**Special thanks to Montpelier for tickets provided for purposes of this review.** Growing up, I was fascinated with James and Dolley Madison. James Madison, the father of the US Constitution, was a deep thinker who took his role in early America quite seriously. Dolley, a regular subject of my school papers, was his political “right hand.” […]
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
**We received free admission to Monticello for purposes of this review. All opinions are mine.** I’ve gotten to visit Monticello twice in the past year. The first visit gave me a strong sense of Thomas Jefferson: his values, his sense of place in this world and his incredible intellect. My second visit, armed with Jeffersonian knowledge, […]
Monuments by Moonlight: See DC after dark
**Thanks to Destination, DC for providing tickets for purposes of this review.** I live only 5 hours from Washington, DC and know there are lots of things to do in DC. We’ve made many treks up I-95 to enjoy the Smithsonian, Library of Congress and great food that the city offers. I had never heard […]
Ash Lawn-Highland, a presidential landmark
Post updated January 2018 to reflect the name change. The estate is now called “Highland,” as it was when James Monroe lived here. James Monroe’s Highland (formerly called Ash Lawn-Highland) in Charlottesville, Virginia was the home of President James Monroe and his family from 1799 to 1823. The College of William and Mary now owns the property […]
Blackbeard Festival, family friendly fun!
Ahoy, mateys! Today’s post is all about the world’s most authentic pirate festival…. the Blackbeard Festival in Hampton, VA. What’s an authentic pirate festival, you ask? Great question! How about if I start with what an authentic pirate festival is not: 1. Jack Sparrow. That’s not to say he won’t make an appearance. Hollywood’s favorite […]
Poets and pets: The story of Fort Monroe
Have you ever fallen hard for someone — or something? You know, so hard you just can’t get it out of your mind? That happened for me at St. Chappelle in Paris. Stepping into that grand cathedral with its tall stained glass windows that have seen centuries of history, standing on floors where kings have […]
Mission San Luis
I was provided free admission to Mission San Luis for purposes of this article. All opinions are my own. To learn more, read my disclosure policy. Wherever I travel, learning the history of the region means a lot to me — enough that I even toured the sewers in Paris a couple years ago (great […]
National First Ladies Library
A Hidden Treasure The National First Ladies Library is a great place to visit if you’re going to be near Canton, OH. I’ve lived in the area for almost 20 years now, but I’ve never been until a couple weeks ago. I feel kind of cheated now after getting to experience all that the museum […]
Canal Boat Ride at Canal Fulton, OH
Who Has Time To Vacation? Most everybody loves vacations. Unfortunately, vacations never seem to last long enough. Maybe one reason why people don’t get enough out of their vacations is because no one really wants to be completely separated from the rest of the world. I personally know plenty of people who would gasp in […]
William McKinley Museum
I’ve mentioned in a couple of previous posts that my brother and I were homeschooled growing up. We didn’t have a ton of money to spend when it came to field trips, so we stayed pretty close to home. One of my favorite places to visit was the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, located […]