Biking the Battlefields

Each time I visit the Gettysburg National Military Park I learn something new. This Sunday morning, however, my intent was just to focus on the bike ride and scenery, and not try to read the signs or follow a narrative to understand how the battle unfolded. The day before the weather had been rainy and […]

InSite Gettysburg Brings the Battlefield into Clearer Focus

This is fourth of a series focusing on Gettysburg, PA as a great day trip destination. I’m always intrigued by different ways to tour the National Military Park at Gettysburg. I loved the segway tour of the battlefield my husband and I went on a couple years ago, but that was as much for the […]

My Top 5 Budget-Friendly Day Trips

Periodically I’ll post my top picks. This is the latest My Top Picks posts. Links to the original posts will be embedded in the text. Let me know what you think of this new blog feature! 6. Visit the National ZooWhether you take the metro or drive and park ($22 flat rate for parking), the Smithsonian […]

My Top 7 Haunted Places

Periodically I’ll post my top picks. Links to the original posts will be embedded in the text. Let me know what you think of this new blog feature!My Top 7 Haunted Places the Blog Has Accidentally Visited*7. Fort FrederickHistorical reenactors in the fort have frequently reported a presence or hostile feelings coming from the front right […]

Shriver House Museum: The War Through the Eyes of a Family

I’m fascinated by the civilian experience that I learned about at this house museum because I believe my ancestors, who lived on a farm not that far away, may have had similar experiences, although their farm didn’t border a battle field. Like the Shrivers, my ancestors were immigrants from Germany. Like the Shrivers, the man […]

My Top 4 Things to do During a Government Furlough

Periodically (i.e., whenever the whim strikes me, I’ll post my top picks. This is the second of the My Top Picks posts. Links to the original posts will be embedded in the text. Let me know what you think of this new blog feature!It’s 27 September and Congress has just 3 more days to pass […]

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 […]

Accidental Tourist: How Playing a Game Brought Me to New Places

My husband and I recently discovered Ingress, a game we can play on our phones, either during a day trip or as the goal of a day trip. We first started it while biking along the C&O Canal. For those of you not familiar with Ingress, it’s an augmented reality massively multiplayer online role playing […]

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 […]