The tour of the Lincoln Summer Cottage is more than a house tour, although you do see the dining room, the parlor, the Lincoln’s bedroom, and such. It’s also a tour of the ideas and the space that allowed Lincoln to navigate the Civil War and lead our country through that devastating period for our […]
historic houses
Longwood Gardens Bedazzles Itself in Holiday Lights
At Christmas, Longwood Gardens gleefully bedazzles itself with colored lights and whimsy. Adults can become kids again and kids may simply just be, living in the moment and delighting in the wonder of it all. Whether you’re in the Conservatory or walking outside in one of the many gardens, colorful arrangements of lights and trees […]
Wicomico’s Whitehaven Hotel
The Whitehaven Hotel, sitting serenely on the banks of the Wicomico River, offers weary travelers a place to de-stress in rural Wicomico County. Its stately exterior hides over a century of secrets: the building started out as a modest residence in 1810 adjacent to the Whitehaven Ferry, one of the oldest publicly run ferries in […]
24 Things to Do in 24 Hours in Lynchburg
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the “City of Seven Hills.” It’s a city nestled in its surroundings. If you’re a history buff, you’ve come to the right place — there’s history galore here. Interestingly, it’s a Southern city grappling with […]
Poplar Hill Mansion
Poplar Hill Mansion is the oldest house in Salisbury. The federal-style house was built in 1795 and was home to Dr. Huston and his wife Sarah and later, the Waller family, who lived in the mansion from 1882 to 1945. The City of Salisbury has owned the property since 1974 as a house museum in […]
Hunting Ghosts at the Famous Nemacolin Castle with Ghosts N’at!
This lovely old mansion started life in 1780s as a modest trading post, with a single room on top, at the end of the Nemacolin Trail, a trading route frequently used by Native Americans. The trading post was near the site of Fort Burd, built by British colonists during the French and Indian War. Construction […]
Poe Museum in Richmond
Although Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston in 1809, Richmond was where he grew up, married and first became renown in the literary world. Richmond was his home. He even called himself “a Virginian.” As America’s first writer to attempt to make his living as a fiction writer, the Poe Museum in Richmond is […]
Revisiting an Incredible American Castle at Fonthill
One man’s dream home is a great American castle. We don’t have many of those, but this one is what we imagine when we dream of castles. Towers, great halls, a maze of rooms — Fonthill Castle has them all. It all started when he was 13. Henry Mercer accompanied his aunt, who was quite […]
Visiting Mary Washington’s House
George Washington purchased this house for his mother from Micheal Robinson in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1772 for $275. Mary Ball Washington spent her last few years in the white frame house on the corner of Charles and Lewis Street. New evidence indicates that Mary Washington actually lived in a fairly small house. The portion to […]
Biking through Historical Doylestown
There are numerous ways to get a sense of an area. One way to get to know Doylestown a little better is through a bike tour, offered by Encore Rides. During the personally guided tour, we pedaled around scenic Doylestown, the county seat of Bucks County and and a town steeped in history that offers […]
Invitation to Advocacy at the Pearl S Buck Historic House
Pearl S. Buck was a Pulitzer and Nobel Award-winning American author, a humanitarian, and an activist. You may not have read her novels — knowledge of her is fading with the years — but you’ll probably recognize the names of at least one of her works: The Good Earth. Drawing on her childhood spent […]
Maymont Mansion, Richmond’s Gilded Age Spendor
Victorian exuberant excess is on display at the lovely Maymont Mansion, overlooking the James River in Richmond. Originally a 100-acre Victorian estate, Maymont is now a public park, and the mansion a house museum. On the grounds there’s an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and a children’s farm. […]
Discover Bucks County with the 24 in 24 Challenge
Little girl jumping rope is a touch of whimsy at the Pearl S Buck House. Bucks County PA is a picturesque county, with lovely farmland, rolling hills, and historic little towns. Numerous historic homes, many dating to the 1700s, dot the countryside. There is so much to see and do in the historic Bucks County! […]
Fredericksburg Overview and Trolley Tour
Big cities have their red buses or their double-decker buses, and some have red double-decker buses, but Fredericksburg has its touring trolley. One of the best ways to get introduced to Fredericksburg is via the downtown trolley tour, which takes you past all the significant sites of Fredericksburg, provides an interesting and informative narrative throughout, […]
9 Great Daytrips for the Under-6 Crowd
If you’re looking for some great daytrip destinations to start your younger kids on a lifetime road to discovery, consider exploring the nine great suggestions below. From living history museums that recreate George Washington’s childhood home to a sail on the Chesapeake Bay in a replica of an historic fishing boat, there’s so much to […]