pennsylvania
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A whirlwind weekend in Philadelphia (part II) – touring Eastern State Penitentiary
Our final Philadelphia destination (if you missed it, you can read part I of this series here) was the one that actually ended up being my favorite: Eastern State Penitentiary. I learned about this place from Lyssy in the City, and I’m so glad I did because it was fascinating! Eastern State Penitentiary was built… Continue reading
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A whirlwind weekend in Philadelphia (part I) – Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell
Philadelphia is a city steeped in history. Founded in 1682, it was not only the largest city in the US for a time, but also the most diverse. It was initially just a port city, but became an important meeting point for the colonial government prior to the Revolutionary War and later served as the… Continue reading
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A winter encampment – Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
Despite our best efforts, we moved away from the east coast with quite a few things left on our east coast to-do list. We just ran out of time to see everything. But we usually head back at least once a year for one reason or another. This year, it was for a wedding. As… Continue reading
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Westward Bound, part I – New England to Kentucky
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I hadn’t planned to spend so many years in New England. And I certainly never expected that I’d be sad to leave. Admittedly, I wasn’t sad to leave behind the humidity and the brutal winters and the traffic and the rude drivers (because yes, New England drivers really… Continue reading
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Grey Towers National Historic Site, Pennsylvania
Otherwise known as the Gifford Pinchot House, Grey Towers is the historic stone house that once belonged to Gifford Pinchot, a two-time governor of Pennsylvania and first ever chief of the US Forest Service. The house – or, rather, mansion – is built in a French architectural style as an homage to the Pinchot family’s… Continue reading
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The Gap (no, not the clothing store) – Delaware Water Gap National Rec Area (part I)
For Memorial Weekend, we packed up the car and headed off to explore the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Contrary to what its name may suggest, it’s not located in Delaware. Rather, the park encompasses the Middle Delaware River, which forms the border between southeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. It was a half… Continue reading
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Thanksgiving in North Carolina
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I was still struggling with this whole living on the east coast thing. Work was going okay. Living here was not. I got along well with my roommates and colleagues, but I missed my family and friends. And I was in serious mountain withdrawal. Fortunately, I had a few… Continue reading
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Eastward Bound (part II) – Indiana to Ontario
At the end of my last post, my mom and I were wading in Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Day 4 of our cross-country excursion, however, was the one I was most excited for. Our destination: Niagara Falls! We left Indiana early in the morning, continuing across the northern edge of the state… Continue reading