Francis Scott Key was always sort of a hometown hero for me: I grew up in Frederick, MD, where Key is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery as he desired, “in the shadows of the Catoctin Mountains.” Thus, Fort McHenry has always been a favorite destination for me. It’s a lovely place to walk along the […]
kid-friendly
Gettysburg Heritage Museum Shares Civilian Experience During the Battle
The new Gettysburg Heritage Center used to be the American Civil War Wax Museum. I have to admit: I never visited the wax museum. I eschew wax museums: I find them creepy. But having a museum dedicated to the civilian perspective of what happened in Gettysburg during that great battle sounded intriguing, and I welcomed […]
Annamarie Sculpture Garden: Exploring Art Outdoors!
“The Gateway,” by Peter King and Marni Jaime, 1995, Stonehaus Pottery. Permanent collection. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is located near Solomons, Maryland, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The sculpture garden features a short walking path that meanders through the woods past a variety of sculpture, including over thirty works on […]
C&O Canal at Williamsport
Most of my blogs about the C&O Canal recently have been about biking the towpath — a great way to explore the canal, but sometimes you can see more if you slow down a bit and see it on foot. That’s what we did last Sunday. I hadn’t planned on going on a day trip […]
Trail Rides in Canaan Valley, WV
One way to experience Canaan Valley, as well as some of the relatively nearby mountain attractions, such as Seneca Rocks, is on horseback. If you don’t have horses of your own — or you’re a novice rider — no worries. The local riding outfits can accommodate you easily. And although the rides are kid friendly […]
There’s Lots to Dig about Crystal Grottoes Caverns
Guest blogger Melinda writes about taking her family to Crystal Grottoes Caverns. What a great day trip for any time of year! When my family and I returned two years ago from living in Europe, we decided that if Central Maryland was going to be home for the foreseeable future, we might as well get […]
Craving Cave: Exploring Penn’s Cave
For all the natural wonders above ground, I’ve always been fascinated by the ones below! But I’m not a spelunker: scary dangerous dark places and heights — and both exist in caves — are not for me. There are some 55 thousand caves in the United States, and most of them have not become tourist attractions […]
Jet Boating the Niagara Rapids
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is part of the 6-part series of posts about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up north! The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between […]
Niagara Glen, the Whirlpool, and Botanical Gardens
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is part of the 6-part series of posts about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up north! There’s a lot to do at Niagara Falls — and that’s just the Canadian side! About midway […]
Fort George and the War of 1812
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and quaint Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is part of the 6-part series of posts about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up north! No other event has defined Niagara-on-the-Lake (NotL) than the War of 1812 (known by our neighbors […]
Niagara Falls and all the Trappings
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. There is a lot to do up there for kids and adults alike. This is part of the six-part series of posts over the next three weeks about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up […]
Feeling the Love for the City of Brotherly Love
Remembering a favorite destination this past fall during this Christmas week! A sunny but cool October Sunday lured us to Philadelphia, a city we really haven’t had a chance to explore. I’ve been there a few times over the years, as have my husband and even my boys, on school field trips. We decided to […]
Enjoying the Holiday Sights at Longwood Gardens
There is something about holiday lights and decorations that beckons to the kid in us. Toy trains, Christmas ornaments, colorful lights — the Christmas season definitely speaks to my inner child. I like bright colors and shiny things, so last year I’d added seeing Longwood Gardens to my 2014 wishlist. Longwood Gardens offers everything your […]
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 […]
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 […]