May 8 – June 8, 2016 Some trips are remembered for the places you visit. Others are remembered for the people you share them with. This one became both. What began as a Mother’s Day visit to my parents in Puerto Rico turned into one of the most meaningful journeys I’ve ever taken. My son … Read more
Some field trips teach you something new. Others quietly change the direction of your life. When I decided to homeschool my son, one of the things I looked forward to most was getting out of the classroom. Instead of simply reading about history and science, we could experience them together. That’s exactly how trips like … Read more
Some places seem destined for a single purpose. A school is built to educate. A courthouse is built to deliver justice. A hospital is built to heal. Then there are places like Rivers State Prison. What began as a hospital dedicated to treating one of America’s deadliest diseases eventually became a prison, only to spend … Read more
Some places become part of your story before you ever learn theirs. For me, Lake Eola has always been one of those places. Long before I knew anything about sinkholes, cattle barons, mysterious names, or iconic fountains, I simply knew it as somewhere my mom liked to take me. We’d walk laps around the lake … Read more
Not every travel day goes according to plan. During our Georgia road trip, after stopping briefly at the Georgia Welcome Center, Dusty and I found ourselves visiting two museums we had hoped to explore in depth: the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village and the Georgia State Cotton Museum. Unfortunately, both visits ended with … Read more
There are some places you visit because they’re famous. There are others you visit because you feel like you should. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum fell into that second category for me. It was our final full day in Washington, D.C. The next morning, my son and I would leave the nation’s capital behind … Read more
Some places tell you exactly what they are the moment you arrive. Others whisper. Fort King, tucked away beneath the pines of Ocala, is one of those places. At first glance, it’s a peaceful historical park. Families wander through the reconstructed fort. Visitors browse museum exhibits. Birds sing overhead as the Florida breeze drifts through … Read more
Not every stop on a road trip becomes a destination. Some exist simply because they’re there—a place to stretch your legs, use the restroom, or grab a snack before climbing back into the truck. Most travelers probably don’t give them a second thought. But every now and then, even the smallest roadside stop has something … Read more
There are places that feel preserved. And then there are places that feel rescued. The road into Barberville Pioneer Settlement narrows beneath sprawling live oaks draped in Spanish moss, the kind of old Florida canopy that makes the world feel quieter before you even arrive. The modern world slowly slips into the rearview mirror. Traffic … Read more
Sometimes the most interesting stories aren’t the ones displayed on the historical markers. They’re the ones hiding between them. Milledgeville is one of those places that immediately feels important. Wide streets lined with towering oaks. Elegant antebellum homes. Historic churches standing watch over quiet neighborhoods. At first glance, it looks exactly like you’d expect Georgia’s … Read more