As all good stories should go, I have saved the best for last!

Our day in Stirling was my absolute favorite, and I firmly believe the entire family enjoyed it about as much as I did. It was the perfect Scottish holiday kind of day. As in, we even saw men in kilts playing bagpipes. It was the cherry on the top of our UK holiday sundae.

I’m not trying to be all sunshine and rainbows, glossing over the struggles. This was truly one of those rare, extra joy and excitement kind of days that you cannot plan for. Days like this just happen, and you have to enjoy them when they come.

I’m not even sure which thing we did that day was the coolest. We did four things, and they were all pure joy.

I’m not even exaggerating. So let’s just begin at the beginning.

I’d booked our Stirling Castle tickets in advance. You can do that here. They have a family discount package, which is a good thing since every single place we went required five tickets, but all of these U.K. historical sites have family deals on their tickets.

After our nice Holiday Inn Scottish breakfast, we all piled into our rented SUV and drove towards the castle. We noticed a sign about Stirling Bridge and decided to take a short side quest to check that out. It was the site of a major Scottish battle about a thousand years ago.

The weather was even perfect, though only for that short time.

It was pre-storm weather, which I personally adore. The temperature is low and the clouds are so thick and full and gray they are almost blue. The wind is whipping, humidity is about 99%, and the entire Earth tells you, “Look, you got three minutes before everything is soaked.”

But even with all this warning, it feels so exhilarating outside in that cool, windiness that you just dare it to give you five more minutes to enjoy being outside in July in blue jeans with no sweating!

We frolicked about the Stirling Bridge, took a few photos, and dashed back to the car as the first drops of rain began.

But the real fun began when we arrived to the castle gates, paid for parking, and met the jolliest person we’d met yet in the U.K., a smiling, bearded Scottish gatekeeper who seemed genuinely happy to meet us. Up to this point, no one in England or Scotland seemed at all interested in meeting us. No one had asked us where we were from. This was a delightful change.

The man at the gate thought it was hilarious that we were the third car that morning with Americans from Virginia, and he’s right. That is pretty bizarre. What’s the deal, Virginia?

It kept only threatening to rain and dropping a few drops. Only Alan and Daniel had rain jackets, and we had only one umbrella. The rain held off another few minutes as we entered the castle grounds. At the gates, we met another friendly Scottish man. He asked us where we were from and what all we would see in Scotland.

We told him we were just seeing Stirling and Dumphries. He was like, “Dumphries!!??”

Laughing, he asked, “Why would you go to Dumphries? I mean I have family in Dumphries, but what’s in Dumphries?”

So I had to explain there was one castle there we would visit. Plus, it was just on our way back south. I was giving us a jump on our road trip to Heathrow Airport. The funny thing is that we heard this several times that day, “Dumphries!? Why are ye going to Dumphries!?”

This man was another jolly Scot with a red beard. Daniel was already loving this place. There were red-headed people everywhere. Plus, Daniel has always had an appreciation for a rainy day. I have many photos of him standing outside in the rain, for fun.

And Scotland did not disappoint on the rain. As soon as we entered the castle walls, the rain came pouring down.

We were still outside, so we hid under a stone archway and did our best to stay dry until it passed. Alan ran back to the car and fetched an umbrella.

The pouring rain slowed to a mist, and we walked about the castle gardens. It was the prettiest garden I’ve seen in ages, so I took a lot of photos.

Once Alan rejoined us, and the rain stopped, we walked along castle walls and explored all of the outer buildings of the castle, like the kitchens.

You know how we love to walk on ancient walls!

First of all, look at these gorgeous views of Scottish nature!

One thing Stirling Castle is famous for is being where the Highlands meet the Lowlands. You can see the hills of the Scottish Highlands in these photos, and it’s beautiful.

Then we finally made it into the castle itself, and I have photos to share with you from that too.

We spent just as much time outside as in because it was so nice there!!

The people we met were what made our Scottish experience a notch above our English experience, in my opinion.

The Scots were far more interested in talking to us. They made us feel welcome. I’ve said several times, the Scottish remind me of American Southerners.

Southern hospitality must have come from Scotland!!

Hear me out. This makes sense. Many, many of the people who settled the South were of Scottish ancestry, my own ancestry included. Did you see Gone with the Wind? Mr. O’Hara was Scottish too. I mean sure he was fictional, but still!

This man was in full costume as some kind of artisan I think. I can’t remember what he was supposed to be. What made him special is he took the time to talk to our kids. He asked them where they are from, what all we were visiting in Scotland. Then he took us to the window, and told us more about Scotland, the Highlands, and things to look for. He was friendly and helpful and also funny.

