New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is a historic American Civil War battlefield and national historic district located near New Market, VA, in Shenandoah County. The park is also the site of the Virginia Museum of the Civil War, which is operated by the Virginia Military Institute. Lieutenant General Ulysses Grant designed a “grand strategy” to […]
winter daytrip
Little Remembered Battle of Cedar Creek Helped End Civil War
I am constantly amazed at how little I know of several important battles. I must have slept during U.S. history class — a fact that makes me sad now. Although in my defense, my teacher’s loyalties still remained with the Lost Cause, so perhaps I can be excused from not knowing much about battles where […]
A Return Visit to Bombay Hook
I have yet to find a bad month to visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, but I’m setting a new goal to go more often this year, maybe even every month, and share the photos and notes with the blog. There are always interesting things to notice — the birds and different species. Bombay Hook […]
Romance on the Rails
My husband suggested a romantic evening on Saturday, 13 February. He started describing the evening. He had me at “train ride.” But it kept getting better and better. A four-course, romantic meal in one of Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s restored dining cars, a complimentary bottle of wine, and a kidless evening out… We arrived in […]
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 […]
The Lost Post
C&O Canal Between Monocacy Aqueduct and Catoctin Creek Aqueduct I call this the lost post because I had this article almost completely written — I was just feeding in the photos, when my beagle, Meeko, sat his big fat hairy butt on my little laptop and butt-erased most of the post. I was more sad and […]
My Top 5 Winter Day Trips
Periodically (i.e., whenever the whim strikes me, I’ll post my top picks. This another in the series 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! 5. Snowtubing, of course!There are lots of places to go, […]
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 […]
My Top 5 December Activities
Periodically (i.e., whenever the whim strikes me, I’ll post my top picks. This is yet another in the continuing series 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!December is a favorite time of year because […]
Christmas in NYC And Bucket List Item: Check!
I should have been home working on our kitchen reno… instead my husband suggested we go up to NYC to show a friend of his, who’d never been, around the major tourist sites. Within seconds, I had a plan in mind: Staten Island Ferry (to see the Statue of Liberty, and also, just because), lunch […]
We Blew It!
I met Foster, the owner and co-founder of Art of Fire Contemporary Glass Studios, at the most recent Maryland Blogger Bash, in downtown Rockville, Md. Normally, glass doesn’t intrigue me: I don’t need any new glass pieces, in fact, if anything, I have too many. But Foster kept talking about his work and the studios, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Three Wineries on a Spring Sunday
A warm March Sunday beckoned me out of my winter hideout, and what better way to do than to go visit a few wineries in the beautiful Maryland countryside? I’ve lived in my neighborhood for over a decade, but I’ve not been a good neighbor. I like my neighbors but I realized recently I hardly […]
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 […]