An (Oil) Boom Of A Start In 1859 Colonel Edwin Drake’s drilling rig struck a pocket of oil in Pennsylvania and the world forever changed. Similar to the Gold Rush ten years prior, the Oil Rush was on! Thousands of people flocked to the small towns along the Allegheny River […]
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Church spires. Barbara Fritchie. The Civil War. These are the most commonly known aspects of Frederick, Maryland. But the small town 50 miles north of Washington, DC also has a flourishing food scene. With over 30 restaurants in the downtown area, knowing what to try can be overwhelming. With a […]
In Northeast Washington DC, right before the Maryland border, sits a 7.5 acre sanctuary. Lotuses. Lilies. Turtles. Dragonflies. Bees. Life is everywhere. Colors explode across the quiet, wet landscape. Green leaves and lily pads are flanked by yellow, purple, white, and pink flowers. Out here, along the banks of the […]
Name a US National Park. If you are like most Americans you probably named Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Yosemite – at least those are the Big 3 that have always come to mind for me. I couldn’t complete my #100by100 quest of seeing 100 National Parks before the Park Service […]
The Cascade Mountain Range is an icon of the Pacific Northwest. Stretching from Canada through Oregon, the Cascades parallel the coast and are responsible for the wet weather this area is known for. The Cascades are also known for creating beautiful vistas of snow capped peaks. While I was familiar […]
As part of the National Park Service Centennial Celebration, the National Mall and Memorial Parks organized a scavenger hunt to lesser visited sites throughout the National Mall area. I love games and parks and learning (#nerd) so I was excited for this. But I was also thinking it was probably […]
Since starting my #100by100 quest over 2 years ago, I often thought about where I would celebrate the Centennial. Yosemite is iconic. Maybe I should hike Half Dome? Most people don’t get out to American Samoa enough. Maybe I should book a flight? If it’s too expensive, how about Hawaii? […]
On the eve of my birthday in March 2014 I was contemplating a visit to Antietam National Battlefield. But laying on the couch sounded pretty good too. Did I need to go on a hike? Antietam isn’t going anywhere. Can’t I just go another time? As I lay in bed […]
A Camper Minivan? I was intrigued when I saw it in an email from Groupon. I’d always wanted to go RVing, but didn’t want to drive a big rig around. But I’d driven a minivan before; this I could handle. Ultimately the Groupon deal dates didn’t work for me, but […]
The past few posts have been about my trip to Colonial National Park. While I enjoyed Jamestowne, Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg, and saving money throughout the weekend I made the most surprising discovery at Fort Monroe National Monument. Fort Monroe was once known as the Gibraltar of the Chesapeake and is […]
Given the choice of anything to do on a sunny summer day, rolling a hoop down the road with a stick wouldn’t be my top choice. But there was something about the Colonial Williamsburg commercials I saw as a kid that made it look so fun! Finally now, about 20 […]
A visit to Colonial Williamsburg is an adventure in time travel. Once you leave the parking lot you can be anywhere from 1775 to 1781. Between the catalysts for the Revolution and the granting of independence. Governor’s Palace The Governor’s Palace that can be toured today sits on the site […]