The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Can you resist warm freshly baked doughy goodness slathered in butter and a little salt or cinnamon sugar? We definitely could not. If you want to taste the original authentic Pennsylvania dutch soft pretzel then this is the place. Watch the women in Amish bonnets roll out the dough dip it and place it on the backing rack. 5 minutes later, it's dipped in butter and sprinkled with your choice of topping. If you … [Read more...]
Did you know that the first post office in the United States was established by Benjamin Franklin and was established prior to our nation's founding right in this very building? Don't you just love the name of the post office too? So clever Mr. Franklin! Do what we did and buy some postcards and have them cancelled at the oldest post office in the USA. The cancellation mark is really big so make sure … [Read more...]
Going to the United Nations for a tour is almost the equivalent of going leaving the country although not to worry, you won't need your passport. You will pass through security and need to present proper ID and once you pass through the gates you will no longer be in the United States (though technically you still are). Once through security, make your way across the courtyard to the main building where your tour … [Read more...]
After learning so much about Ben Franklin we were compelled to pay our respects at his gravesite which is nearby. You can peer at his gravestone through the fence for free which is what most folks do, often tossing pennies onto his grave for good luck. Or, you can pay the couple of bucks admission to into the graveyard and get a closer look. Feeling like I really need to properly thank old Ben for all he'd done … [Read more...]
What a thrill it was to stand in the shadows of the New York Stock Exchange. Unfortunately that is about as close as we were able to get since security has now been totally beefed up. You can no longer take a tour and watch the action let alone get within 100 ft. of the building. Even so, the energy of the place was still palpable in spite of all the foreign tourists with the selfie sticks snapping away. When we … [Read more...]
Ben Franklin is one of my heroes. If I had to pick one person in history to meet and spend time with it would either be him or George Washington. I can't even begin to tell you what a treat it was to learn and explore all about him at the Ben Franklin Museum which is adjacent to the grounds of where his house once stood in Philadelphia's historic district. What a fun and interesting museum that enthralled all of us … [Read more...]
The Strong Museum also known as the National Museum of Play really is a glorified kids play zone. After driving quite a ways from Buffalo we were eagerly anticipating checking it out. I was really excited to check out cool toys I used to play with as a kid and show them to my kids but when we got to the ticket booth we were informed that there wasn't anything like that there. There were just some play zones for … [Read more...]
Earlier this year at the LA Times Travel Show, I had the awesome opportunity to meet Larissa and Michael Milne, the writers behind the very popular and acclaimed travel blog Changes in Longitude. In 2011 they quit their jobs, sold their house and gave away their possessions to travel around the world for a year with a Rocky statue. They're now global nomads–completing an epic American road trip to visit … [Read more...]
I've just returned from clear across the country, moving my daughter Lilia, my eldest child, into college on the east coast. It's an exciting and emotional time launching your child into the big wide world. As I stared at the huge mountain of stuff on the curb, besides wondering how it was all going to fit into the small dorm room (which it did), I realized there was so much more I was leaving her with than just … [Read more...]
This quick self-guided tour of our nations first flag maker was interesting for a couple of reasons. I loved exploring the original home, it's architecture and imagining was life was like for those who lived in it. With steep staircases and low ceilings it's certainly a far cry from the homes we live in today. It was also fun to learn more about the life of Betsy, apparently she was widow who made money as an … [Read more...]