This tour guide asked the boys, “Where are you from?” And the boys had the hardest time understanding him enough to answer his questions. It was so funny. He was a great sport about it. Then he was another one to say, “Dumphries!? Why are you going to Dumphries!?”

According to the Stirling Castle website, from 1110-1603, almost every Scottish monarch either lived, died, or was crowned at Stirling Castle.

The place is so huge, we did not even see all of it. I believe we missed both the chapel and the Highlanders Museum, but we saw about all the rest.

This was the day it finally occurred to me that I could bribe my family to smile for photos. Inside the castle, I told them, “Hey! If you all smile for this photo, I’ll let you get a coke with lunch!” Boom. Problem solved, and I was only out a few pounds for cokes.

Another cool feature of the castle is these elaborately woven unicorn tapestries, hanging in the Queen’s bedchamber. These were made in modern times off patterns of medieval tapestries.

After touring the main areas of the castle, we made our way to the cafe and the gift shops.

I was a big fan of the Stirling Castle Cafe. They had a plethora of baked goods to choose from, and best of all, they had gluten free bread! We were all excited about the bakery selection!!

While we were in the gift shop, the bottom fell out of the skies! Everything and everyone was drenched.

We decided to we were happy with what we’d already seen and headed for our nice, dry SUV. Not far from the castle is the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, and we wanted to go see that too.

The Battle of Bannockburn site

When we saw the men with bagpipes, we all thought, “Ohhh yes! This is excellent!”

No one wants to visit Scotland and not see a man in a kilt playing a bagpipe! It’s such a unique trademark of the Scottish! We only had one whole day in Scotland, so this was a gift.

We headed into the visitor’s center. You need to tickets to get in.

It is not expensive. The whole family is only $25.00. There’s a full Battle of Bannockburn experience film, which we missed because we got distracted by the festivities of the day. Then there’s the park and memorials.

The thing the boys had the most fun with though, was the costume room!

We tried on everything they had in there, and they had a lot! The quality of the costumes was unlike anything you will find anywhere else! The gear was made of fine materials, and we’ve never come across anywhere like this in America.

Just as we were finishing up in the costume room, a Scottish man, complete with kilt, appeared. In the thickest of genuine Scottish accents he invited us out to the Battle of Bannockburn commemorative service. He said it was starting in ten minutes.

Turns out, we happened to be there on July 22, almost the anniversary of the famous battle that took place there on July 23 and 24, 1314.

This battle is a big deal. It was during the First War of Scottish Independence. Scottish King Robert the Bruce led his troops against King Edward II and his troops. The English had a hard time with the boggy terrain, and this Scottish victory was the turning point of the war.

We got to follow this parade into the Memorial with the bagpipes and drummer playing.

The Society of William Wallace coordinated a whole commemorative service of the battle. They did the bagpipes, a speech or two, and a few songs.

The service was stirring. You couldn’t help but feel the call to go fight for Scotland! Of all the countries I’ve visited, this one is definitely my favorite. I don’t just say that because more than a third of my ancestors were Scots. Scotland is a darling of a country. The landscape is beautiful, but it’s the friendly and down-to-earth people I like the most!

Well, what’s wonderful about Scotland is the people and also the fact that the sun did not beat down on my fair, freckled skin, making me sweat buckets. I was made for this cool, wet place!

They had a musician there, a man with a guitar, named Ted Christopher. Ted played a few of his songs for us and invited the whole crowd out to a local pub afterwards.

Ted’s music is very good. You can check it out here. We enjoyed it all so much, Alan went straight over to Ted after the service and chatted with him. As it turns out, Ted travels the world with his music. Alan enjoyed talking to him, and Ted even gave Alan a copy of his book!

I headed over to the Robert the Bruce statue with the boys to look around.

Afterwards, we headed over to the impressive and enormous William Wallace Memorial.

You can see this monument all over Stirling. It’s even more impressive than our Washington Memorial in Washington, D.C. It may be around the same height, I don’t know. The way it’s perched on top of a mountain makes it impossible to miss.

I absolutely love a good cardboard cutout photo opportunity. You can see the joy on my face! My children meanwhile……they prefer to make the funny faces, even in cardboard cutouts.

You drive uphill to get to the Monument. Then there is a shuttle to drive you up to it. We’d already bought so many tickets over our time in the U.K. We decided to settle for just seeing this one from the outside and visiting its cafe and gift shop.

This coffee shop was my favorite!!! Not only did they have delicious drinks, but they had all sorts of baked goods, and two gluten free options!! I had actual choices!! Traveling is exhausting though. Alan took a nap while we were here.

We bought a few things from the gift shop too, and then we headed to our hotel in Dumphries, a couple of hours away.

