One of the most famous men of his time is now one of the least known: George Mason. His Virginia Declaration of Rights anticipated and most certainly influenced what became the Bill of Rights. In fact, he is often referred to as the “father” of the Bill of Rights. Mason was a colonial Virginia planter, politician, […]
heritage tourism
Benjamin Parry Mansion
Right in the center of New Hope is a conspicuous and lovely stone mansion — clearly an old building (and therefore, incredibly interesting to me!). We were visiting Bucks County and staying across the street in the Logan Inn, so I was excited when I realized that the Benjamin Parry Mansion was open to the […]
Fort Washington Stood Sentinel Through Multiple Wars
Fort Washington is a War of 1812-era fort which has stood sentinel, guarding Washington DC through most of this nation’s history, although it didn’t always look like it does now. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was originally called Fort Warburton, but later renamed. During the War of 1812, […]
The Ghosts of Historic Savage Mill
Those aren’t orbs — those are raindrops! Very close to home is the ghost tour of historic Savage Mill, in Savage, Maryland. Savage Mill is a historic cotton mill complex in Savage, Maryland, which has been turned into a complex of shops and restaurants. Buildings in the complex date from 1822 to 1916. Led by […]
C&O Canal: From Swains Lock to Seneca Aqueduct
It was one of those rare, incredibly gorgeous summer days: 75 degrees, low humidity. As any Marylander will affirm, those kind of days are to be treasured indeed. In fact, any beautiful summer day is likely to find me either biking on the C&O Canal or thinking about biking on the C&O Canal. I wish I […]
Exploring Delaware Canal Towpath (New Hope)
The 60-mile long Delaware Canal towpath runs from Easton to Bristol and is a National Recreation Trail. Once trod by mule teams pulling cargo-laden boats along the canal, the towpath is used today by walkers, joggers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers and bird watchers. During our four-mile walk, we encountered dog-walkers galore, joggers, families strolling with little […]
Chasing the Fox and Hounds at Ladew Topiary Gardens
Harvey Ladew loved hunting, and while visiting England in the 1920s, he became fascinated with the art of topiary. The hunt scene combines his love of the foxhunt as well as his gardening hobby. As traveler, artist, fox hunter and creator of an amazing garden, Harvey Ladew filled the nearly 90 years of his life […]
Haunted Pittsburgh: Stories of the Undead, Ghosts, and Bandits
Ghost tours aren’t terribly scary, but they can be terribly entertaining, and the Haunted Pittsburgh tours didn’t disappoint. Never mind the Northside, or the Southside — as the Ghost Tour promises, it takes you to the dark side. Our guide for the evening was Haydn Thomas, a vivid story-teller who emphasized all the right words and held […]
Spending the Day at the National Colonial Farm
Photo courtesy Accokeek Foundation. This week Mike guest blogs about a recent day trip he and his wife enjoyed. My wife and I visited the National Colonial Farm located in the Piscataway National Park in Accokeek, MD on Saturday, 23 April; we enjoyed it very much. The National Colonial Farm is a living heritage farm […]
Going Crazy at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Like countless others, I’ve watched the ghost hunting shows that have visited the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA), in Weston, WV. When I realized it was just 1 1/2 hours away from Canaan Valley, where we recently spent a holiday weekend, I added it to our weekend plans — a fortuitous decision because most of the activities for Canaan […]
The Battle That Saved D.C.
True confession: Not only had I grown up in Frederick, MD, without ever going to see the Monocacy National Battlefield Park, which is a scant 9 miles south of Frederick, but I’d grown up without even knowing it had taken place. To be fair to the local school system, I’m an Army brat, and had […]
Washington’s Crossing
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851. Washington’s Crossing State Park, in Buck’s County, PA, is a park in two parts — one where the crossing itself occurred, and another part — just as, if not even more interesting, just up the road. The park commemorates the famous Crossing as the turning point of the American Revolution. […]
A Few More Sailor’s Creeks…
“….a few more Sailor’s Creeks and it will all be over.” — Confederate General Lee to President Jefferson Davis, April 6, 1865 The Sailors Creek Battles occurred after the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, on April 6 1865. Following the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s primary objective was to get his army […]
Six Places in Pennsylvania You Don’t Want to Miss!
Summer is here, and that means, the peak of day trip season! If you’re getting ready for some day trips, then here are six places in Pennsylvania you don’t want to miss! There’s a little something for everyone in this list — a little bit of history, some exploration underground, a good hike, an historic house tour… check out these […]
Maryland’s Ghost Fleet Lurks in Mallow’s Bay
Mallows Bay seems an unlikely destination for a daytrip. Oh, not that the beauty of the place is in dispute, but at first glance, you wonder exactly why you came here. The beauty of the place is echoed in many other places along the Potomac River. Mallows Bay is a small bay on the Maryland […]