For anyone wanting to learn more about American and Civil War history, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is a great option. It’s filled with museums and sites of the battle that prove to be informative not only to the battle specifically but to American culture during the Civil War era in general. It’s also probably one of the best places to learn about this era of history as well.

I’m not interested in military history at all but I do come from a family filled with Civil War historians. So I hope that does shine through in this post even a little!

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I’d had a visit to Charleston in college and it was absolutely beautiful. However I was determined to visit again, armed with more information on things to do and where to explore. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed by what Charleston has to offer and it always makes a fabulous trip.

Charleston’s History

Charleston has a much more interesting history than I had ever thought before my visit. The city as we know it was first colonised in 1670 as Charles Town. It was actually the only walled city in English American colonial history (which I find fascinating) … Continue reading

I live so close to Harpers Ferry and had heard so much about it from friends. But for some reason, I hadn’t been until during the pandemic. However, I was so pleasantly surprised to visit and see this centuries-old town for myself.

A History of Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry has a fairly straightforward history. The land belonged to a man named Robert Harper in 1750, and in 1761 he established a ferry to bring passengers into the Shenandoah Valley and farther west – thus the name Harpers Ferry. (the lack of an apostrophe was intentional) Being right at the … Continue reading

I first saw Provincetown on Twitter and it was recommended a few more times. There are many small towns in Massachusetts’ famous Cape Cod but Provincetown looked like a good bet for a place to spend the day. I was so right – Provincetown is absolutely adorable!

Provincetown History

Provincetown today is located at the end tip of the Cape Cod spiral. The area of Provincetown had been inhabited by the local Wampanoags and Nausets for millennia before the pilgrims from Europe arrived. The famous pilgrims first arrived in Provincetown before continuing onto Plymouth – another great stop (post coming … Continue reading

I love, love, love Newport. On our last trip, we got to visit one of the mansions there, Rough Point. Rough Point was the home of Doris Duke, an incredibly wealthy heiress and socialite during the mid-20th century. You may know her more famous home, Shangri-La in Hawaii. We came in expecting a beautiful home but there was a little surprise in store for us.

Exploring Rough Point Mansion

Rough Point is owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation rather than the Newport Mansions, but it’s still a mansion in Newport. It was built by the Vanderbilts in 1892 as a … Continue reading

New England towns are some of my favorite places to explore in the United States. While their winters are cold, their summers are (generally) a nice escape from the extreme heat of the south. Combined with the historic charm and natural beauty of New England, it makes an amazing road trip.

Here are ten of my favourite places we got to visit when we were visiting up and down New England’s coast, many of which are great places to go to the beach!

Kennebunkport, ME

Kennebunkport has a colonial history dating back to the 17th century and has been a … Continue reading

Plymouth’s story is told each year in U.S. schools and around the Thanksgiving table: in 1620, over 100 people sailed on the Mayflower to start a new life in the “new world.” These people were known as the Puritans and were seeking religious asylum from England. They landed in Plymouth on December 26 and made one of the United States’ first permanent settlements there. They survived their first year of hardship due to the local Native American tribe and the following year, held a Harvest festival with them to celebrate the harvest. 1621 – the first Thanksgiving.

That’s not super … Continue reading

The Holiday Season is probably my favourite of all, and I love to spend Christmas in Maryland. Though a lot of fun is had at home making cookies and watching wholesome movies, there’s a lot to do and much to see. Here, I’ve compiled a list of 20 wonderful ways to celebrate winter & the holiday season here in Maryland. This is by no means a comprehensive list but rather events that I have been to or heard of myself.

Please note that I’ve put dates down for your convenience but you should always double check with the event website!… Continue reading

Chincoteague, Virginia is one of the mid-Atlantic’s hidden gems. Shadowed by Ocean City, Maryland, Chincoteague (also called Chincoteague Island) a small town located on the Atlantic Ocean. Like neighbouring Assateague Island, Maryland, Chincoteague is known for its wild ponies and the annual pony swim (details below). We opted to visit Chincoteague as a social distancing trip and it became one of my favourite places on the eastern shore.

The History of Chincoteague

Despite being named after the Chincoteague tribe, Native Americans are not known to have inhabited this specific area. Very few European settlers lived on Chincoteague Island, which was … Continue reading

If swimming with manatees isn’t on your bucket list, it should be. Getting up close and personal with these gentle giants is said by many frequent travellers to have been a highlight of their experiences.

Crystal River is home to hundreds of manatees. Yes, a small town on Florida’s western coast houses springs that are warm all year long, allowing manatees to escape the cold waters of the Mexican Gulf during the wintertime. That means that hundreds of manatees come flocking in to live in warm waters and people are easily able to go see them!

The peak of this … Continue reading