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The exterior of the PEZ Visitors Center with three huge PEZ candy packs attached to the wall.

The PEZ Visitor’s Center is Pop Culture Nostalgia

PEZ candy dispensers have been an iconic part of childhood since the 1930s, but did you know there’s a PEZ Visitor’s Center museum dedicated to their history and cultural relevance? Not too far from New Haven, Connecticut, inside the PEZ factory, you can see hundreds of different PEZ dispensers and watch the famous candy being made. Which child doesn’t remember PEZ dispensers and the secret thrill of seeing those colorful, square sugar tablets pop out when you tip the character’s...

Three young boys in red tshirt pose with the Rocky statue, arms raised

10 Iconic Things to See in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Finding things to see in Philadelphia isn’t hard; deciding what you’ll do will be a challenge. Philadelphia is worth visiting because it’s, in many ways, the birthplace of the United States, where the founding fathers formed a new country. It’s also a UNESCO-designated World Heritage city. I spent several days rambling around during my nearly two-year road trip as a solo nomad, and each location in Philadelphia brought a new fascinating historical fact to add to my quickly increasing bank...

bed with pink lace edging and pink material hanging above

What Strange Beds Teach a Traveler

These strange beds are too small, too firm, too tall, or too big. I can’t remember the last time I slept in a bed I found flawless. But I long for it. You know that feeling of sinking into your bed at the end of a long, tedious day. It’s as if you can fluff your pillow, pull the covers up, and disappear on a cloud. It’s been almost two years since I’ve had that feeling. I’ve been on a...

Monticello exterior with people walking up

11 Fun Things to do Near Madison, Virginia

There are so many fun things to do near Madison, Virginia; you may be surprised. When I recently stayed for a month, I was shocked at how places and activities on my ever-growing list of things to do kept expanding. It was astonishing since I’d never heard of the place before renting a little cottage there. But it ended up being an idyllic location in the Shenandoah Valley within just two hours of many premiere Virginia locations and attractions. Plus,...

the entrance to Luray Cavern looks like the inside of a whales belly

Inside Luray Caverns is the World’s Biggest Stalacpipe Organ

Luray Caverns in Virginia is the third most-visited cave system in the United States, and it’s the only one with a stalagmite pipe organ. I’ve said if you’ve seen one cave, you’ve seen them all, but this one promised to be unique.   I visited these caverns during my solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. Each day roughly 3,500 people from all over the world take the one-hour tour through Luray Caverns. When I recently pulled into...

sentinel at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Why You Should Visit Arlington National Cemetery

When you first enter Arlington National Cemetery, the tranquility is striking. Then, as you walk among the many perfectly uniform white headstones, you are quietly humbled and, finally, seeing the magnitude of our dead, sad but proud. There far many more graves than I could comprehend. There are 600+ acres in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Though I knew it was large, nothing prepares you for the immensity of so many uniform graves. That they represent only a tiny...

Montpelier exterior four columns and red brick house in front of trees

Five Presidential Homes in Virginia You Can Visit

There are nine presidential homes in Virginia, and I visited several. The homes belonged to President George Washington (Mt. Vernon), Thomas Jefferson (Monticello and Poplar Forest), James Madison (Montpelier), and James Monroe (Highland). William Henry Harrison’s Berkeley Plantation and John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest Plantation are not open to the public. Less formally, there is also Theodore Roosevelt’s rural cabin (Pine Knot) and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. When I spent a month visiting the Commonwealth state, I didn’t...

Red brick Yorktown Sign with white letters

Journey through Time at Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown

In Virginia, they call Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown the “Historic Triangle” because these three iconic colonial towns are within a few miles of each other. If you mapped them, the space between them would form a triangle. This makes them a perfect couple-of-day adventure for anyone interested in American history. Even if you’re not already a history buff, you’re bound to leave with new insight and appreciation you never expected. I spent two days exploring Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. History...

Exterior view of Mount Vernon house

Visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, the home of America’s first president, is one of the most popular places to visit in America. Each year 1 million people tour George Washington’s Mount Vernon, making it a top United States attraction. I recently took a tour and was surprised by how many things there are to do. Mount Vernon is special because it was the beloved home of America’s first President and an American landmark. More than that, it’s historically essential preservation of colonial America...