My allergies bothered me this entire trip. That’s why I was wearing glasses instead of contacts. My eyes kept itching and swelling, and I was always sneezing. So much sneezing. So I was concerned about how old this Holiday Inn looked from the front.

I was relieved to find there is actually a newer building where the rooms are.

And what is to see in Dumphries??? This castle!

We saw Caerlaverock Castle on our last day in the U.K. Then we drove down to Heathrow Airport. That was a solid six hour road trip, with lots of stops for food and such.

The rest areas we went through on our way back to the airport were large and nice. The English may be famous for drinking tea, but there were coffee shops everywhere!

Our last night in the U.K we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Airport, where I had the meal I’d been looking for the entire trip!

Gluten free fish and chips!!! You cannot go to England without eating fish and chips, and being gluten free had put a real damper on that for me.

Our hotel served this in their restaurant. Caleb was a good sport and went down to the lobby to eat with me. The others had pizza ordered to the room, and believe it or not, it was reasonably priced!

This was the perfect way to end our U.K. vacation.

Thank you for hanging with me through this series. Most vacations are a combination of travel struggles and triumphs, but this one was a pure blessing, hurdles and all. Navigating unknown train systems are always a pain to me, but once we left London, we had our rental car and didn’t need the train.

Family vacation is always worth the expense.

It’s the most concentrated together time you can get. I feel like it bonds the family together to go on adventures together. That’s what it’s all about, whether it’s a huge vacation like this one, or a day trip to a state park. I’m so thankful we got to do this. Our time with our children at home is so short, and I want to enjoy it while we can!!

The post Visiting Stirling Castle was My Favorite Day in the UK appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

On day *we lost count* of our English road trip, we left York, and this became a Scottish road trip!

On to Scotland we go!!!

Our family has a great deal of Scottish ancestry, and we were excited to see a small part of Scotland. Plus, the road trip days were good for recovering my poor right heel. I had (and still have) a killer case of plantar fasciitis. These long tourist days were a problem.

We only had one goal left for England. Locate Hadrian’s Wall, and take some photos of it.

That was easier said than done. I’d asked around and learned there were good places to see the ancient wall near the historic park of Vindolanda.

Hadrian’s Wall was the wall built to mark the furthest northern boundary of the Roman Empire.

For a brief time Rome tried to go even further and built the Antonine Wall (further up in Scotland). But Hadrian’s Wall was the better built and more famous one, and Alan and I were excited to see it.

Legend goes that the Romans could not beat back the unruly Scots, so they walled them off. As a person of Scottish ancestry, there is something undeniably marvelous about being possibly the only people the Romans couldn’t conquer!!

I had to see this, and Alan readily agreed with me. After twenty-three years together, we have far more shared interests than we did in the beginning I think.

As our boys grow older, they actually find our field trips more and more interesting too. So have patience if you have children who do not share your enthusiasm for a historical vacation destination! They may come around yet.

“And what is Vindolanda?” you might ask.

Vindolanda is an ancient Roman settlement smack dab in the middle of nowhere in northern England. It is believed to be a headquarters for the Roman Army while they were building Hadrian’s Wall. The village of Vindolanda predates the wall!

Vindolanda is this huge Roman fort and current archaeological study site. The community was built and re-built nine times! Nine times!? I’m no expert, but it sounds like the local Northumbrians put a fight up to the Romans the whole time.

How is it Alan and I always end up at an archaeological site on our vacations? Ha! We love this stuff. I felt like Vindolanda and the area around it had a very mythical feel. The unearthed ghost town of stone, the beautifully deep green grass all around, the sheep and cows in the background, the overall abandoned atmosphere of the area in combination with the deep gray cloudy skies constantly threatening rain, made the whole area an enchanting portal to the past.

If I had had two healthy feet, I could have walked around there all day!

However, we did not feel like we had too long to explore. It had already rained on us a little, and the clouds assured us they had more to give. Plus, we had this mission to find Hadrian’s Wall and to get to Scotland.

We still managed to cover most everything outside and only bypassed the Roman museum. In retrospect, I cannot believe we didn’t visit the museum. We would have learned so much more of the Roman history if we had taken the time to see it.

Uncovered stone was everywhere, and I feel like if they kept digging, even more and more Roman ruins lie beneath the beautiful carpet of green grass.

They have rebuilt a replica at the Vindolanda Archaeological park of a Roman fort of the time. It reminded us much of the York City Walls and the Tower of London. The stones look much cleaner though. It still looks like new construction. The shocking thing is the builders tried to use Roman methods and test out how their replica would hold up. Oddly enough, the reconstructed fort sank into the ground over the short time that it has been up. I cannot remember the exact number, but it was something like in ten years it shrank like forty feet. My numbers are off, but it was a shocking amount!

