with them! Although I believe any activity which you and your special someone are doing together could easily be […]