Category Archives: Historical Travel

KIDS LOVE VIRGINIA HISTORY – REALLY!

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One Travel Family has Learned How to “Sneak” History into Fun Family Trips

Let’s Learn How They Do It. -from the notes of Michele Zavatsky, the Family Travel Mom

Why try to weave history museums into your travels? Because easily one-third of all the attractions out there are historical, it’s hard to avoid them.  And, educators would tell you kids do much better on History test questions and biographical reports if they’ve actually toured the famous person’s home or visited a historic village.

So, why not plan some day trips around historic attractions.  But, how do you sneak history into your day trips and vacations without the family declaring mutiny?  Let’s take a journey with my travel family and see what I use to unlock the amusing, adventuresome side of history…

1.     Big Anniversaries.  No, not your romantic wedding anniversary coming up – instead, major historic anniversaries.  America’s 400th Anniversary started in Jamestown in 2007; Annapolis is the big 300 in 2008; Fredericksburg celebrated their 400th that same year – plus anniversary of the landing of Captain John Smith to the Falmouth shoreline each August; and yearly celebrations of the late summer harvest of Peaches along the historic Blue Ridge Mountains are a sweet ending to Summer Break. During these major anniversary events, historical sites “beef up” their exhibits. How? They add more guides in character, create new animatronics, and increase their colorful immersion spaces (kind of Disney does History).  What kid can resist all the stimulation!  Before you leave the celebration, why not purchase a souvenir tri-corner hat or old-fashioned toy to remember the occasion.

2.     Holidays.  You know how your kids get off more weekday holidays than you know what to do with?  Why not try sampling birthday cakes of Presidents, or collect Easter eggs on the White House lawn.  Share July 4th fireworks in a quaint historic town or have punch and cookies with Santa in a Victorian home.  Invite the grandparents along as your personal “guides” as they love to tell stories of the “good ole days” too.  My kids tell me most historical homes smell old and musty.  But, put costumed funny actors and treats in front of them and they’re fine.

3.     Living History Re-enactments and Outdoor Dramas.  Go behind the scenes of a pioneer camp or an Indian Pow Wow or behind enemy lines of a Civil War camp.  Famous battlefields and old forts may look dull and ugly on a normal day, but add re-enactors in period attire and you’ve got the kids’ attention.  Period, costumed townsfolk and soldiers “set up shop” amongst Native American Indian camps.  See fur trading posts, kids infantry, barbershop medicine, and old-fashioned games.  Areas of woodcarving, blacksmiths and spinning and weaving surround demonstrations of muzzle loading, shooting and tomahawk throwing.  Many of these festivals are held late summer, early fall during the Apple harvest or a big event like the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival.  Maybe explore more of what your town has to offer like they do each year at the Hampton Bay Days. Often, the gift shop on site sells wonderful little toy soldiers or play figures that kids can purchase and use to re-enact again at home.  Open hearth cooking with period foods are for sale, too.  Can’t you just smell the kettle corn, apple cider, barbeque and bean stew?

4.     NO Museums – at least don’t tell them you’re going to a Museum!  Which do you think your kids will respond to better – a place where the kids actually become soldiers (ex. Pamplin Park) or a history museum?  The interactive play place, right?  Another trick, plan an hour or two, not an afternoon.  Begin your tour with a brief look at the orientation film, then lead the kids through a scavenger hunt and reward them with a prize afterwards. (note: many museums now offer hunts you can ask for at the ticket counter and the gift shop often provides small prizes upon completion)

5.     Want action?  Trolley or trot past famous homes versus stopping to go inside.  Take a boat tour along the water’s edge as the captain briefly describes the scenes around – just the basics, forget the boring stuff.  Weekend boat tour rides are fun with grandpa along and there’s usually a good ice cream shop or quaint seafood restaurant at the turn around stop.

Virginia Family Travel Guide

Again, the best way to entice your family to come along on historical journeys is to sneak some history in.  So many excellent historical parks are just minutes from lakes, beaches and amusements to even out your trip.  Your kids will be having so much hands-on fun and meeting such interesting characters…they won’t even know it’s a history lesson. Sneaky, yes, but for the right reasons!

@2010-Michele Zavatsky

Want more ideas about how to plan your next family trip – maybe with one history stop weaved in? You can find more than 600 places and events included in KIDS LOVE VIRGINIA – A Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Tested” Places in Virginia … Year Round!  Michele Zavatsky and her family did the work so you don’t have to.  To find out more, visit www.KidsLoveTravel.com.

KIDS LOVE MID-ATLANTIC HISTORY: How to Explore the Heart of U.S. History

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KIDS LOVE MID-ATLANTIC HISTORY WORKSHOP NOTES

Interested in studying early U.S. History hands-on? My workshops reveal the Easy, Fun approach to history – whether you educate your kids at home or just over the summer and on weekends. Let’s focus on the Mid-Atlantic…

Begin where battles raged – Trenton, NJ and Washington’s Crossing the Delaware cold winter mornings. Can you imagine the conditions any soldier had to endure? Find out if you have what it takes.

