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a square granite canopy made of pillars alongside the harbor filled with small white boats

Plymouth Rock: 7 Things Visitors Need to Know

Visiting Plymouth Rock is worth it if you’re in the area and have some time to debunk history. When I visited, I had no idea there was so much controversy about this rock. It’s a rock, after all. I was surprised to learn so many stories about it, the surrounding area, and the people who once lived there. But first, is there anyone who was a kid in the 80s who can hear “Plymouth Rock” and not think of “Fraggle...

A marshy green oasis filled with swampy waters, trees and bushes

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Sleepy Hollow

You’ve heard of Sleepy Hollow and the headless horseman, but do you know about the other Sleepy Hollow Cemetery? This one is in Concord, Massachusetts and there are so many famous authors buried there they named a section “Author’s Ridge.” As a taphophile, I had to visit. I recently visited Concord while traveling in my van on a two-year solo nomadic road trip, hiking, visiting historic sites, and staying in short-term rentals. I stopped at the homes and locations made...

A beige wood two-story house with nine windows and a door surround by green grass and bushes
The author stands gazing out at the edge of the pond next to green leafy trees

What to Know if You Visit Thoreau’s Walden Pond

Nearly half a million people from around the world visit Walden Pond yearly to see where Henry David Thoreau lived and penned “Walden,” and I recently joined them. Now a state park, the Walden Pond State Reservation area is an internationally famous National Historic Landmark and is considered the conservation movement’s birthplace. Today, many people use the area for swimming, hiking, boating, and fishing. In the two years, two months and two days Thoreau lived there from July 1845 to...

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,...

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...

Old Salem Moravian Settlement sign and fence
Rene in front of the Fort Matanzas National Monument

Visiting St. Augustine, Florida; America’s Oldest City

There’s a lot of flash in St. Augustine, Florida. There’s music playing from seaside cafes and long haired retirees driving by on trikes and bikes. There are oodles of people wearing swimsuits with subtle coverups, and the scent of suntan oil wafts on the breeze. Local shops sell brightly colored swimwear and kitschy souvenirs that say things like “Life is better at the beach,” while children are chased by their parents as they cross the brick-lined streets. It’s loud, busy,...