I wanted to look up information on this for you with exact information, but I could not find anything online! I wish I’d kept a brochure, but I’ve misplaced it.

The good news is there is a book about Vindolanda’s history, and this is the link to buy it on Amazon. (*Disclaimer that I do make ad money off my Amazon links) I am ordering it too.

Of course, we all enjoyed climbing on this fort replica and reading about it.

Romans and Normans alike when they would set up a tower, or fort, or castle, would always build it in timber first. In fact, some castles never made it past the timber stage. The ones that lasted through centuries are made of stone. Doesn’t it make you think of the three little pigs? Ha! I am thankful to currently be living in a house of brick!

I mean, what community doesn’t want a pool?

Don’t you love the scenery here? It was so quiet, and nature was kind of showing off with how enchanting it all was. Even with my eagerness to see Hadrian’s Wall and make it to Scotland, it felt sad to leave it.

After Vindolanda, we thought we could follow road signs and GPS and find Hadrian’s Wall fairly easily.

No. We were wrong. Turns out, Hadrian’s Wall is not commercialized at all. This was surprising to Alan and me because we both thought of it as such a big deal!

Also, I should mention that English people have plenty of stone fences. They are everywhere, so just because you see a nice long stone barrier, that does not mean it’s an ancient Roman wall.

Everywhere we drove to try to find Hadrian’s Wall turned out to look like someone’s private property full of livestock pastures and a dead end.

We constantly felt like we were trespassing on farm land. The stereotype about the fields of sheep in the UK is right on the money. Sheep everywhere! I thought that was cool though. In America, we are more likely to have fields of cows. I rarely see sheep, but then I do not live in the country either.

In our search for the famous Hadrian’s Wall, we’d pull up to an area, and look around like, “Well? Is it here? Where is it exactly? Are we allowed to drive there?”

Plus, Alan and I were up against a few challenges in addition to feeling like we were trespassing in a foreign country:

1. Complainers in the backseat: The boys did NOT care for our Hadrian’s Wall Quest. They wanted to move on.
2. It was starting to rain.
3. My feet were shot again from the Vindolanda walk, and I did not trust them to get me through a WET, grassy field in uneven terrain.

As it turns out, if you want to see the wall for real, you must do at least a little hiking.

We finally found a spot where we were sure the wall was close by, and we were able to pull off the road in a parking area where we did not feel like we were showing up on somebody’s farm uninvited.

We ended up at the part of the wall called Walltown Crags.

I say that “we” finally found the wall, and we did.

However, it was only Alan who got out of the car, crossed the grassy fields in the rain, and took the photos.

The boys stayed in the car with me, thanks to plantar fasciitis and the rain. I was still happy though. I felt like Alan got the photos for us, and I had the satisfaction of being parked there anyway. You do what you can. It’s like when we were in York, and Alan and Caleb saw York Minster for us. I felt represented, and I got the photos, so I was happy.

It was no small jog from the car to the wall in the rain. Once Alan got out, our car was swarmed by flies!

The boys sounded the alarm from the backseat. “Ewww! Mom, look at all the flies on Dad’s side! We’ve got to move the car so when Dad gets back he doesn’t let all the flies in the car!”

Hmmm. Well, let’s give it a few minutes. This should take him a while.

It took him no time at all. He did that half mile, hilly and rocky jog in the rain like it was nothing, and boom, he was back!

I maneuvered my way over the car console and sat down in the driver’s seat without exiting the vehicle. We figured I’d move the car away from the swarm. Hopefully, it wouldn’t follow us. Dad could hop in the passenger seat, and then we could drive a few yards and switch back.

That was the only time in our whole England trip that I ever drove the car.

And of course, the swarm followed us, so it was all for nothing. Somehow, none of them got in the car though! So it was a win.

We got back on the road and headed for Stirling, Scotland.

It may seem odd that we skipped Edinburgh, but we aren’t really big city people.

I mean, we live in a big city, and all the crowds do get old. It’s nice to take a vacation to smaller places instead. I picked Stirling because of all the history with Bannockburn, Sir Robert the Bruce, and William Wallace. Also, this is where the Scottish Highlands meet the lowlands. It is in the geographical center of the country, to the south. Plus, Stirling Castle looked like an excellent castle to tour. We do love a castle.

I’ll tell you all about Stirling in my next post.

Our last outing of our England to Scotland road trip was a stop at Cafe 91 in Lockerbie, Scotland.

The food was yummy, and this was a memorable stop. For one thing, the place was an hour out from closing when we arrived, though we didn’t realize it at the time. It closes at five o’clock. I guess dinner restaurants and lunch places are two different things in the U.K. We had trouble with this.

The two waitresses were beautiful young ladies with the thickest Scottish accents I’d ever heard. In fact, Scotland solidly did not disappoint with the accents!

