American Textile Museum (Lowell)

American Textile Museum

What a waste of time! Not only of ours, but of the folks who put this jumble of a museum together.  It's such a shame because there are some really cool artifacts but there are no explanations about what you are looking at.  There was a whole display about linen and yet, there was nothing to tell you  that linen comes from the flax plant or what's involved in making it  all they had were a few swatches of woven … [Read more...]

Boott Cotton Mills-Lowell National Historical Park (Lowell)

Boott Cotton Mills-Lowell National Historical Park

Visiting Boott Cotton Mill is an important lesson in the industrial revolution of this country.  Rising like a cathedral, this huge building complex reminded me of fortress.  Built in the 1830's and opened for 100 years, this factory used the raw cotton shipped from plantations in the south and turned into cotton fabric.  Head upstairs to the mill room, and you experience what it was like for that factory workers … [Read more...]

Plimoth Plantation (Plymouth)

Plimoth Plantation

After seeing Plymouth Rock, head to the Plimoth Plantation and experience life as a Pilgrim. Living history museums are so fun because it's an experience and not just looking at displays. You get to take part and learn by participating. Learn about the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans who lived side by side with the Pilgrims by visit ing a Wampanoag village with real descendants of the tribe who work here to … [Read more...]

Plymouth Rock Pilgrim Memorial State Park (Plymouth)

Plymouth Rock Pilgrim Memorial State Park

We were all so excited to actually see Plymouth Rock and were just a little deflated when we arrived as we just could not believe how small it was. It sits on the beach under a sort of stone gazebo type structure. In the rock is carved the year 1620. I advise reading the story on the sign near the memorial where you will learn that the rock is about one third the size of the original, as it had been removed, cut … [Read more...]

Adams National Historical Park (Quincy)

Adams National Historical Park

So this is a little confusing, when you Google the address it takes you to an office building. Don't make the same mistake we did and pass it by, do go in as the visitor center is there where you can purchase tickets for the tours for the birthplace and the home which are all part of the National Park Service. We didn’t do the tour (which takes about 1½ hours)because we didn't arrive at the right time. I am sorry … [Read more...]

BasketBall Hall of Fame (Springfield)

BasketBall Hall of Fame

Arriving here, I think Isaac and Joel felt that they died and went to heaven. This place is just incredible if you are a basketball fan. There was so much so see and do here that I had a hard time prying everyone out the door to move on, especially on the main floor where there's a real court and various hoops to test your skills. This is not a place you expect to be in a town like Springfield, but it's here because … [Read more...]

Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge)

Norman Rockwell

There is no painter who better captures the spirit of America more than Norman Rockwell and that's why I thought it was so important to go to this museum even though it was a little out of the way in Stockbridge-which by the way, is the cutest town ever. This is where Norman Rockwell made his home and had his studio on the premises. Inside my kids and I were all blown away to see many of his very popular and … [Read more...]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

We had an outstanding time discovering Oklahoma.  We found out that Oklahoma is all about Aerospace, Oil and Cowboys. Though we did discover painful reflections of Oklahoma's history like learning about the Ku Klux Klan and the Oklahoma City Bombing we also discovered Oklahoma's can do spirit. Most folks we met were friendly and down to earth and we discovered much about Oklahoma's history and resources, but what I … [Read more...]

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World (Oklahoma City)

Destination #6: Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma

Yes, I know Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is a retail store, but this is such a fun, quirky stop that I highly recommend it as an activity everyone will enjoy. These ginormous superstores have everything you need to hunt, fish, catch, and cook and camp—a go-to stop for EVERYTHING you need to enjoy the great outdoors. Need a jerky cooker? no problem, need a cammo onesie for your toddler-they've got you covered. … [Read more...]

Bricktown OKC (Oklahoma City)

Destination #6: Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma

Oklahoma has a wonderful riverwalk that's also known as Bricktown. It's a wonderful place to grab lunch or dinner, spend a little time shopping, even check out a minor league ballgame at the Bricktown Ballpark. Did you know that baseball great Johnny Bench was from Oklahoma?  We had lunch at this fantastic little italian pizza joint.  The owner whose name was Chris looked like he was straight out of Brooklyn, heck … [Read more...]