Search Results for: Washington DC

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    10 Places to Explore at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA

    ByJennRecord

    In addition to being America’s 3rd President (from 1801-1809) Thomas Jefferson is also known for prestigious roles include Governor of Virginia, writer of the Declaration of Independence, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the founder of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson’s Monticello (pronounced “ch-ello” not “cell-o”) is Italian for “Little Mountain” and is celebrating it’s centennial anniversary of being open to the public since 1923. Over the past 100 years, the main house has been restored and the property has been expanded to include several museum exhibits, outdoor gardens and vineyards, a restaurant, expansive gift shop, and daily programs and events to engage the entire family.

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    Exploring the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, NH

    ByJennRecord

    While visiting the New Hampshire state capitol of Concord recently, we enjoyed a tour of the New Hampshire Historical Society, which celebrates the rich history of the Granite State.

    Celebrating its 200th birthday in 2023, the New Hampshire Historical Society was a gift of Edward Tuck, son of a wealthy businessman who founded the Dartmouth Business School, to the state of New Hampshire. Tuck gave most of his lifetime of fortune back to various charities in New Hampshire and ultimately wanted to build (what he called) a “temple” to the Granite State near the State House. Finished in 1911, the building takes up an entire city block and is diagonal to the State House in downtown Concord. Over the past century, several renovations have been made to the building to make it more energy efficient and accessible for all visitors. 

    The building was built in a Greek revival style, including the ceiling and walls of the rotunda, which are made of Siena marble from a quarry in Italy that was owned by the monks of the Old Convent and shipped to America. The floors and staircase are made of Hauteville marble from France. Make sure to stand in the middle of the atrium and look up at the Oculus and have children complete our “I Spy” game while touring the exhibits.

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    Playing “I Spy” at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut

    ByJennRecord

    One of the oldest museums dedicated to American art, the New Britain Museum of American Art began in 1853 as the New Britain Institute, a cultural resource for the vibrant city of New Britain. Located in the Historic section of New Britain on the edge of Walnut Hill Park, known at one time as the Hardware City of the World, New Britain was booming as a manufacturing industry in the 20th century. 

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    Playing “I Spy” at the Vermont State Capitol

    ByJennRecord

    Vermont, the 14th state in the union, chose Montpelier as the state capital because of its central location and accessibility to the nearby Winooski River. The first State House, a traditional wooden meetinghouse, was open from 1808-1835, and then moved and expanded to a nearby, larger space from 1836-1856, until a fire destroyed most of the State House in January of 1857. The third, and current, State House was completed in 1859, built in an Italian Renaissance revival style, with all features made from masonry and cast iron; only the dome (57 feet high and covered in gold leaf) is made of wood. (Even the doors and staircase railing were painted to look like mahogany!)

    The Vermont Senate Chamber, which has 30 members, is the oldest senate chamber in America that is still actively used and still has all of the original furniture and lighting from 1859 (except for two filing cabinets and a computer). The 150 member House Chamber is the largest room in the State House. Vermont legislators have no private offices at the State House; they conduct business at their chamber desks or in groups in large committee rooms on the first floor. And unlike most state Capitols, there is no rotunda inside the Vermont State House, the dome is an exterior ornament. 

    Hubbard Park, located behind the State House, is home to walking trails, a fitness trail, an interpretive trail, a 54 foot stone tower, and picnic shelters. The State House complex welcomes visitors all year and encourages exploration of its grounds.

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    City Guide: 25 Places in Manhattan Kids Will Love

    ByJennRecord

    We are fortunate to live an hour outside of New York City and we take advantage of our close proximity as much as possible. There are so many family friendly places in the 22 square miles of New York City that our list could potentially go into the hundreds! For this week, however, we’ll stick with 25 places we have explored over the past decade, including a few spots that spill over into the Bronx. 

    We’ll acknowledge some gaps in this list- the Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History are missing from this list- but we have not been to some very popular spots in over a decade (all the more reason to rerun ASAP!) For organizational purposes, we’ve listed sites by location, starting with the Financial District and working on our way up island through the Upper East and West Sides all the way to the Bronx (we had to include a couple of our favorite spots, which happen to in the Bronx- see #23-25)

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    Five Ways to Explore the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum in Jupiter, Florida

    ByJennRecord

    We’ve explored Palm Beach County, Florida many times when visiting family in Delray Beach. This past trip, we finally had time to stop at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum that we’ve passed several times and enjoyed exploring the ever expanding complex.

    Operated by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, the first lighthouse museum opened in 1973 and now welcomes over 800,000 visitors to the complex each year. The nonprofit manages the 1860 Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Oil House, 1892 George Washington Tindall House, 1929 Lighthouse Keeper’s Workshop, and 1940 Naval Housing Building (currently closed due to nearby bridge construction). The lighthouse and museums are located on a complex, owned by the town of Jupiter, which also include large sports fields, nature trails, and a large playground.