Mount Vernon, Virginia | TMP Haunts What happens when one of America’s most famous historic homes has more than two centuries of ghost stories hiding behind its doors? George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate is one of those places that hardly needs an introduction. Overlooking the Potomac River in Virginia, the sprawling property was once home … Read more
There are certain things you can count on when traveling with us. I will find history. Murph will find an opportunity to complicate something. And apparently, we will visit at least one cemetery. At this point, I don’t think that’s even accidental anymore. After spending some time exploring nearby Falling Creek Falls, we headed just … Read more
We weren’t looking for a Civil War fort. We weren’t even looking for a historical site. Dusty and I were driving through the mountains of Virginia on our way to West Virginia when we rounded a curve and I saw an absolutely breathtaking view stretching across the mountains. Then I saw the sign. 1862 Confederate … Read more
Some places collect history. Others seem to hold onto it. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, has more than a century of documented history behind its stone walls. It began with an optimistic idea about how people experiencing mental illness should be treated. Over time, overcrowding, changing medical practices, and institutional decline turned … Read more
Florida is not exactly a state known for waterfalls. We have springs that glow blue beneath the trees. Rivers darkened by tannins. Sinkholes, caves, wetlands, beaches, and enough swamps to keep an alligator comfortably employed for the foreseeable future. But waterfalls? Those are a little harder to come by. So when our travels brought us … Read more
There are some places on our travels that I seek out because I already know their story. Then there are the places where the entire thought process behind the stop is considerably less scholarly: Ohhhh. That’s pretty. The Luther Henry Caldwell House in Lumberton, North Carolina, was definitely one of those. It was our first … Read more
Sometimes the best travel stories begin with the place you didn’t get to visit. On May 11, 2016, my son and I left early with my parents for a couple-hour drive toward Arecibo. Our destination was the famous Arecibo Observatory, and my dad was particularly excited for us to see it. We never made it … Read more
There are trips where I carefully research every destination, map out exactly what I want to see, and arrive knowing enough history to understand what I’m looking at. And then there are stops like White Springs Historic District. My itinerary notes for this one were remarkably thorough: “Figure we’ll just drive through and see the … Read more
Some places make it onto my travel itineraries months in advance. I research them, save them to maps, plan routes around them, and occasionally create schedules so detailed that Dusty probably wonders whether he’s traveling with me or participating in a military operation. Enfield, North Carolina, was not one of those places. We weren’t supposed … Read more
When I visited the Punta Higüero Lighthouse in Rincón, Puerto Rico, in May 2016, I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at. I knew it was a lighthouse. I knew we couldn’t go inside. I knew the walkway around it offered spectacular views of the ocean. And I knew there were three enormous … Read more