Also, our family fooled absolutely no one. Everyone automatically knew we were an American family. I guess our cultural camouflage wasn’t good.

Alan ordered a Scottish meat with his meal called “black pudding.” We asked them what black pudding is, and they said it’s really best to eat it first and then ask. Ha! Alan was a good sport and did just that. I tasted it too. We never did ask them about the ingredients. We could tell they wanted to go home.

Instead, I looked it up online. Black pudding is also called blood sausage, and it is made with pig’s blood, oatmeal, pig fat, and spices. Not exactly kosher, but that’s okay.

We were so excited to be in Scotland! After our early dinner in Lockerbie, we drove on to the Holiday Inn in Stirling. It was an excellent hotel with an outstanding breakfast.

I can’t wait to tell you all about Stirling Castle in the next post.

It was the best day, and the Scottish people were by far our favorite. I’m telling you the Scots are like American Southerners! They were so welcoming. We had the best time.

The post Ancient Roman Vindolanda & the Hunt for Hadrian’s Wall appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

This family vacation to the United Kingdom was extra special to me because I feel like it was a once in a lifetime kind of trip.

Our time together with our children is short. The preciousness of this time became so apparent to me once our oldest went away to college. Plus, he insisted on skipping this trip. It was impossible for him to obtain summer employment if he was constantly leaving town on all my family adventures.

He was right about that. I fully understand. When you have several children, there are not infinite resources. The kids need to make their own money and build their own work experiences.

But we still have three boys at home. One is barely a kid. He graduates this year! I feel like we need to squeeze in and enjoy all of the family adventures we can get.

Our road trip to York was a huge blessing because it brought us to York, and we loved York!

We even got there in time to walk the ancient, well preserved walls of York that night! I want to tell you all about it!! We had the best time in this city.

We woke up early that morning in our hot Stonehenge hotel.

I think it was John David’s birthday. Or was that the day before? He was such a good sport about not having a birthday party because of this trip. There was no cake even. I think he received a birthday brownie at a to-go shop instead.

The hotel did provide a small grab-and-go breakfast that morning. I’ve never enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal so much. It was oddly delicious that day.

We packed up and headed out bright and early. For our road trip, we rented a Mercedes SUV. Our three youngest boys were all crammed in the backseat. They found the most comfortable seating arrangement and stuck to it the whole trip. There were many complaints on the lack of space from our six-foot-two seventeen-year-old.

About twenty minutes up the road, I realized I did not have my phone.

What’s a road trip without a problem to solve? I am notorious about leaving things behind as well as never knowing where my phone is, so this should come as a surprise to no one.

Alan was a good sport and whipped the car around and headed back to the Stonehenge Inn.

Phone obtained, we headed out for real this time.

Before our trip, we’d talked to our friends Roger and Christine about traveling through England. They’d told us England has many rest stop areas on their interstate-like highways. These rest areas are much like the ones in the Mid-Atlantic/New England areas of the USA. They have gas stations and fast food grouped together.

These rest areas are much better than most of the USA’s interstate exits, where you have to drive through many traffic lights and fight traffic to find gas and food.

Some of these rest areas were extra nifty and built the food court right over the highway. I enjoyed that.

Another English oddity we discovered was that all of the self-serve soft drinks at every single place we ate only served diet drinks. There is an up-charge for beverages with real sugar, as the country is trying to discourage everyone from drinking sugar. As an American, it was puzzling when my choices were Pepsi Zero, Pibb Extra Zero, or Fanta Zero (or something like that).

I kept thinking, “Where are the real cokes and Sprites?”

Also, they love Starbucks in England. It was everywhere.

I never saw a Dunkin’, but Starbucks was at every rest area. In fact, at the first stop, you could buy Starbucks in three different ways in one giant parking lot. There was a free standing Starbucks. Then the gas station had a mini Starbucks inside, as well as grab-and-go iced Starbucks coffees in a refrigerator.

This was a major win in my book. I do love an iced sugar-free vanilla latte.

It became apparent that if we wanted to make it to York in time to check in, we had no time for side quests.

We only stopped for lunch. Then we did a little exit off our path to drive through Warwick. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of Warwick Castle.

Though we never made it to the castle, we did drive through a small part of the town. It was still fun to look at. Towns in England look much different than towns in America. They are ever so much more ancient.

Goodramgate Apartments in York

I knew we needed to get to York and check in to the apartment I’d reserved for us before six o’clock. Goodramgate Apartments has an office, but they close early. In fact, it seemed like everything in England closed earlier than we wanted. If you don’t eat before six, good luck eating!

These apartments are super cool. It is run like a hotel, but they are all real apartments that have been renovated to serve guests hotel-style. It was much like renting a condo or beach house.

