The Explore All 50 States Project
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Because of New Orleans' cultural ties to the Caribbean and voodoo culture, I thought it would be really interesting to do a voodoo tour and see the famous graves in this historic city while exploring something truly unique to New Orleans. I booked a tour through the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum and I remember that something just didn't feel right when I got off the phone. When we arrived for our tour, we were … [Read more...]
The Cotton Museum is an outstanding place to learn about something we all take for granted in our lives and something that is such a huge part of American history. Think about all the clothes you wear and all the fabrics in your life that are made of cotton. Have you ever stopped to think about where that comes from? At one time, Memphis was the home of the Cotton Exchange, where cotton that was picked in the … [Read more...]
Walking up to the grounds of the Lorraine Motel it seemed that time had stood still here. The original 60's decor and the colorful sign were all left intact as they were on the day civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Walking up to the hotel we found a beautiful marble plaque with a poignant inscription from the old testament marking the day those tragic events took place. A very … [Read more...]
Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a real gem of a museum which really took me by surprise because I just wasn't sure what to expect. It is a treasure trove of lessons on musical history. As we strolled through we learned about gospel music in the local churches and how that mixed with some country music led to the birth of rock and roll. Through video and audio presentations it was easy to see and hear how … [Read more...]
It's really hard to explain Pigeon Forge. It's sort of like the Vegas strip but instead of casinos, it's chock full of kitschy entertainment built for family fun. The traffic during the summer was just ridiculous along the main drag as we headed to the Titanic Museum taking about 20 minutes to move about a mile. Thankfully I had already reserved our tickets and if you go I suggest you do the same as this place had … [Read more...]
Visiting The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum feels like you've gone on an adventure with Mel and his crew, searching for treasure at the bottom of the ocean and finding the mother lode that you can touch and feel. Key West because of it's geography is one of the most famous shipwreck sites in the world. As numerous ships from Spain, England, Portugal traveled during the early colonial during the 1600 and 1700's … [Read more...]
The Shipwreck Treasure Museum is literally right across the street from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in the charming Mallory Square, and in all honesty, seems to be a little bit of a rip off of the same idea-with just a lot less exciting stuff. We probably would have enjoyed it more if a) we done it first and b) if it weren't trying so hard with it's theatrical shtick complete with costumed storytellers shouting … [Read more...]
After spending time at the beach hunting for shells the kids and I needed to know what kind of treasure we'd found so we headed to the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. Wow, was this place fascinating-an entire museum devoted to shells. We learned all about the different sea creatures that make shells, their life cycle, and what shells are used for after the creatures die, such as tools and artwork or even homes for … [Read more...]
The Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum is a wonderful place to learn about an important part of Wisconsin history and an industry that was and continues to be an important part of the American economy- logging and lumber production. Paul Bunyan was a mythical figure; however, there were plenty of real lumberjacks that inspired his legend. Inside the logging camp, we learned about what life was like for many immigrant … [Read more...]
When we visited the National Mustard Museum it was located in a small town right outside Madison named Mt. Horeb but be forewarned, they renamed the town Middleton. This was such a cute, quirky and interesting stop and I highly recommend you don't miss it. We learned everything we could ever want to know about our favorite yellow condiment. The museum is literally one man’s obsession turned into a shrine and … [Read more...]
