Year in Review: Highlights of 2025

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This past year our travel plans were mainly influenced by our daughter’s college search. We drove up and down the Northeast looking at schools from Boston through North Carolina. Wherever we stopped, we found new historic spots, family friendly attractions, and great new lodging options. 

In 2025, we found time to update some of our most popular City Guides and create new ones, visited a bunch of (new and perennial favorite) resorts, enjoyed holidays at new spots, and added over 20,000 miles on our old (2018) and NEW (2025) Chevy Equinox. We feel incredibly lucky and blessed to be able to explore America and learn about its rich history, and make lasting memories as a family. We look forward to continuing to share our adventures and we thank you, our readers and followers, for coming along for the ride. (Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest). 

Our Top 10 Favorite Moments:

  1. Seeing the gingerbread houses at the Walt Disney World Resorts in Florida. (December 2024)
  2. Horseback riding and snow tubing in the winter at Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, New York. (January 2025)
  3. Spending Christmas at the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina- in depth posts here, here, and here. (December 2024)
  4. Exploring new living history museums: Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Old Fort Western in Augusta, Maine; Mystic, Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut; and Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. (Summer and Fall 2025)
  5. Touring the bunker at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. (June 2025)
  6. Relaxing in a lazy river at Tidal Cove in the middle of winter at the JW Marriott Turnberry in Aventura, Florida. (December 2024)
  7. Finding new historic sites on Long Island, New York: Walt Whitman Birthplace, Planting Fields Arboretum, and Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. (May 2025)
  8. Eating at two of the restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York (November 2025)
  9. Hanging out inside the locker rooms of the UPitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers while touring Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (and tons of other cool spots in Pittsburgh!) (June 2025)
  10. Learning about the winter season in a 1830s New England village at Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts (November 2025)

Our new (and updated) City Guides:

  1. Manhattan, New York
  2. Brooklyn, New York
  3. Washington DC
  4. Durham, North Carolina
  5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  6. St. Andrews in New Brunswick, Canada

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Other Themed Guides:

  1. National Historic Parks in the Northeast
  2. George Washington Spots in the Northeast
  3. Places to Stop in Connecticut along Interstate 95
  4. Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina
our family outside the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

New Resort Guides:

  1. JW Marriott Turnberry in Aventura, Florida: A massive lazy river, several water slides, and a whole water area for the toddler and preschool crowd (and a private pool for adults!)
  2. Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, New York: We’ve stayed here in summer and winter and like the numerous activities every season (horseback riding is a must do!)
  3. The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia: Such rich history and beautiful decor!
  4. The Algonquin Resort in St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada: The most dog friendly resort we have ever visited and tons of daily activities!
  5. Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland: Go during the holidays to experience ICE!
Algonquin Resort in St Andrews, New Brunswick

Looking for our past Years in Review? See our posts from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

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!

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