In York, you park in a car park and then walk where you want to go, for the most part.

There is also public transportation, but we stayed so close to everything we never needed it. We were able to literally walk every where. I loved this.

All day, the boys looked forward to having air-conditioning again.

Thankfully, our car was air-conditioned. I had to break it gently to the boys that I was pretty sure our apartment would not be. The English do not seem to think they need air-conditioning. Their country is much cooler than the American south. It is more like Massachusetts. However, even Massachusetts and London alike get hot enough in the summer.

Thankfully, the boys liked having our own three-story Victorian townhouse with privacy and a full kitchen so much, they actually forgave the lack of cool air.

Goodramgate Apartments has several different types of rooms to rent. We stayed at Ebor Mews, which is one hundred fifty years old. It felt like we were getting a truly local experience. Our apartment was across the street from the gate to York City Walls. I loved it because we were in the middle of everything we wanted to see.

When we first arrived, the place was every bit as hot as the Stonehenge Inn, especially on the top floor, where the bedrooms are.

Once we pulled down all the blinds, cracked all the windows, and strategically moved all the fans, it was a little better. Outside, it was nice and cool by seven o’clock each night. We stayed in York for two nights.

This was a nice place to stay. The only people who had a hot night were Alan and me. Our window, on the third floor, did not open. We had to rely on a small standing fan.

The youngest boys slept in the living room, with the biggest window, down on the second floor. They said they actually got cold at night! There was such a good breeze going in their room.

Finding food that night in York at seven o’clock was not easy.

After the long road trip, we wanted to stay close to our town house. Most places on our street were closed or converted to bars for the evening. Drinks you could find easily, but food was another story.

Thankfully, we found this American themed restaurant, Fancy Hank’s, where we were able to order delicious food for everyone.

They even had their gluten free items marked on the menu!! I was so happy. Their kitchen is not always open that late, so don’t go expecting it to be open at seven. They had a larger party with reservations that night, so we were lucky.

I ordered the BBQ pulled pork loaded tater tots. It was delicious!!!

That was such a happy night. After we ate our Fancy Hank’s take-away food, we walked across the street to explore the York City Wall.

Our townhouse was literally connected to the Monk Bar (a huge gate on the wall). The walls of York are one of the main attractions of the city, and it was right outside our door.

We loved this. If your group includes energetic boys and parents who love history, walking walls and castles is the perfect vacation.

I think it was after nine o’clock before it got dark, and the weather was perfection. We walked until we ran out of wall and then walked back.

The boys of course had to sit on top of the walls and windows in different places. There are parts where the wall is narrow and parts where it widens to look-out points and turrets. It was everything you’d want it to be.

And it was not crowded at all! Both nights there was hardly anyone out there!! How is this possible??

I think this was our whole family’s favorite two nights in the UK. We loved it. We goofed off, ran around, climbed where we could climb, read the information, and had ourselves a jolly good time.

I wish we could do this everyday!

Touring York was right up there with the Tower of London. We loved it so much. The walls were our favorite part, so we did that both nights. These photos are all from the first night.

We did so many things in York! I will tell you all about York day two in my next post.

Just know that I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to visit York if you ever get a chance. It was a blast.

The post Once in a Lifetime Family Road Trip to York, Our Favorite English City appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

On day two in London, after we’d thoroughly toured the Tower of London, we rode a train down to Greenwich.

Once in Greenwich, we walked like a mile over to this park and then literally hoofed up the steepest hill I have ever climbed in my life. It was basically a curved walk upwards that must have covered twenty stories, walking almost straight upwards, but without stairs.

At the top of this grassy mountain sits the Royal Observatory, home of the Greenwich Prime Meridian.

That’s right. We took a little science field trip while in London. I didn’t get the appeal, but I live in a family of males, and our likes and dislikes do differ…

Alan visited Greenwich about eight years ago. On that trip he visited the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory as well as the National Maritime Museum. That was long ago, so he had forgotten they were two separate buildings. The Royal Observatory is at the tip top of what felt like the highest hill in London. The Navy museum is way down at the bottom near the water.

With me and my plantar fasciitis and one of our sons and his blisters, there was no way we were making it to both that evening, even if we had known where the Navy museum was, which we didn’t, at the time.

My best advice is if you do go to Greenwich, go see the National Maritime Museum first. It is apparently a fascinating place. I heard several other confused tourists at the observatory asking about it. They have ancient ships and such on display. People seem to love it.

When you reach the top of the hill, the first order of business is the incredible view.

Then you head around the building. There are several displays both indoors and outdoors.

The first thing we came across was the remains of Herschel’s Telescope.

