Bordered by Quantico Marine Base, Prince William Forest Park is a national park located 35 miles south of Washington D.C. near Triangle, Virginia. Most people zoom by and never notice the 15,000+ acres of eastern Piedmont forest, 37 miles of hiking trails, and 21 miles of bicycling roads. I’d feel sorry for them if I wasn’t busy enjoying the solitude. So let’s not tell them.

Located near many historical and local attractions Prince William Forest Park offers rustic cabins, RV hookups, and both front and backcountry campground locations. With a $5 park entrance fee and a $15 fee for frontcountry, cabin and RV sites, this is an option for inexpensive lodging. If you’re roughing it, a backcountry camping permit must be obtained free of charge from the visitors center. All sites and permits are available on a first come first serve basis.

The trails at the park are well maintained and easy to navigate. This is a good starter location for young children and new hikers. The rangers at the visitors center can help you find a circuit that right for your group. Leashed pets are also allowed on the trails.

The majority of the South Valley trails will take you along Quantico creek and it is one of our favorites. It has interesting locations to sit and rest or have a picnic. The smallest hikers will appreciate using the many foot bridges for a game of pooh sticks or entertaining Daddy while enjoying some juice. There are plenty of opportunities for “rock climbing” as well.

If you’d like to make your walk in the woods educational be sure to stop at the visitor center to look at the displays and pick up a few brochures. You can also get information about letterboxing and the Junior Rangers. A great stop for adults and children alike is the reclaimed pyrite mine. There are dramatic before and after pictures at the site. It’s also fun to walk along Quantico Creek and see the fairy dust (pyrite compounds) sparkling in the sand.

Food is not sold at the park so you will need to bring your own snacks and drinks. It is also a trash free park so you must leave with everything you came in with. Don’t forget extra trash bags for the leftover drink containers or the little extras left by the family dog.

All Photos by Sherry Roberts

Winchester Mystery House

The story goes that when a grieving Sarah L. Winchester, widow to legendary rifle industrialist, William Winchester, met with a medium in 1884 she was told the following:

• Thousands of people have died as a result of her husband’s creations.
• Their spirits are angry and seeking vengeance
• To appease them she must build a home for herself and the spirits, however there was one catch: she could never stop building the house or she would die.

Hence began what would eventually become a $5.5 million dollar (nearly $70 million by today’s standards) construction project that went on for 38 years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until Sarah’s death on September 5, 1922 at the age of 82.

But Sarah was not only trying to appease the spirits, she was also bent on confusing them. Under her orders, carpenters built stairways that led nowhere, doors that open into solid walls or in one case a 10-foot drop to the ground below. She slept in a different room every night and spent her time spying on servants from various hidey-holes around the mansion.

Today the Winchester Mystery House offers three different tours as well as The Winchester Firearms Museum. The Mansion Tour offers up 110 of the 160-room architectural behemoth for viewing.  Also available is The Garden Tour; magnificent Victorian gardens restored to the days when Sarah Winchester’s full time staff of eight gardeners tended its beauty.

For those who like to dig a little deeper, The Winchester Mystery House offers a special Behind-the-Scenes, hard hats only tour, which takes guests “into areas which had been unexplored for over 75 years.” For safety reasons these tours are limited to guests ten years of age and older.

Be sure to check out the famous Winchester Firearms Museum, home to one of the largest collections of  Winchester Rifles on the West Coast, the “Gun that Won the West,” as well as many rare antiques manufactured by Winchester Products Company, a subsidiary to the legendary arms manufacturer.

For tour hours, pricing and special packages, visit their website at: http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Photo: Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, CA.

I’ve lived over twenty years of my life in Connecticut, but there are still quite a few historic places I haven’t seen even in this small state. That’s because there are so many of them. Living in New England, it’s hard not to drive by something historic almost every day. There are the big attractions of course—places like Plymouth Rock or the Old State House for those who live in Boston. But there are also hundreds of lesser known attractions like Revolutionary War sites, historic buildings, and homes of famous Americans built in the seventeenth, eighteenth or nineteenth centuries.

