When my husband and I had visited Richmond last June, my sister reminded me that our ancestor, George Washington Spertzel, the second generation of Spertzels in the United States, had fought at Cold Harbor. I’m pretty proud of his story and his service to our country, and that’s why I’m writing about our visit to […]
heritage tourism
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 […]
Working in the Coal Mine!
Coal fired America’s Industrial Revolution, and helped shaped the country we live in today. Anthracite coal was the heating and iron-making fuel of choice, and Pennsylvania’s coal mines, which produced anthracite coal, thrived in the late 19th and early decades of the 20th century. To fill all the jobs necessary to mine coal, companies employed […]
Pedal Through the Past: Biking through History
The prospect of biking through three national parks and two states in one day was intriguing, and doing so while gaining some insight into local Civil War history and heritage was almost too good to be true. That’s what I was thinking as I signed my husband and I up for Pedal Through the Past […]
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 […]
Often Overlooked, Cambridge, MD Is Worth Stopping For
If you’re like me, you have driven past Cambridge dozens of times, on your way to some place else — usually Ocean City, Assateague Island, or even Chincoteague Island. But Cambridge isn’t just the fast food joints, gas stations, big box stores, and chain restaurants you see from Rt 50 — there’s a quaint little […]
Living History: Sailing on a Skipjack
This is NOT the Nathan of Dorchester skipjack, but another one, name unknown, which we saw on our recent daytrip on the Passage to Five Lighthouses Tour. The skipjack is a traditional fishing boat used on Chesapeake Bay for oyster dredging and was the predominant oystering boat in the Bay — there used to be […]
Finally, Biking the C&O Tow Path!
I bought my bike in February expressly so I could bike the C&O tow path. Getting back into shape after so many years not riding a bike took me to other paths first, as I became acclimated to biking. But it was time to ride the tow path! I’ve been walking the C&O Canal for […]
Capitol Hauntings: Taking a Washington Walk Around Capitol Hill
Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. It’s a good way to get to know a city or town and the people who once lived there. Ghost stories start with people and usually a tragedy, a life cut […]
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 […]
Checking Out Chesapeake Bay Light Houses
If you’re a landlubber like me, a day out on the water is a treat. And how better to start the Memorial Day weekend than by spending a day checking out Chesapeake Bay light houses. The boat tour left out of the Knapps Narrows Marina at 10ish; Knapps Narrows separates Tilghman Island from the mainland […]
“Mystery Trip” Ends Up in Monticello, Jefferson’s Masterpiece Mountaintop Retreat
Gail writes about a recent day trip she took with her retirement community: The day was one of those rare ones this past March that was warm and pleasant for our day at Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA. We were on a retirement community trip – a “Mystery Trip that we’d signed on for not knowing where […]
Battles of Bull Run: Manassas National Battlefield Park
When we headed to Manasses, VA on a spring day, I realized we were not the first tourists to have visited and wandered the battlefields there. In fact, the very first sight-seers were those rather naive Washintonians and Congressmen, who, in mid-July 1861, followed Gen. Irvin McDowell’s army of some 35,000 green Union soldiers on a […]
Exploring Two Castles of Whimsy and Treasures
There once lived a man who, in the early part of the 20th century, built two castles. He was a visionary, for he recognized the importance of preserving items of a fading way of life for future generations. He was a artist, creating tiles that were reknown for their beauty. And he was a bit […]
C&O Canal at Great Falls
Certainly when the canal was first envisioned, the planners, engineers and builders never imagined that 180 years after its creation, it would serve as a popular recreational attraction. In the 19th and early 20th century the C&O Canal provided jobs and opportunities for people throughout the Potomac River Valley, from the tidal basin in Washington […]