Five Things to Do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Besides Hiking
I’m saying it from the start: I am not a hiker. Or a camper. I think I like to hike and camp. I think I like being in the wilderness and communing with nature. I think I like to be without technology and modern day conveniences like running water. But when push comes to shove,…
10 Ways to Explore Ellis Island in New York City
Following Annie Moore, the first person processed in 1892, over 12 million people arrived at Ellis Island between 1892 until 1954, when the immigrant office was closed. The complex sat in disrepair until the National Park Service took over in 1965 and reopened it as an immigration museum. Now, over two million visit the complex…
10 Ways to Explore Statue of Liberty National Monument in New York City
A gift of friendship from France in 1886, the National Park Service has protected and maintained the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island for the public since 1933, welcoming an average of 12,000 visitors each day, with 25,000 people visiting in peak summer season. Liberty Island is open 364 days a year, with seasonal hours…
Kykuit in Sleepy Hollow, New York
Kykuit is a Dutch word meaning “lookout.” John D. Rockefeller appropriately used it as the namesake for the 1908 mansion he built 500 feet above sea level on the banks of the Hudson River. “JDR” Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and widely considered one of the richest men in history, originally purchased 400 acres…
Eataly in Downtown New York City
Eataly is the mecca for Italian food lovers. The first U.S. store opened in the Flatiron District in New York in 2010 as a marketplace for Italian food and cooking and now has over 40 locations throughout the world. I’ve been wanting to visit for years and on a recent trip to New York celebrate…
The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee
My family received most of their country music education when we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on a recent trip to Nashville. However, no education would be complete without a trip to the Grand Ole Opry. The backstage tour gave us an insider’s perspective to what it’s like for one of…