One of the best things about living in the suburbs of Washington, DC is the ability to make repeat visits to the stirring memorials and monuments around the National Mall. If you have ever walked the path at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or read the 24 bronze panels on the World War II Memorial, you can understand how design elements play a powerful role in evoking emotions and sharing history. It is this same sense of reverence that you feel upon approach to the beach tableau that is part of the 88 acre National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. The memorial was brought to life based on the vision of D-Day Veteran, John Robert “Bob” Slaughter. Just 19 years old when he stepped foot on the beach as part of the D-Day Allied invasion during World War II, he had the opportunity to return to Normandy several times over the years. In 1989, he began working with other veterans to fulfill his vision of creating a memorial to honor those who did not make it off the beaches June 6, 1944. The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia was officially opened and dedicated by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2001.
*This post was updated June, 2024
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If you have traveled to Virginia, you probably have seen the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan. After living in the state for over 30 years, I’ve discovered many things to love, including mountains, lakes, iconic food, local beer and wine, history, and tons of opportunities for outdoor adventure. The geography in the state varies, with the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountain ranges in the west, and coastal beach areas in the eastern part of the state. In between, lakes and rivers offer water activities, fishing, hiking, camping and other fun outdoor activities. Throw in the close proximity of Northern Virginia to Washington, DC, and it’s a great choice for family fun. I hope that this list of 30 things to do in Virginia gives you a sense of the variety of activities the state has to offer for both visitors and locals. This Virginia bucket list has been broken down into several categories to help with planning. As locals, we think this list includes something for everyone.
*This post was updated August, 2024 
Are you ready to take a family road trip but not sure where to go or how to plan? This post was originally published in honor of the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, as a way to share several of the big National Park family trips that we have taken over the years. With a renewed interest in road trips for the summer of 2020, I’m spotlighting these 6 road trip suggestions, running in length from 4 days to 3 weeks. Some include urban activities, visiting cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Use the links to find more detailed information, including suggested routes and activities, with itineraries for the longer trips that include multiple national parks. You can also visit the familyTravelsUSA Pinterest boards, filled with thousands of ideas and suggestions, organized by topics including road trips, national parks, road food and many state-specific travel and food boards.
Are you thinking about your next outdoor getaway? With over 8,500 areas across the USA, state parks provide opportunities to get outside and connect with nature, often close to home. For a multi-day adventure, the America’s State Parks website shows that collectively the parks have over 200,000 campsites and almost 9,000 family cabins and cottages available for rent. Just be sure to book well in advance for an overnight stay or cabin rental. To kick off your planning, I’ve gathered a list of some favorite family-friendly state parks and tips from travel bloggers around the country. They share why these state parks from California to Vermont are great places for day trips or multi-day family adventures.
*This post was updated May, 2023 
Did you know that there is a place in Washington DC where you can find incredible stained glass windows, Gothic architecture, and intricately carved gargoyles? Just a few miles up the road from the popular National Mall and museums sits the massive Washington National Cathedral. Not far from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the cathedral, considered to be the 6th largest in the world, is an amazing place to tour. Visitors can spend time searching for gargoyles and grotesques
around the exterior of the cathedral, then explore details of the magnificent stained glass windows and beautiful chapels. If you are lucky, you might hear the ringing of the bells. These photos will allow you to experience some of its beauty and interesting features we found on the Behind the Scenes Tour and hopefully inspire a visit. Read on to see what else we learned during our guided tour at Washington National Cathedral, and see why the Washington National Cathedral is included in our 20 Things to Add to Your Washington DC Bucket List. 
Is it just me, or does February often feel like the longest month of the year? No matter the month, a day trip is a great way to take a break from the daily routine. Recently we decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm winter weather and make the drive to Richmond, Virginia. It’s just over 100 miles from the DC area—roughly a two hour drive on a weekend. The city is a funky combination of history, art, and a thriving food and beer scene. Then top if off with miles of hiking and biking trails, the 100 acre family-friendly Maymont, and seasonal water activities on the James River. With that in mind, my husband and I had simple goals for our recent day trip to Richmond—try a few new restaurants, find unique street art, and take advantage of a sunny, winter day to connect to nature. To make the most of our day trip to Richmond, we started with breakfast, strolled the nearby neighborhood for street art, explored the grounds at Maymont, took a 3 hour food tour in Carytown, and found more street art. By the time we left the city around 6:30 p.m., our stomachs were full and we managed to log around 18,000 steps!
Washington, DC is a city that truly has something for visitors of all ages. There’s the impressive Smithsonian Institution, which includes more than a dozen free museums and galleries in the DC area, along with the National Zoo. Add to that all the history that comes alive at the memorials and monuments along the National Mall, plus places like Ford’s Theatre and the National Archives. Finally, throw in all the delicious opportunities to try cuisines from all over the world, and you can understand why DC averages over 20 million visitors per year. But where do you start in a city with so much to offer, and so many interesting free attractions? We pulled together a list of 20 things to do in Washington, DC to get you started. The bucket list is based on our experiences as a family growing up in the suburbs of DC. It’s a mixture of some of the classic must-sees, plus a few more cool experiences that we’ve discovered over the years.
*This post was updated January, 2024 
I recently got back from a fall girls trip to the Seattle area. It had been quite a few years since our Pacific Northwest family road trip, so I was excited when my friend invited me to tag along on her visit to see family in the area. We stayed in a house on the water in Bremerton, with amazing views of Mount Rainier. Given what I knew about Seattle weather, I was prepared for cold, rainy weather. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to have sunshine the entire time! Our plans included my friend sharing a few of her favorite places around Seattle and Bainbridge Island, along with a food tour at Pike Place market. We took advantage of both the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island ferries to get back and forth to Seattle on foot. Read on to learn about 4 fun things to do in the Seattle area and bookmark this page for your next visit to Seattle.
Every year at the end of August, my husband looks forward to a week of outdoor adventure with the guys backpacking in the wilderness. Whether they are hiking parts of the popular Pacific Crest Trail, or heading to the Cascades, the backdrop is the spectacular scenery found in the Pacific Northwest. This year, the original plan to backpack for several nights near Buck Creek Pass in the Central Cascades fell through just a few weeks out. With a non-refundable airline ticket in hand, the silver lining was that it gave my husband a chance to spend more time with extended family and take a series of 4 interesting day hikes around the Seattle area. I recently had a chance to sit down with him to learn more about what he enjoyed about each of the hikes. He also shared some helpful tips along with a few photos. Keep in mind that he is an experienced hiker and backpacker, so some of these hikes may not be suitable for beginners. And always check the weather, especially with winter coming, and understand that conditions can deteriorate rapidly, especially at higher elevations.
*This post was updated August, 2022 
Sometimes you just need a few days to recharge and spending an extended weekend in Hilton Head, South Carolina was just the thing after a busy summer. If you have not been to Hilton Head Island, you might be interested to know that the island has earned the top spot for islands in the continental US by Travel + Leisure Magazine for four years in a row! It’s the type of place where families come back year after year, and after my recent visit for the first time in over 25 years, I see why. There are so many fun things to do on Hilton Head Island that a weekend is definitely not long enough, but it was certainly a fun way to get a flavor for many of the activities the island has to offer.
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