The guys who mapped out the prime meridian were all astronomers. If you are interested in astronomy, you will love the Royal Observatory with its Prime Meridian and museum.

This excursion was highly educational.

What stood out to me most was actually a question:

If the Prime Meridian was slightly changed several times, as astronomers gained better and better tools and experience, what does the prime meridian even mean exactly?

It turns out, this location has nothing to do with the magnetic field of the earth or the positions of the stars. It is an internationally agreed upon location from which to begin with the designation of 0 degrees longitude. It separates the eastern and western hemispheres.

Additionally, our GPS (which we get from satellites) assigns 0 degrees longitude, to a whole other spot, over three hundred feet from Prime Meridian spot where we take photographs. Another tourist pointed that out to us, so Alan went and found the GPS spot. It isn’t marked at all, yet it is the Prime Meridian all modern instruments use.

By the way, even as we stood there, the GPS app on Alan’s phone changed the exact location of 0 degrees. It only changed by inches, but it was enough for me to find it annoying. I feel like if you mark a spot, and call it zero, that’s it. It’s done. ha! I guess scientists disagree.

I can see why GPS might change it, since calculating it from space involves ignoring gravity and cutting through the earth as a globe rather than measuring across terrain. You can learn more about that here.

But I’m still wondering who is to say which one is right? If it’s only zero because people picked it as zero, who is technology to change it?

Maybe it’s my bias against the computer takeover, or maybe I just have a bad attitude when I don’t understand something. Plus, my feet hurt so badly by the end of London day two. Alan was lucky I was standing at all. My feet were better for so long, but then my right heel decided to make some new heel spurs (arthritis), and basically I’m adjusting to it.

Like all good tourists, everyone in our family took photos standing on the official Prime Meridian.

After one last sit break, we headed back out on our mile hike to the train station. We hoped to find a good restaurant on our way, as we passed through town. The problem was no one in Greenwich had anything marked gluten free on their menu.

We ended up stopping at another train connection in central London to look for food, which of course involved yet more walking. I settled for a bun-less burger and a Diet Coke, and we rode the train back to our hotel. Honestly, I needed an Uber that day too, but our hotel was too far from Greenwich.

Day two we logged over 18,000 steps, and I was a pool of pathetic when we finally made it back to our hotel room. I managed to shower, and then I crashed pretty hard.

I love walking, absolutely love it, and I have walked for fun and exercise my whole life. This plantar fasciitis problem is such a killjoy.

The pain was worth it for the Tower of London, but nowhere near worth it for the Prime Meridian. I’m grateful we got to go to England, but next summer we are going to the beach.

The post Hoofing Up to the Prime Meridian Site in Greenwich appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

This year our family’s over thirty years of vacationing at the grandparents’ condo in Miramar Beach comes to an end.

When I got engaged to my husband Alan in 2002, I took my very first trip to Miramar Beach. Alan’s mom, who we call Nonna now, took me to her parents’ condo. We walked on the beach, ate out, went shopping, and had a great time.

Nonna’s dad was a contractor. He built these condos in the 1970s. How cool is that? He built them, and he bought one for himself. It seems like he rarely visited the beachside getaway himself. Instead, Grandaddy and Grandma Cunningham kept this condo up so all of their children could enjoy the beach with their families.

They made summer vacation an affordable pursuit for all of us. Without this condo in Miramar Beach, I doubt many of us would have seen so many beach days.

Since the condo was built in the 1970s, Alan and his family and cousins and aunts and uncles have summered in Miramar for as long as Alan can remember.

When I discovered this place, it was pure magic.

I have always loved the beach! This place was perfect. It is across the street from the beach. In the earlier days, there were two pools. Now it’s one larger pool, very small child friendly.

There used to be a playground too, and for a while, a giant sandbox surrounded the playground. John David buried two of his Batman toys in that sandbox one year. He buried them so well nobody was ever able to find them again. JD’s sand obsession was kind of a problem for a few years there.

Joshua went down the slide on that playground a million times the year he was a toddler with no younger brother. He had our full attention for about twenty months. After that, things got crazier and crazier.

There were so many wonderful years. Let’s go through all of them and start at the beginning. Don’t you love it when stories are told in order?

Let’s start with Alan’s early years of going to Miramar Beach. Throwing it back to the 1980s/early 1990s.

Alan’s mom and her sister, Janet, used to take their kids to the beach together every year. Doesn’t that sound fun? Cousins really are your original built in friends.

And then in 2002, Alan and I got married and we established our own family beach traditions.

But my first trip to the family condo was actually with Alan’s mom. I think Alan was away on an Army assignment. I remember well how amazing I thought the condo was that very first visit. I mean, wow! Imagine having a beach house you can go stay at every year for free.

