This year is the 40th annual Maryland Renaissance Festival, where for 9 weekends between August and October. My husband and I have been attending, at least every other year, for about 20 years — it’s crazy that it’s been that long! There’s nothing quite like a Renaissance festival, whether it’s in Maryland or Virginia or Pennsylvania. […]
kid-friendly
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 […]
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 […]
Four Lakes in Columbia
Maryland has no natural lakes. Thus, to find a place with several lakes that look completely natural, with many lovely scenes, and walking paths so you can enjoy the scenery, is a wonderful discovery. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed Columbia’s lakes throughout the seasons. If you’re a fan of the new and popular Pokémon Go, 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 […]
Top Nine Mid-Atlantic Region Summer Day Trips for Kids
It’s that time again — when school ends for the year and kids cheer and parents groan (just a little, because, you know, we really love our kids). If you’re looking for some great ideas for day trips with your little cherubs — the kind of daytrips that will keep their imaginations active and expand […]
Day Trip on a Budget: Best Summer Day Trip for Kids!
It’s definitely that time of year again — and with summer just around the corner, you may be looking for some interesting places that will both entertain and capture the imagination of your kids. There’s a long summer ahead… so consider this day trip on a budget! If you’re trying to day trip on a […]
Out Door Adventure in Farmville, VA
Prince Edward County, VA is about an hour southwest of Richmond and about four hours from Washington, DC. In country referred to as “Southside” in Virginia (traditionally, the term Southside refers to the portion of Virginia east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and south of the James River), this rolling countryside is an ideal destination […]
Taking Pride in the C&O Canal and a Couple of Recipes
This year the Blog officially volunteered for the Ninth Annual Canal Pride Days, a program sponsored by the C&O Canal Trust to work on projects, in coordination with the C&O Canal National Park, to improve or help the park. Projects such as pulling out invasive plants, planting gardens for the lockhouses, cleaning garbage and debris […]
Virginia Renaissance Faire
Looking for something a little different to do for Mother’s Day, we found ourselves headed to the Virginia Renaissance Faire, at the Lake Anna Winery in Spotsylvania. It’s cozier, more intimate than at least two of its cousins to the north: the Maryland Renaissance Festival, in Crownsville, and the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at the Mount […]
Reaching for the Moon: the Story of Barbara Johns and Prince Edward County Public Schools
Photo of a photo displayed in the museum shows Farmvile in the 1950s. Each winter, school children celebrate snow days. But despite missing many days in a row, when the snow again begins to fall, school children again celebrate. But what if the schools simply closed and didn’t reopen? What if the “snow day” was […]
Day Trip on a Budget: Checking Out an Historic Mansion in a State Park
If you’re trying to day trip on a budget, your best bet is to check out the state parks. Nominal entrance fees — even if you’re from out of state — make these a great go-to resource for anyone watching their bottom line. One of my favorite day trips was to Susquehanna State Park. I […]
Out Foxed at Island Beach State Park
A colleague, upon reading several of my blogs, suggested I check out Island Beach State Park. Island Beach is currently one of the most popular state parks in New Jersey and attracts approximately one million visitors every year. With beautiful, pristine beaches, I was surprised when he suggested that winter is a great time to […]
Snow Tubing Winter Fun
One of my favorite wintertime activities is to go snowtubing. It’s better (although more expensive) than going sledding, and for those of us intimidated by skis and snowboards, a great alternative. It’s one heck of a great way to feel like a kid again! My favorite place to go is Boulder Ridge, part of the […]
A Really Grand Day at the National Zoo
I’ve been going to the Smithsonian National Zoo since I was a child. Every summer, mom would take us down to the zoo. It would be crowded and swelteringly hot, as July and August usually are in Maryland. My sister, thinking she was clever, would tease me about leaving me with the apes, and I’d […]