All within five miles in and around Hartford, Connecticut, are former homes of Mark Twain (1835-1910), Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), and Noah Webster (1758-1843).  For anyone interested in vacations packed with visits to historic sites, this area has no shortage.  This past summer, my daughter and I took in a few of them.

The Mark Twain House

The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford threatened to close earlier this year because of a lack of funding. I had never been there, and I figured I should do my part to keep open the home of arguably America’s greatest writer and humorist. Twain is better known for growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, but he lived in Hartford from 1874 through 1891. It was here that he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and several other of his great novels. To add to the history, the home was decorated by Louis Comfort Tiffany.  In addition to the home, the grounds include a recently built Education and Visitors Center which displays exhibits about Twain’s life and the Industrial and Victorian Ages in America, as well a short biopic of Twain by award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns.  There, you’ll learn lesser known facts, such as Twain helping to form a Confederate militia during the Civil War, but giving up on it after only two weeks.  Hours and admission fees are available at the website.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe House

Immediately next to the Mark Twain House is the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Library, home of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and one of the most famous American women of the nineteenth century.  Stowe lived there from 1873 until her death in 1896.  That’s right, for several years, Stowe and Twain were neighbors.  Like the Twain home, the Stowe site includes educational exhibits in an adjacent building and a Visitors Center—this one in an 1873 carriage house.  Both the Twain House and the Stowe House also offer special holiday tours.  Even better for families, the Stowe home schedules Child’s Tours specifically directed at children ages 5 through 12.  Admission for that tour is only $5 for children and $4 for accompanying adults and teenagers.  Additional admission fees and hours are available at the website.

The Noah Webster House

One town away in West Hartford is the 1758 birthplace of another famous American writer.  Noah Webster didn’t write novels, but almost every student in America has read his book.  (Most of us in an updated version, I’m sure.)  Unlike the Victorian “cottages” of Twain and Stowe, the Webster House is a New England farmhouse built in the mid-eighteenth century.  It’s also a great educational resource and its staff has designed tours and Colonial-era activities specifically for kids that are held on the first Saturday of each month.  Again, updated hours and admission fees are available at the website.

At first, visits to historic homes don’t sound like a real thrill for families with young kids.  Each of these sites however really makes an effort to include children or to offer them special programs or activities.  Each of them also has great grounds and gardens for getting some outside time in nice weather.  And, if my daughter is like other kids, the Gift Shops are always a favorite too.  Your kids might even learn some history without realizing it.

The Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas.

Looking for a certain je ne sais quoi for your next Las Vegas vacation? Luckily the era of themed resorts added a little French to the center of the Las Vegas Strip. Whether planning a risqué weekend with a partner or a rendezvous with family and friends, the centerpiece of a French inspired vacation is Paris Las Vegas. The resort, along with a variety of French restaurants and stage productions on The Strip, offer vacationers who can’t afford a trip to Paris a taste of the famed City of Light with the added excitement of Sin City, of course.

Upon arrival at the 2,915 room Paris Las Vegas Resort & Casino the essence of Paris is overwhelming apparent as the front facade of the elaborate and luxurious structure is designed to emulate elements of the Paris Opera House and the Louvre. Its architecture also incorporates many of the famous sights of Paris, including a 540-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, now a signature of the LasVegas Skyline, a neon sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe and a La Fontaine des Mers. This picturesque resort is sure to make any vacationer utter “c’est magnifique!”

The Eiffel Tower
Start your vacation on a high note with a trip up the Eiffel Tower. Don’t forget your camera because the observation deck provides extraordinary views up and down the Las Vegas Strip and a 360° panorama of the entire Las Vegas Valley.

