There aren’t many places you can go that are so closely associated with Patrick Henry, patriot, revolutionary, first governor of Virginia, and noted orator, but Scotchtown is one of them. He lived there with his wife Sarah, and their children. He trod these floors. (I’m always fascinated by such proximity to historical legends.) Although he […]
Travel the World with Live Cams — When You Can’t Go Yourself
Daytripping in a time of social distancing might be best done virtually. That doesn’t mean you can’t explore this great world. It just means that for a few weeks (or months), you should consider exploring it through your computer. Technology allows us to visit museums, see performances online, and peak into the private world of […]
Discovering an American Hero at the Clara Barton National Historic Site
So many ways to consider Clara Barton: a teacher, a nurse, a daughter, a sister, a patent clerk, an average woman whose vision of care and compassion led her to became a great humanitarian and hero, who founded the American Red Cross, but only after she spent years caring for Americans on both sides of […]
Discovering the Beauty of Nature at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl
Red-Breasted Merganser Pair, date unknown, A. Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, MA The story of how the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art got started is really cool, actually, and started with two brothers, who began carving in their childhood in the early 1900s. Flying Canvasback Pair, 1963, Lem Ward, Crisfield, MD Lemuel T. Ward (1897–1984) and […]
Missing Soldiers Office: Clara Barton’s Mission in Washington DC
The Clara Barton Missing Soldier Office Museum all started with a ghostly tap on the shoulder in 1996. Clara Barton was an amazing woman, and the more I learn about her, the more impressed I am. She is most well known for founding the America Red Cross, but she devoted most of her adult life […]
Murder Mystery Aboard the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
It was a dinner and the “Late, Late, Late Show” while riding our favorite scenic railroad through the mountains of Western Maryland, filled with comedic improvisation and interactive murder mystery fun! The conductor welcomes us aboard. We were seated at our table in one of the two “heritage” dining cars for the evening’s journey. The performance […]
Biking in White Haven and Wicomico County
We were staying at the Whitehaven Hotel, a bed and breakfast inn in the sleepy village of Whitehaven, on the banks of the Wicomico River. The land is flat in and around Whitehaven, the roads surrounded by farm fields and marsh flats. In such a rural place, there’re few vehicles and the drivers all courteous, […]
Ghost Hunting in York PA
York Ghost Tours offer 12-hour ghost hunts across three locations: the speakeasy, an abandoned morgue, and a row-house on Princess Street. Or, you can opt to form a small group of your own and go on a 24-hour ghost hunt at the Princess Street location. We’ve already decided we’ll be returning to Princess Street for […]
Lynchburg’s Link to the Harlem Renaissance: The Anne Spencer House
There is a house on Pierce Street in Lynchburg. A two-story modified Queen Anne style shingle residence, it’s cute, but like most middle-class homes, not a home you’d look at more than once, if passing along the street. What makes this house so cool, and worth your second and third glance, is that Anne Bethel […]
Discover Baltimore with the MidAtlantic DayTrip 24-in-24 Challenge
While so many travel articles recommend seeing a place like a native, I’ve always believed we should see a place like a tourist, filled with interest for the wonders that surround us. Baltimore can be a fun city that offers a lot to see and do for natives and tourists alike — there’s a lot […]
Rooms and What a View! at the Iris Inn Bed and Breakfast
The Iris Inn, in Waynesboro,VA, is a low-key gem of a bed and breakfast inn offering travelers plenty of places to hang out and simply enjoy the views of the Blueridge Mountains — it’s a place to relax and unwind after a busy day of sight-seeing, or just because! The inn offers individual rooms in […]
Hiking and Bird Watching in the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife sanctuary expressly for migratory birds, located east of Milton, DE in southern Delaware. Translated from the Dutch words Priume Hoek, meaning Plum Point, Prime Hook was named by European settlers in the 1600s for the land’s abundance of purple beach plums. Established in 1963 on 10,000 acres along […]
A Home for Brave Ideas — Lincoln’s Summer Cottage
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 […]
Hampton’s Hidden History: Examining the African American History of Hampton VA
As with many American cities (Annapolis, MD and Alexandria, VA come to mind), the history of African Americans and their community often remains hidden, unless you’re intent on trying to peel back the layers of dust and time. Hampton, VA in particular has a deep and rich history that deserves to be told. Hampton’s history […]
Hiking Greenbriar State Park — Big Red and Rock Oak Fire Trails
Greenbrier State Park, just off I-70, is another of Maryland’s lovely state parks, and offers public recreation on South Mountain, just 3 miles northeast of Boonsboro in Washington County. The state park offers camping, fishing, a boat ramp, hiking trails, and a 42-acre man-made lake with picnicking areas and a sand beach that is quite […]