For those who asked for our crazy schedule…
We visited the nation’s capital and 8 of the mid-eastern states in 15 days. Due to the age of our children, we did not spend as much time in some places (such as Washington, DC) and hope to return for a more in-depth look when they are older. (And we have another trip planned to Virginia to hit the Jamestown/Williamsburg area, since our oldest was only 9 months old when we toured there a few years back.)
Over the summer we will write out the details of each state we’ve visited to include in our 50-States-before-They-Graduate posts. But for now….
The Itinerary
Day 1 morning:
Depart (from our farm located about 1 hour east of Nashville)
Day 1 afternoon:
Arrive Beckley, WV
Beckley Coal Mine Exhibition
New River Gorge Bridge (Canyon Rim Visitor Center)
Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park
Day 2 Morning:
Return to Beckley Coal Mine to finish tour
New River Gorge Sandstone Visitor Center (Jr. Ranger)
Day 2 Afternoon:
Natural Bridge A local news channel interviewed us when we were there. The reporter caught us off guard, and I even tried to talk him out of it. Nevertheless, here it is: WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg VA. Don’t laugh too hard.
Foamhenge
Arrive Shenandoah Valley – Stay at Shenandoah Crossing Resort
Day 3 Morning & Afternoon:
Fishing, pontoon boat, mini-golf, kayaking, pool at Shenandoah Crossing Resort (met with friends from Florida)
Day 4 Morning & Afternoon:
Monticello
Drive to Mount Vernon (Stay overnight)
Day 5 Morning:
Mt. Vernon
Day 5 Evening:
Arrive Washington, DC
Walk down National Mall
U.S. Capitol Building
Washington Monument
Eat at Union Station
Day 6 Morning:
Smithsonian Air & Space Museum (Unfortunately, this maxed us out on Smithsonian museums in DC – due to how crowded it was and a 4-year-old’s lack of interest. We’ll have to go back to visit the other Smithsonian museums when the children are older… and when the crowds are diminished (if there is such a time).
Open-top Bus Tours (Some were just drive-bys, some we hopped off and toured)
The White House
Jefferson Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Memorial
DC War Memorial
WWII Memorial
Day 6 Afternoon:
International Spy Museum
Day 7 Morning:
Arrive in Baltimore, MD
Fort McHenry
Day 7 Afternoon:
Ripley’s Believe It or Not (w/ mirror maze and 4D Theater)
Inner Harbor (Eat Maryland crabcakes at Bubba Gump’s)
U.S.S. Constellation
Day 7 Evening:
Arrive Delaware City, DE
Tour Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (Delaware City is a Canal Town)
Stayed at The Canal House overlooking C&D Canal
Day 8 Morning:
Fort Delaware
Day 8 late afternoon/evening:
Arrive Valley Forge, PA
Valley Forge National Historic Park (Jr. Ranger)
Day 9 morning:
Independence Visitors Center (Jr. Ranger)
NPS Independence National Historic Park site
Independence Hall (free tickets required – pick up at visitor center)
Carpenter’s Hall
Liberty Bell
Carriage Ride through historical downtown
(Several places were closed due to the sequester)
Day 9 afternoon:
Return to Valley Forge on way to Lancaster
Arrive Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, PA
Day 10 Morning:
Strasburg, PA – Strasburg Railroad Museum
Choo Choo Barn (Huge model train layout… because the National Toy Train Museum was closed)
Ride upon the Strasburg Railroad
Day 10 late afternoon/evening:
Gettysburg National Military Park
Day 11 morning:
Amish Experience (4D Theater)
Buggy Ride through Amish Farmlands
Make-our-own pretzel at Intercourse Pretzel Factory
Biblical Tabernacle Reproduction at the Mennonite Center in Lancaster
Day 11 afternoon:
Hershey’s Chocolate World (4D theater, Make your own Candy Bar, Chocolate Factory “tour”, Trolley Tour of Hershey, PA)
Head towards Ohio – stay overnight in Western PA
Day 12 morning:
Arrive in Hocking Hills State Park (Logan, OH)
Old Man’s Cave
Day 12 Afternoon:
Hopewell National Historic Park (Jr. Ranger)
Serpent Mound near Peebles, OH
{Other destinations in OH were similar to things we’d already seen. If you’re headed to Ohio, you may want to add places like the Santa Maria in Columbus or the Dayton Heritage Museum in Dayton, or other sites around the Cleveland area farther north.}
Day 13 Morning & afternoon:
Creation Museum
Head to Louisville, KY. Stay at The Galt House in downtown Louisville
Day 14 morning:
Louisville Slugger Museum
Day 14 afternoon:
Kentucky Derby Museum (included a 1-mile race at Churchill Downs)
{For more to do in Kentucky, visit our South Central Kentucky post or our Kentucky’s Cave Country post}
Head towards Lincoln City, IN
Stay overnight at Santa’s Lodge in Santa Claus, IN
Day 15 morning:
Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood Home (Jr. Ranger)
Head home!!
There you have it!
Over 40 hours of driving.
Over 2,000 miles.
You can easily spend several days in Washington, DC, but we preferred to move on to other destinations. Aside from that portion of our trip (due to frigid windy weather, frustrations with missing our bus over and over again, and the insanity of fighting end-of-school-year and Memorial-Day crowds), our trip was fantastic! We spent as much time as we desired at each location, and, amazingly, our trip did not even feel rushed. (BUT we could have stayed at least another week in Lancaster County, PA!)
As we write about our experiences, we’ll also include a link-up for each state so others can share their experiences as well. We hope you will link up and/or share comments about places you have been, too! Look for it in the coming weeks!