Tickets may be purchased at the Eiffel Tower Box Office located inside the casino. The cost is $10 for adults; $7 for seniors 65 and older and children 6-12; free for children younger than 5. From 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., when the Las Vegas Strip lights up, admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children. Family packages (two adults and two children) are available for $30 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Las Vegas Strip north from the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas

A Culinary Adventure
If you’re like me, you’re really into food. Paris Las Vegas’ restaurants turn vacationers into the bon vivant with an offering of everything from the classical French cuisine to the Pan Asian Parisian.

Popular for its al fresco dining, with an up close view of the impressive Fountains of Bellagio, Mon Ami Gabi French Bistro offers a simplistic French menu with everything from traditional Hors D’Oeuvres to Steak Frites. The restaurant’s desserts, including profiteroles and crème brûlée, are awe inspiring. A children’s menu offers a number of kid-friendly meals, including macaroni and cheese and burgers.

Reservations at Mon Ami Gabi are highly recommended for indoor seating. Unfortunately, seats on the patio are first-come, first-serve. Since they are highly sought by guests, a request may result in a long wait as guest tend to stay a while. Of course, who can blame them for enjoying a café au lait and the stunning view after their meal?

Another great restaurant with al fresco dining is Ah Sin, offering an Asian Fusion menu with a diverse collection of flavors and cooking techniques from the Pacific Rim. Reservations are recommended for both patio and indoor dining.

You’ll say “bon appetite” as you make a toast to the dazzling lights 100 feet below your table at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Located on the 11th floor of the iconic structure, the restaurant is fine dining with view. The restaurant serves the most acclaimed French cuisine available in the city, including a flawlessly seasoned lamb and foie gras that’s unrivaled. To ensure a seat with the best view, reservations are required.

It’s all about great food and ambiance at the two-story, art deco inspired Les Artistes Steakhouse. The restaurant’s à la carte menu offers a variety of specialties, including grilled rack of lamb, a 50-ounce porterhouse steak, and roasted whole Maine lobster and tasty poultry dishes. Reservations at Les Artiste Steakhouse are recommended.

In all, Paris Las Vegas offers 11 dining options, from the low-cost, no-frills to the epicurean experience. There are also a variety of French restaurants in the Las Vegas resort corridor, including Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn, Alizé at the Palms, Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay, Joël Robuchon at the Mansion at MGM Grand, Le Cirque at Bellagio, and finally the famous Pamplemousse, located at 400 E. Sahara Avenue.

No matter your appetite, you’re sure to find the right French meal for the occasion.

Bring on the Night
After the sun sets behind the Spring Mountains to the west and the neon glows, Paris Las Vegas’ nighttime establishments come to life. From the ultra-chic Risqué Nightclub, to the charming Le Cabaret lounge to the lively Napoleon’s Bar, guests are sure to find the right setting for an all night vacation celebration.

Paris Las Vegas’ location at the center of the LasVegas Strip also provides for easy travel to city’s most popular nightclubs, including Pure at Caesar’s Palace, LAX at Luxor, Tao at the Venetian and Tryst at Wynn. Take a taxi, limo, the Las Vegas Monorail or a walk along the Strip to find your ultimate party spot.

And who can forget the shows of Cirque du Soleil. Okay, the shows are not a product of France, but Canada’s Quebec province, so they are still essentially French. There are now six Cirque du Soleil shows at various hotels in Las Vegas: O at Bellagio, Mystere at Treasure Island, Ka at MGM Grand, Zumanity at New York-New York, Love at the Mirage and the newest show, Criss Angel’s Believe. Tickets for these shows are expensive, but well worth the money.

From the street, the 540-foot Eiffel Tower extends into the clouds.

The Spa Treatment
After a night out, a spa treatment at Paris Las Vegas’ Spa by Mandara provides the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation. Massages and facials, as well as other beautification packages are available. For folks not willing to skip their fitness routine, the spa also features a fully equipped fitness center, personal training and steam and saunas rooms.