2019 Year in Review: 65 Highlights

2019 was a year for the record books. We travelled over 25,000 miles from TopSail, North Carolina to Gloucester, Massachusetts and a ton of places in between those spots. We had a few common themes (you’ll notice them below) and no matter where we travelled, we found friendly locals, rich history, and tons of fun. We’re keeping it short and sweet here with the highlights, but feel free to click on the links for the full scoop and tons of travel tips!

The Coolest Things We Did in 2019

1. Made our own candy bars at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, PA
2. Explored an underground cavern at Echo Dell Indian Echo Cavern in Hummelstown, PA
3. Explored the only full pirate treasure found at the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, MA
4. Had a private tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield in Gettysburg, PA
5. Learned how to make an ice sculpture at Cape Pond Ice in Gloucester, MA
6. Attended spy school at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC
7. Created our own ice cream flavors at Turkey Hill Experience in Lancaster, PA
8. Took a million photos at Magic Gardens in Philadelphia, PA
9. Toured the office of a master Lego and had a private workshop at Legoland Discovery Center in Boston, MA
10. Saw over a dozen whales up close and personal aboard the Seven Seas Whale Watch tour in Gloucester, MA
11. Completed a Special Op mission at Spyscape in New York City, NY

Highlights by State:

Pennsylvania: It seemed like we covered just about all of Pennsylvania this year- Pittsburg, we’ll get to you soon, promise! We made four trips to various parts of the state:
12. Philadelphia
13. Hershey/ Harrisburg
14. Gettysburg

DC and Virginia: We’re putting them together because we took two road trips that brought us to both areas:
15. National Building Museum in DC
16. National Postal Museum in DC
17. National Museum of American History in DC
18. International Spy Museum in Washington DC
19. Mount Vernon in VA
20. American Revolution Museum in Yorktown VA
21. Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement in Jamestown, VA

Massachusetts: While visiting my parents, we were able to explore some new spots and even spent an extended weekend in a new favorite city:
22. Whydah Pirate Museum on Cape Cod
23. Gloucester City Guide
24. Patriots’ Hall of Fame at Patriots Place in Foxboro
25. Old State House Museum and Boston National Historic Park
26. Legoland Discovery Center
27. Old Sturbridge Village

New York City: We live an hour outside of NYC (we’re actually considered the greater Metro New York area), so it’s super easy to hop the train or drive into the city. While we didn’t get in as much as we would have liked, we still managed to see some new spots:
28. Fraunces Tavern Museum
29. National Museum of the American Indian
30. Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
31. Federal Hall National Memorial
32. Spyscape
33. United Nations

New City Guides for 2019:

33. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
34. Hershey/ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
35. Fredericksburg, Virginia
36. Gloucester, Massachusetts
37. Gettysburg, Virginia
38. Washington DC

National
Parks Sites:

Presidential
& Military Sites:

45. Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia
46. Boston National Historic Park
47. Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia
48. Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
49. Gettysburg National Battlefield and Eisenhower National Historic Site

39. Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA
40. James Monroe Home in Fredericksburg, VA
41. Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg, VA
42. Mount Vernon in VA
43. Gettysburg National Military Park
44. Gettysburg, PA City Guide

The Best FREE Things We Did in 2019:

50. At least 10 free things in Philadelphia
51.  Federal Hall National Memorial in NYC
52. National Museum of the American Indian in NYC
53. Washington DC

The Best Meals We Ate All Year:

54. Lunch (and high tea!) at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment in Manhattan, NY
55. Pizza at Pizzeria Vetri in Philadelphia, PA
56. Clam chowda at Captain Parker’s Pub on Cape Cod, MA
57. Brew food at Iron Hill Brewery in Philadelphia, PA
58. Hershey’s milkshake from the Cocoa Beanery Cafe at Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA
59. Sweet potato pecan biscuits from City Tavern in Philadelphia
60. Market table buffet and steak at Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse in Washington DC
61. Delicious seafood at 1606 Restaurant at Beauport Hotel in Gloucester, MA

Special Shout Outs to:

62. Gloucester, MA: Friendliest locals and most hometown pride
63. Fredericksburg, VA: Most pedestrian friendly city
64. Washington, DC: Most FREE activities for families
65. National Museum of the Marine Corps in VA: Most humbling place we’ve ever visited

Check out our highlights from 2017 and 2018. Stay tuned to see what 2020 will bring!