Vacations Blog

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello at Charlottesville, VA

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is located just outside of Charlottesville, VA.  More specifically, it is just over the halfway point from our house in Ohio to Cape Hatteras, NC at the southern tip of the island chain known as The Outer Banks.  Why is this important?  And why would I bother telling you so?

Because when you are traveling from Ohio to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, more specifically, when you are traveling from Ohio to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with five small children, you’re going to want to break that up.  Trust me!  My kids are stellar traveling companions and I’d take them anywhere without hesitation, but experience has taught me Read More »

John F. Kennedy bust at Presidents Park in Williamsburg, Virginia

It’s inauguration time and if welcoming in our nations next president means a family trip to our nation’s capitol you may also like to visit Presidents Park in Williamsburg, Virginia. Except for the one in South Dakota, or the new one in Texas, it would be hard to find a location that proudly displays eighteen foot tall busts of all our former presidents. It is quite a display and it left me wondering just how many pounds of concrete were used to sculpt all those presidential noses. I also thought the chip in JFK’s head was a little tacky.

The presidential statues are arranged in chronological order along a winding and tree lined concrete path. They offer several color-coded self-guided tours that focus on several topics including:

18 Foot Tall Presidential Busts at Presidents Park in Williamsburg, Virginia

• The Constitution and The Bill of Rights
• Protecting The Nation
• Human Rights, Civil Rights, Slavery
• Religion
• Assassinations and Near Misses

The themes are non-partisan and very well done. The entire park is a fun and stress free educational experience and this is definitely an excellent alternative to sitting down with a textbook and looking at pictures of funny looking old guys. I really like this place and I give a big thumbs up to the sculptor David Adickes.

The site includes a presidential pet museum, replicas of inaugural ball gowns, and a replica of the Oval Office where you can pay to have a picture taken with a cardboard cutout of the president.

If you get hungry you can dine in the Air Force One Café and then a quick stop at the gift shop will fulfill all of your presidential shopping needs.

No word on when they will be adding the Obama statue but you can buy your own if you want.

Photo Credits: Photos by or adapted from photos by D.B. King

Cascade Waterfall - Giles County, Virginia

I don’t know if it’s those old black and white images or maybe it’s that dueling banjo song in Deliverance. Either way you rarely hear anyone say, “Hey, let’s go vacation in the Heart of Appalachia!” I think that’s a shame because the area is full of history, tradition, music and art. The winding back roads and mountain views are breathtaking. It’s probably one of the most beautiful areas in Virginia. I haven’t told my husband yet, but we are going for a visit during spring break.

Here are a few places I’ve added to our must see list. I plan to round it out with enough arts and craft type stops to keep me happy but not enough to end up divorced. If you’ve been to any of these or have other suggestions let me know.

Pocahontas Coal Mine – Tazewell, Virginia

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real piece of coal much less a full-blown coal mine. The guide at the Pocahontas coal mine will give a tour of a former working coal mine and explain the history and significance of coal in the development of our country. That’s good stuff to know. And yes, I’m planning to tell the kids the mine isn’t open in the winter so Santa can get coal for stocking.

Tours of Mine and Educational Room
$7.00-Adults
$4.50-Children 6-12
Museum Free
Open April – September

Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park – Tazewell, Virginia

The Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park is a little piece of carefully preserved history starting with a 570 million year old snail fossil, moving on to a cabin built in 1802, throwing in some historical farm buildings, and finishing up with a 1917 Model T Ford and an old-time gas pump. This is one stop history shopping. They also maintain a working farm with heirloom and back bred seeds of the same variety that was cultivated 150 or more years ago. It sounds like a fun way to spend the day. The Fiddlers Convention in July might be worth a trip.  But then again, there’s that fear of divorce thing.

Adult (full tour): $4
Adult-Senior/AAA/Time Traveler: $3
Adult (Gallery OR Park Only): $2
Children 7-12 (full tour): $2
Children 7-12 (Gallery OR Park Only): $1
Children under 6 – FREE

Open Memorial Day – Labor Day

White Rocks in Cumberland Gap National Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

The Cumberland Gap National Historic Park is located in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. I think this would be an excellent park to add to your list of National parks.  It has seventy miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, and fascinating limestone caves and structures. We’ll probably check out Gap Cave and maybe Hensley’s Settlement. Or we might just spend the day hiking and taking photographs.

No entrance fee for park

Gap Cave Tour
Adult $8
Children 5-12 $4
Hensley’s Settlement
Adults- $10
Children under the age of 12 – $5

I haven’t decided if we’ll continue on to Tennessee or Kentucky. Maybe turn back towards North Carolina. If we had a little longer I’d head to Memphis. Then again, Memphis would be more fun in May – without the kids.

Photo Credits : White Rocks from the National Park Service.  A cascade of thanks to Daniel Farrell for the gorgeous waterfall picture.

When you plan your next vacation you may want to include a local sporting event.  My girls love to spend a day at the stadium and spending a few hours with some of the areas die-hard fans is never boring.  Remind me to tell you about the time we were in Boston during the World Series.  Virginia doesn’t host any pro teams but with Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland nearby we have our fair share of local pro teams. Unfortunately decent seats are hard to come by and my wallet doesn’t like the price of pro-sport tickets.  Don’t get me started on the price of refreshments.  Luckily there are many other sports teams in the area.    If you’re looking for affordable sporting events here are a few minor league teams that might fit the bill without compromising on the fun.

Baseball (May-August or September)

Bristol Sox
Danville Braves
Lynchburg HillCats
Norfolk Tides
Pulaski Rangers
Richmond Braves
Salem Red Sox
Potomac Nationals (Woodbridge)

NAFL Football (June – September or October)

Virginia Crimson Cardinals
Virginia Beach Destroyers
Virginia Kings
Virginia Wolfpack

Hockey (October – March or April)

Norfolk Admirals
Richmond Renegades

We’ve generally had good luck when visiting minor league venues with the kids.  They tend to be very family friendly and many sports clubs encourage families to visit with discounts and various promotions. The down side is, if you are in a college town, you may also end up in a group of drunken college kids.  Just ask the usher if you can move to more family friendly seats.  He’ll point you in the right direction.

Logos designs from team sites

Snow Tubing

If skiing is your thing, there are a few nice ski resorts in Virginia that you may want to visit during your vacation. I, however, won’t be there. I’ve been skiing once in my life and that was enough. I am much too practical to stand on slippery pieces of wood and throw myself down an icy mountain at a high rate of speed. The fact that I ended up off the snow and in the mud (three times) and crashed into an unsuspecting old man at the bottom of the slope may have also affected my decision to never ski again. That beginner slope is treacherous! However, I can be found sitting on my behind while sliding down a mountain in a large snow tube. That’s good quality family fun without the risk of injuring someone’s granddad. I highly recommend it.

Bryce Mountain Resort in Basye, Virginia

There are several places in Virginia to go snow tubing. Our most frequent stop, due to its proximity to our northern Virginia home is Bryce Mountain Resort. They have 800’ lanes and a moving carpet that takes you up the mountain conveyor belt style. There is a height requirement of 42” tall to go tubing at this location.

Tuesday – Friday: $18/person
Saturday & Sunday/Holiday: $22/person

Massanutten Resort in Massanutten, Virginia

Despite having an unfortunate mountain name and an odd catch phrase “Where the rubber hits the snow” Massanutten Resort is another popular snow tubing spot. They have 900’ lanes and a towrope that you attach to your tube and it pulls you up the hill. There is a 36” tall height requirement to go tubing at this site.

Mon.-Fri., Non-holiday: $18/person
Sat., Sun., Holiday: $22/person

Tubing Lanes at Bryce Mountain

Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia

I’ve never been to Wintergreen Resort but it sounds like fun.

“Imagine being on top of a ten story building and looking out over a hill that’s longer than three football fields. Now imagine going downhill on a tube at speeds reaching 30 mph.” – Quote from website

They have a 42” height requirement

mid-week, non-holiday: $18/person
weekends and holiday periods: $25/person

While searching for snow tubing sites I found a link to Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. I feel a road trip coming on. Here are a few tips about winter weather and road trips for me to read before we head out.

Note: All of the resorts listed above also offer snow skiing and snow boarding.

All photos by Sherry Roberts

There is a lot to do in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia. Many tourist activities center on Fredericksburg’s Colonial and Civil war past. These also tend to be outdoors. If your family vacation lands you in town on a foul weather day, all is not lost. I’ve spent many cold and rainy days in Fredericksburg and there are plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained. Here are a few of my favorite kid-friendly inside activities.

Riverside Center Children’s Theatre

One of our wintertime favorites, the Riverside Center Children’s Theatre is an excellent place to spend the morning. They offer kid-friendly shows and bag lunches every Saturday and additional performances on select Tuesdays and Thursdays. The dress code is casual; jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers are recommended. This is a place where children are encouraged to feel comfortable and enjoy the show. Performances start after lunch and they are around 90 minutes in length.

Admission is $16 and includes lunch and the show. Tickets must be reserved in advance.

The Bug Box in Fredericksburg, Virginia

The Bug Box

The Bug Box is a small building but if you are driving by you won’t miss it. Inside they have organized the small space into an insect cornucopia packed full of fun and learning for all ages. Divided up into habits, they have live insects, spiders, crustaceans and amphibians on display in their insect zoo. The gift shop, The Hornets Nest, is full of bug related items. There is also a quiet area to color bug pictures and play Geo Safari or bug themed computer games. I’m just going to say it…the place is crawling with fun.

Admission is $2 per person.

Paragon Training Center

If the school-age kids are climbing the walls and you need a break, Paragon Training Center offers an open gym on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons. Here the little monsters can literally climb the wall in their rock-climbing area, play supervised games, or try out the gymnastics equipment while you go and have a quiet dinner or enjoy a few hours of childfree shopping. They also offer a homeschool open gym from 1-4 on the first and third Friday of the month.