In November of 1682, William Penn sailed from Great Britain to the new world on the Welcome and landed in Upland, near what is now Chester (south of Philadelphia). Penn named his colony Pennsylvania and began to plan the city that is known as Philadelphia, a Greek word meaning City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia is affordable, accessible, educational and fun – especially close to I-95!

Begin your adventure on a Boat or Trolley Tour through Old Town. On board, you’ll learn about all there is to see and do – from a humorous perspective! After grubbing on some delicious Philly Cheesesteaks from a street vendor, head east to the Historic District, where you’ll find The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Franklin Court. First check in at the Independence Visitor Center to get your free timed tickets (or order them online for a small fee before you arrive) before heading off to see the sights. Scattered throughout this area are also several Once Upon a Nation storytelling benches, where you can rest your feet and hear a tale about Colonial Philadelphia. In the evening, be sure to make reservations for the imaginative Lights of Liberty tour. You won’t believe how magical the night sky brings historic figures back to life.

DELAWARE

First, it’s important to know who Delaware is. The second smallest state in the Union – and the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution (Dec. 7, 1787) is rightfully known as “The First State.”

 There are three forts along the Delaware River that formed a defense against invasion. The best one to visit is Fort Delaware. Take the Delafort Ferry to Pea Patch Island. Kids love building the sense of adventure as they approach the fort by water. Ferry is the only way to get to the fort! The fort is five-sided and kids notice that it is surrounded by a moat. Have conversations with authentically dressed park interpreters who can teach your kids how to hammer at the blacksmith or prepare a meal for the officers in the kitchen.

Imagine rolling through forests, past historic homes and mill sites, aboard a vintage steam train, just like those your great-grandparents rode. Welcome to the Wilmington & Western Railroad. Come aboard. Most train rides offer a scenic trip with narration especially for young railroaders.

Experience Delaware in the Early Republic (1790-1830) at a 300-year-old gristmill, textile mill and farm site with heritage sheep. Greenbank Mill is fun on weekends but many of the famous DuPont heritage homes are open weekdays, too, for touring. Winterthur has its Enchanted Garden where the wood fairies have left stories and play areas aside just for the young at heart to explore. Hagley is actually the original home of the famous DuPont Company. The Visitors Center details this and provides areas for the kids to “play” with DuPont company inventions: from spacesuits to a working small scale of a water-wheel mill.

MARYLAND & WASHINGTON D.C.

The first family-friendly town you hit on your way south through the state is Havre de Grace (pronounced haver da grace). Maybe try an overnight at a B&B, and then walk to any waterfront museum, skipjack tour or quaint restaurant – each with their specialties clearly presented on the menu. Because this is a walkable town, we consider all of Havre de Grace one big attraction.

Maryland is a kid-friendly state and the perfect place for some serious sidetripping. A logical choice is a trip to Baltimore, where you can explore the acclaimed Inner Harbor museums and shops…especially the big ship, the USS Constellation in port. Audio players allow you to listen as a young girl’s grandpa shares stories about the Constellation’s magnificent power on the waters of combat. Surrounding Inner Harbor are some pretty historic sites.  Baseball great Babe Ruth’s Birthplace is just down the street from Camden Yards and the truly interactive Sports Legends Museum. Or, visit the actual spot where the “Star Spangled Banner” originated at Ft. McHenry and the Flag House where a small group of women created the famous flag.

What kids don’t love trains at some point in their childhood? Remember the Monopoly game you play at home and one property marked the B&O Railroad? What about visiting the original outside of Baltimore City. Huge trains, miniature trains, trains you can ride – all here and all presented in short presentations inside and outside. Haven’t had enough? Travel a little ways off the connecting outerbelt and you’ll find another quaint railroad station: the Ellicott City B&O Railroad. The surrounding little town has dozens of whimsical shops, too.

When it comes to offbeat, Maryland is home to some bizarre, yet amusing attractions like the Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, which includes George Washington’s dentures and crazy people who use their teeth to lift things! We found another extremely unique and a little creepy museum at Fort Meade Military base. The National Cryptologic Museum is all about secret codes and deciphering them. Talk about stories that make you wonder who’s watching (or listening to) you!

