2023 Year in Review: 52 Highlights

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

One of my favorite year end activities is posting our Year in Review. We love looking back on all of our adventures from the previous year and giving thanks for the blessing of travel. We also like looking at some of our “trends”; this year was filled with many cool spots throughout New England (heavy emphasis on Vermont and New Hampshire) and the greater Northeast (Maryland and Virginia, and our favorite: New York) and lots of cool resorts.

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane, here are our Year in Reviews from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

Our Favorite Activities:

  1. Soaking in the hot springs at the Omni Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Virginia
  2. Touring the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland
  3. Snowshoeing at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont
  4. Riding the horses boat at Rocking Horse Ranch in New York
  5. Exploring the Cape Cod National Seashore in the quiet of winter
  6. “Hiking” (we use the term loosely) throughout Connecticut
  7. Making our own chocolate at Fascia’s in Waterbury, Connecticut
  8. Getting wet at Splashdown Beach in Fishkill, New York 
  9. Sitting in a luxury suite (while on a tour) at Madison Square Garden
  10. Competing at a Family Reunion
The Cape Cod National Seashore on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Resort Guides:

The Serenity Garden Pool at the Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia

New City Guides:

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts

Historical Sites:

Touring Carnegie Hall in New York City

Kid Centered Fun:

Splashdown Beach in Fishkill, New York

Travel Tips:

The Lobster Trap Tree in Stonington, Connecticut

We hope you’ll follow along in 2024, as we have some EPIC adventures planned and join us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. See you next year!

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

Similar Posts

  • | | | | | | | |

    Take the Kids to the Ballgame

    Growing up in Boston, it was literally in my DNA to root for the Red Sox. When I first met my husband, and found out that he was also a Sox fan, I knew we were meant for each other. We’ve been going to Fenway Park for years, and when we made it our mission to see each and every ballpark in the country, the idea for summer road trips (and this blog) was born. Bringing our children along for the games has certainly given us a new perspective… But in many ways, the experience has become even more enjoyable.

    I wrote about kid-friendly aspects of ballparks for Kidventurous a couple of years ago. But since then, we’ve discovered several new perks to bringing the kids along to watch America’s Pastime.

  • | |

    10 Ways to “Experience” Disney at Home

    I know many people who are saddened by their recently canceled trips to DisneyWorld or DisneyLand. I can only imagine the level of disappointment and frustration. I never thought I would be a “Disney person” but we’ve visited three times with our children and it truly is a magical place. So while we can’t be there in real life, and while this list of ideas won’t necessarily make up for a canceled postponed trip, I thought I would share some ways kids can explore Disney related people, places, and ideas from home.

  • | | | |

    Gettysburg National Military Park

    It was the deadliest three days of the Civil War: July 1st, 2nd,and 3rd of 1863. The Battle of Gettysburg resulted in 51,000 casualties and the freeing of six million slaves. At the time of the battle, only 2400 people lived in the small town. By July 1st, 1863, Gettysburg was taken over by over 160,000 soldiers. Gettysburg was chosen because ten major roads intersected at the town and both the Confederate and Union armies believes they could more readily attack the other side.

    The military park, the world’s largest outdoor museum and sculpture garden, covers 6,000 acres. Visitors will need to drive to many of the locations throughout the park. A well organized and marked auto tour is available. Each year over one million people explore Gettysburg Military Park. We always look for National Parks locations whenever we travel (read why here) and enjoyed spending a full day exploring parts of the park.

  • | | | | |

    Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts

    The city of Lowell, Massachusetts, located just 30 miles north of Boston, was built as a factory city (because of its location next to the Merrimack River and Pawtucket Falls) and became synonymous with the American Industrial Revolution. Named for Francis Cabot Lowell, who is partially credited for creating the power loom, city locals began funding and building water-powered mills in the area in the early 1800s. By 1880 Lowell had over 100 mill buildings, 18 textile corporations, 2 machine shops, and a booming population (it was the second largest city in Massachusetts in the mid 1800s), employing over 10,000 workers in the mills. 

    However, newer technological advances in more northern cotton mills took away from the businesses in Lowell and production started to decline. By the 1950s, all of the original mills and most of the textile companies closed and the buildings fell into disrepair until local citizens and businesses worked together to form the Lowell Heritage State Park in 1974. Four years later, Congress designated the space as Lowell National Historical Park and the park has continued to expand its historical exhibits, research, tours and programs for the public.

  • | | | |

    Fun in Waterbury, Connecticut: Mattatuck Museum and Fascia’s Chocolates

    Waterbury, Connecticut is Connecticut’s 5th largest city, located in the western part of the state on the Naugatuck River. The “Brass City” is known for its waterways and was once the heart of the American brass industry, employing over 50,000 brass workers in the early 1900s. 

    Waterbury was once part of the Mattatuck Plantation, so it is fitting that the museum, situated directly across from the Waterbury Green, that celebrates the history of the area is called the Mattatuck Museum. The museum showcases the industries, culture, arts, and history of Waterbury and the surrounding Naugatuck Valley area with three floors of exhibits and rotating displays.

  • | |

    Seven Free Things to Do in New England This Summer

    Warmer weather and longer daylight hours mean more opportunities to get out and explore! There are many seasonal places to visit in New England, and while some of the following places are open year round, their spring and summer calendars are filled with more activities, more tours, more shows, and more fun! As an added bonus, your family can check out the following seven spots for FREE:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *