One of our first big family road trips was a drive from Boston, Massachusetts to Bar Harbor, Maine. Along the way, we stopped at the giant L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, ate lobster rolls in Wiscasset, and stayed overnight to explore scenic Boothbay Harbor. We were excited to arrive in Bar Harbor and explore the small town, along with nearby Acadia National Park. It was the first of many national park road trips that we took as a family. Upon arrival in Bar Harbor, we had an unexpected glitch with our accommodations. The good news was it led to an upgrade to the Harborside Hotel, centrally located in downtown Bar Harbor. This certainly made our stay even better as we now had walking access to local restaurants and the harbor. Here’s our list of cool things to do when visiting Bar Harbor. *This post was updated April, 2022
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Everyone knows that DC is a popular tourist town, filled with history and wonderful free museums. When the weather is nice, there are more options for outdoor enthusiasts or tourists looking for something a bit more adventurous. Next time you visit DC, consider adding one of these fun, outdoor activities for a different perspective of our nation’s capital.
*This post was updated April, 2021 As I was writing this article, I was feeling pretty good thinking about the number and types of museums that our family has visited over the years. These include places like the small town Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum in Winchester, Virginia, (a family favorite which recently expanded), to the amazing free Smithsonian Museums in DC. In recent years, we have branched out to visit the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (home of the Grand Ole Opry for over 30 years), the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, and the EMP in Seattle (see photo).
The official start of winter is just around the corner, and there is no telling what Mother Nature has in store. But if you love winter activities like skiing and snowboarding and live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country, there are a surprising number of family-friendly ski resorts within a 3-4.5 hour drive of the DC area. The mountains may not be as tall as the Rocky Mountains, and most operate with some combination of natural and man-made snow, but know that many of these places also offer other activities such as snow-tubing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and indoor swimming. When winter is in full force and the snow starts to fall, check out these five family-friendly places to ski within driving distance from DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
*This post was updated for the 23-24 ski season As the weather starts to turn colder, many of us begin to think about holiday shopping. Although shopping on-line in the comfort of your own home has become more popular, there is nothing like bundling up and heading outside to a seasonal outdoor market in search of some unique holiday gifts. Here are some of the more popular markets around the country.
Since October is the month when talk turns to all things spooky, it's the perfect time to highlight a few mysterious attractions that would be interesting to visit, especially for tweens and teens. Each is known for some scientific phenomenon or claims to be haunted, and all are popular with tourists. Best suited for children at least age 10 and up, you can visit any time of the year. As you will see below, they also happen to be located near some great vacation spots.
This post was updated October, 2020 I always like to try new foods when we travel, but had never taken an official Food Tour until last fall, when my husband and I took a 3 hour tour in historic Frederick, Maryland. It’s a great way to combine a love of food and history, while sampling food from new restaurants. Here are 5 highly rated food tours around the country.
Camping is truly a great family bonding experience, and each season offers a different opportunity to experience nature. Some people prefer the fall season, with cooler weather, no bugs, and the changing of the leaves. Others like summer, especially when camping near a river or lake. Whatever the season, here are 5 popular campgrounds in Virginia and West Virginia, each with something unique to offer. Some also offer cabins as an option to tent camping. I also share some tips and resources to help find your ideal campsite in locations throughout the US.
This post was updated April, 2021. My daughters and I are big fans of the movie “Titanic,” so of course when our family ended up renting a cabin in the mountains just outside of Pigeon Forge this summer, we had to visit the Titanic Museum. I ordered tickets by phone, and was able to purchase a family pass, which was a great price deal for a family of 5. Upon arrival at our scheduled “boarding time,” we were handed a boarding pass and took turns sharing our new passenger identities. We varied from 1st and 2nd class passengers to a quartermaster who was behind the wheel when the iceberg was spotted on that fateful night. The museum had over 20 galleries, with many interactive exhibits to help tell the story.
Who would have guessed that the highlight of my summer was zip lining almost half a mile across a valley about 275 feet above the ground with nothing but air and mountain views around me. This is probably one of the most fun family outings we have taken on vacation, and I would highly recommend adding this to a family bucket list. We were at Wears Valley Zipline Adventures in the mountains of Tennessee not too far from Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains. The original course has 4 lines that run over 3100 feet, and for many people, that is plenty. But it is the last 3 lines they recently added that are the most amazing, with some of the longest and highest in the region. Also, the guides were super friendly and helpful, and always there with encouraging words, especially for those of us who had never zip lined before. You can purchase a combo ticket which also included whitewater rafting, which we also did the day prior to zip lining. Tickets are a bit pricey but it was definitely worth it for creating some wonderful family memories.
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