Maryland is a generous state; so generous, in fact, that in 1791 they donated the land that became Washington, D.C.  To try to name favorites in D. C. is pretty near impossible as the entire area is one small place packed with dozens of historical attractions one must see in their lifetime to truly feel American. Before you fill your day with museum visits, here are some tips to make the visit easier:

Overnight in nearby Virginia suburbs close to a Metro Station so once you get up in the morning – you can easily navigate the Metro into town. We’ve suggested a couple different places in Alexandria. If you like to picnic, the National Mall and West Or East Potomac Park have dozens of lawn sites to spread out a picnic blanket. You’ll be dining, al fresco, by a view of famous monuments. As the sun started setting, we especially enjoyed walking the perimeter of the Tidal Basin in Potomac Park with a view of the FDR Memorial & the Jefferson Memorial, as they are backlit towards nightfall. Also, surrounding the White House are oodles of vendors offering the best prices in town on souvenirs and sandwiches.

How To Do Attractions – every family is different but honestly you can “do” as many as your family desires if you work the 10am-7pm full day. Maybe devote an entire day to the FREE Smithsonian Museums & National Mall buildings. DC by Foot, a walking tour company, gives FREE, kid-friendly tours infused with games, fun facts and trivia. Or, just wander from one building to the next. Be sure to go online first and print off any “Hunts” (scavenger hunts) that interest you (ways to engage, not overwhelm young guests). Play pilot in a mock cockpit at America by Air, an exhibition on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Teach kids about history at the newly renovated National Museum of American History for a rare look at the original “Star-Spangled Banner,” the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem. The museum’s Spark!Lab uses fun activities to help kids and families learn about the history and process of invention through games and conducting experiments plus there’s an Under 5 Zone just for pre-schoolers. Walk among the butterflies or witness a view of the blinding Hope Diamond at the National Museum of Natural History.

Maybe following a thread of your favorite President is the best way to tour. Fords Theatre Museum & Tour is a newly renovated museum using 21st century technology to transport visitors to 19th-century Washington, DC. The museum’s collection of historic artifacts (including the derringer that John Wilkes Booth used to shoot Lincoln and a replica of the coat Lincoln wore the night he was shot) is supplemented with a variety of narrative devices. As you sit in the theatre for the park ranger presentation, chills run up your spine! After lunch, go to our favorite wax museum, Madame Tussauds. DC’s wax museum has a distinctly “Washington” feel, and gives parents the perfect opportunity to give kids a taste of politics without the crowds on the Mall. We interacted with the figures for some amazingly realistic photo ops like: Sitting with Lincoln in Ford’s Theatre, Dad discussing decisions of the day in the Oval Office or taking photos with famous presidents. They look so real (the digital pics) that folks on the Metro thought we had actually met the President that day!

VIRGINIA

On the Virginia side of the D.C. area, take a moment to journey back to an 18th-century Old Town Alexandria tavern, apothecary or church where famous historical figures and everyday people dined and slept. Pick up an Old Town Scavenger Hunt to guide you on your adventure. There are centers on modern art, inventions and old archeology to visit, too. Weaved in (esp. near King Street) are some of our favorite family-owned eateries serving kid-friendly pizza and ice cream.

Just south of Alexandria is Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, beloved home of George and Martha Washington. The Kids’ Adventure Map is a fun way to experience Washington’s Estate for families. This colorful map is free with admission and guides kids around the estate in a quest to solve nine puzzles by exploring outbuildings and the Mansion. And, what concerns newbie moms out there – where do the young kids (ages 3-8) go for fun? …the Hands on History Room area. What we liked best about the Education Wing was how it draws kids in: start with Washington’s eyes following you to CSI-style forensics on how they “reconstructed” George’s face from childhood through old age. Youth, love stories, war drama, touching, smelling, even spying? Most kids will want to move at a good pace through the actual house, linger a while outdoors at the farm, but save time and energy for the newer Education Wing.

Encounter the richness of the American experience at every turn in the Fredericksburg Area and walk in the footsteps of Presidents and Generals. Start with a wonderful Fredericksburg Trolley Tour of the old town. You’ll pass many sites you may want to visit later. Several historic national battlefields are just outside of Old Town.

Any family who likes a variety of museums will be fond of Richmond, Virginia. They have a huge science museum and a children’s museum next door. See the place where Patrick Henry exclaimed: “Give me liberty or give me death!” Condense the state’s history at the Virginia Historical Society. Discover the entire “Story of Virginia” through videos, story phones, computer games and other interactive devices that make learning fun for the whole family.

Ever wonder what it was like to be a Civil War soldier? Pamplin Historical Park lets you travel back 140 some years and become a buck private. The kids get to use their personal MP3 players (or borrow one on site) to participate in drills, experience being fired upon (with air bursts), and play period games. Sleep in a platform tent, eat the Civil War era meals (hardtack, yuk!), or learn military codes and communications. Think you can cut it as a soldier in the 1860s?

ONE RESOURCE THAT DETAILS ALL OF THIS INFORMATION? Admissions, hours, overviews, worksheets, travel activities? KIDS LOVE I-95.