Open Gym Fee $10-$15 per child. Homeschool Open Gym $6 per child.

The Fredericksburg Ice Park Logo resembles a tooth!

Fredericksburg Ice Park

From a distance the logo for the Fredericksburg Ice Park looks a lot like a tooth. That’s why my children didn’t want to visit when they first opened. Who wants to visit a cold dentist? After explaining that the logo was a polar bear, they were all for it and we had a lot of fun teetering around the rink. Ice-skating is good exercise and a fun way to spend a few hours. I wish we had time to do it more often.

The Fredericksburg Ice Park has public skating seven days a week but times vary so you check the website or call ahead for the schedule. Rink Fees are $5 Monday-Friday morning, $8 Friday night-Sunday. Skate rental is $2.

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop

Tucked on the corner behind a tree and sporting an unusual flag, Hugh Mercer’s Apothecary Shop is a step back in time. Dressed in period attire the assistant will suggest remedies for common ailments and show you the tools of the trade in the back room. If you’re lucky, they’ll have a fresh jar of leeches. Don’t forget to go upstairs and powder your wig when you are done.

Admission $5 adults, $1.50 Children 6-12, No charge for children under 6.

All photos by Sherry Roberts

As Inauguration day approaches the Washington metro area is preparing for the estimated four million or so visitors that will be attending the event. It’s going to be quite a celebration. After the celebration you may want to end your vacation in D.C. on a historic note. How about taking the family on a short road trip to learn about the first president of the United States?

The first inauguration at the Federal Hall in New York

George Washington gave our countries first inaugural address on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York on April 30, 1789. After serving two terms as president of the United States he returned to his home in Mount Vernon where he lived the final two years of his life. Mount Vernon is probably the most famous home of George Washington, but if you have ever wondered about the other places George Washington called home, here are two often overlooked nearby locations.

Popes Creek Plantation, Westmoreland County, Virginia

A quiet spot at Popes Creek Plantation

George Washington was born at Popes Creek Plantation in Westmoreland County Virginia. I’ve visited this location on several occasions and it’s a tranquil, slow moving kind of place. Of all the historic locations I’ve visited, this one feels the most authentic. It’s not as grand as Monticello and it’s not as forced as Colonial Williamsburg but it has charm. You can walk in the quiet along the river or through trails and imagine what was when our country was just beginning. The future paleontologist in the family will enjoy searching for fossilized sharks’ teeth in the sandy river shore. Future graffiti artists can use a stick to carve designs into the clay cliffs. Just be careful of the wildlife when you go. The squirrels at the picnic area will shamelessly steal your Cheetos and the turkeys are a little mean.

Ferry Farm, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Known as George Washington’s boyhood home, Ferry Farm isn’t a re-created historical site as much as an active learning location. They have a beautiful colonial style garden and some trails along the Rappahanock River but that’s not why we visit. We go for the fun, well thought out summer educational programs. In addition to the civil war workshops and gardening programs they can “Dig George” and become junior archaeologists or learn about the “First Virginians”, the Powhatan Indians. They have also created a touch box program that enables the blind and visually impaired to enjoy history with touchable artifacts, Braille maps and text, and large print brochures.

Ferry Farm is located just outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia about 50 minutes from Mount Vernon. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. George Washington’s birthplace is an easy 60 minute drive from Ferry Farm. Admission is $4 for adults and no fee for children. They’re both worth a visit.

Photo Credits : Federal Hall from the public domain. Popes Creek Plantation by Ken Lund

When the weather gets bad and the days get gray I start to look for indoor activities that involve more than eating pizza with an oversized mouse. The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia is a favorite stop.

The name Torpedo Factory is not the least bit misleading. This waterfront complex was once a working torpedo factory. Documenting its past use, there is a torpedo on display in the front lobby. After serving its time producing munitions it was abandoned and later reclaimed as a working art space for local artists. It now contains 82 artist studios, 6 galleries, two workshops, and if that wasn’t enough, it also houses the Alexandria Archeology Museum.

Many different types of fine arts and crafts are represented here. Traditional Chinese brushwork is just a short walk from modern sculpture. Oil paintings find a place by stained glass and pottery. It’s a wonderful place to introduce children to the many forms of art without the stuffiness of museums and the pressure of museum guards looking over your shoulder making sure you don’t touch the horse paintings.

It is not uncommon to find artists busy at work in their studios and they are often willing to answer questions and give impromptu demonstrations of their art. My daughter was especially fascinated with a demonstration of weaving copper wire on a loom into metal fabric.

You can pack a lunch and eat out by the waterfront or stop and pick up a bite at any of the many downtown restaurants. The noodle soup at vegan and kid-friendly Bumblefish is inexpensive and tasty on a cold day.

There is no charge to visit the Torpedo Factory Art Center but finding on-street parking might be a challenge and is usually limited to two hours, so you should be sure to have cash for the parking garage.

Don’t forget to check out the sculpture stairs and be sure to weigh the entire family on the industrial scale by the front door on the way out.

Photo Credits: Photo from the Torpedo Factory Art Center website