The Explore All 50 States Project
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By reading this post, I hope I will save you some confusion and you can take advantage of our mistake. Apparently there are two Jamestowne "experiences"-one is the actual remains of the first settlement and the other is a recreation, living history experience. We were looking for the remains of the authentic settlement but sadly ended up wasting an hour at the Jamestown Settlement-a fine re-creation but not the real … [Read more...]
If you could meet one person from any period in history who would it be? For me that person would be none other than George Washington, our founding father and true renaissance man. There is no doubt in my mind that George Washington was a humble man of great integrity, but also and incredibly strong leader who ably carried the establishment of our great nation on his shoulders. When you look at portraits … [Read more...]
Sometimes the best things are discovered on a rainy day when other plans get canceled. We were so pumped to kayak in and around the Eastern Virginia National Wildlife Refuge but sadly a huge storm blew in and our guide just didn't think it would be good idea with the wind and the high tide. Sad but still hopeful for another cool experience we set forth with plan B, to head to Norfolk and check out the educational … [Read more...]
Trying to capitalize on it proximity to famous neighbor Thomas Jefferson's estate Monticello, Madison's Montpelier recently underwent restorations to bring it back what the estate and home looked like when James and Dolley Madison were in residence. If you are in the area with some extra time, the home is definitely worth a visit, but sadly you will find much of it's authenticity sadly missing. You see Madison's … [Read more...]
So we were in Richmond on the 4th of July looking for some all American chow before heading to the minor league baseball stadium to take in a game and the only fireworks show for miles around. When you think all American cuisine, in my mind there is only one thing that comes to mind and that is BBQ. After doing the obligatory Yelp search, and checking out the reviews we decided Buz and Ned's Real BBQ … [Read more...]
Tradegar was by far one of the most important factories making weaponry namely canons for the civil war effort. There is not much left of the original factory, but the original brick building has been transformed into a civil war museum filled with interesting relics and amazing large scale photos. The first thing we noticed was the large gear wheel at the front which we learned about about a Hagley was used to … [Read more...]
Sadly in our haste to start our day on our way to Appomattox Courthouse and Monticello we bolted out of Richmond without stopping to explore the beautiful and historic state capitol building (yes, I am still kicking myself over that one). PBS's WTTW ranks Virginia's capitol building as it's #1 building that changed America. Since I can't give you a personal account (kicking myself again), I will turn this post over … [Read more...]
Making the pilgrimage to Gettysburg, by far the most famous battleground of the Civil War will undoubtedly draw you in making you feel the enormity of the loss. But honestly, it's the less famous battlefields that will most likely touch your heart and leave you fascinated and heartbroken at the same time. We would have missed Chancellorsville had it not been for Joel screaming at me to pull over as we … [Read more...]
I know lots of folks travel at holiday time and every now and then we will too, but most times we like to host the big holiday meals at our home. Years ago, in an effort to create an evening that was not only tasty but also lots of fun, I like created a game for everyone to play. Some years it was Family Feud, but I've also done Wheel of Fortune, Match Game, Hollywood Squares just to name a few. Though there … [Read more...]
Have you got some sports nuts in your travel posse? Sometimes it's hard to get everyone excited about traveling, and even if they're up for it, not everyone wants to do museums and historical stuff all the time-and I count myself in that group too..lol. Here's a great way to get your ardent sports fans excited about road trip travel and connect on a whole other level. Whether it's major league baseball, … [Read more...]