To quote an adorable preschool boy I overheard at the condo pool a few years ago, “Is this life?”

My heart melted when I heard him ask his mom that, as they sat on the side of the pool, literally enjoying life. I feel that too when I am relaxing by the pool or the beach.

2002

My second condo trip was far less relaxing, but quite exciting. Alan and I were married by then. Alan was stationed in Oklahoma for five months for training. Meanwhile, I was finishing up my degree at the University of Alabama.

One weekend, Alan was the best man in his college roommate Tom’s wedding. Alan flew into Destin for the wedding. Alan’s sister and I drove down from Birmingham to join him and attend the wedding. We all three stayed at the condo together.

I think Amy and I drove into Destin especially late at night that weekend. Then the wedding was the next night. All I know for sure is somehow we were both extremely sleep deprived. I don’t know why exactly we were so tired.

On our drive back from Destin to Birmingham, we could not drive safely or think straight because we were so sleepy. We pulled off whatever highway we were driving on, found a small church parking lot, and conked out. I don’t know how long we slept, probably twenty minutes. It was long enough to survive driving the rest of the way home.

2003

In 2003, Alan flew off to Iraq. He didn’t get to lounge by the beach that year. For Mother’s Day weekend, Nonna and Amy invited my mom and me to join them for some Destin shopping and Mother’s Day photos. Pretty cool, huh?

2004

When Alan came home from Iraq, and got all of his required return-home-sanity classes done, we headed to Destin. Alan and I basically set up housekeeping for ten days at the condo. We entertained family and friends there and enjoyed all that Miramar Beach has to offer without a care in the world. This is how we did the beach back when we had no children. I cannot even remember what that was like.

My mom, Aunt Ann, and Melony even came by and visited. They got in some pool time. Then Ann regretted sitting quite so close to the water.

I love Ann so much. Finding these pictures was such a blessing. Ann passed away in the fall of 2023, and this was such a humongous loss to our family. I haven’t been able to bring myself to blog about Ann yet, but someday soon I will. It’s just hard.

I stayed at the condo when I went to Jennings’ beach wedding. I think that was 2004.

2006

In 2006, Joshua was still in his first year of life, and the photos are a preciousness overload. I love these so much.

2007

We had to go to the beach early that year. I knew once we had a newborn it would be too challenging. We went in March, and I was six months pregnant with Caleb.

The condo was booked, as the “snowbirds” were staying there. We are creatures of habit though, so we booked ourselves another condo at the same place, right across the pool from Alan’s grandparents’ condo. It was a smaller one, with only one bedroom, on the bottom floor only. The small condo was perfect for us in those days though. Joshua slept in a pack and play in the living room, and all was well.

This next photo is hilarious to me. It was back when the vendor in front of the condos rented bicycles, not just motor vehicles. We rented ourselves a tandem bike with a bike trailer. Poor Joshua might not have enjoyed his bike ride as much as we did.

2008

Somewhere down there, we found a Gulfarium. We got to see parrots and dolphin shows, and it was a great place. I don’t know if it is even still there.

I remember Alan and I managed to squeeze in one last beach trip that year before he was off to Iraq again.

This story, y’all!

The photo above with baby Caleb and Joshua in the little pool is a key moment. that was right after, or right before, Caleb picked up a whole, live, beta fish, and put it in his mouth!!

You see Alan out there, bent over in the ocean? He had a bucket, with which he scooped up a beta fish. Then he put it in the baby pool, and the baby went right to work with his chubby little hands. He was determined to catch that fish, and he did! Then he tried to eat the fish!!! We laughed so hard that day. I mean there was a moment of panic, but we got the fish out, and then we laughed.

When I saw this photo, and as I pass the outlet malls down there, I feel a twinge of sadness. I forgot about how I used to get to go shopping on vacation. Can we bring that back? I have not done that in ten years, at least.

2009

In 2009, Alan was in Iraq. Dad and Mom and my brother came down and visited us for the day while we were staying at the condo. Back then, my dad had a bay boat he used to love to take out fishing in Florida.

That was an incredible day. Number one, I love boating. For another thing, my parents were a consistent part of our parenting team during the second Iraq deployment. It was wonderful to get to share this with them and take the boys out on their first boat ride.

Caleb had a little trouble with seasickness, and then he fell asleep. Joshua, on the other hand, was old enough to thoroughly enjoy to the boat ride, playing water guns, and stopping on an island and looking around for seashells.

2012

Summer 2012 was an extra exciting beach year. Alan returned home from Afghanistan in April of 2012. We did several fun family things that year, to include this beach trip.

I worked so hard that summer to get back in shape. I remember walking on the beach each morning, feeling ecstatic that my size 12 Bermuda shorts were falling down loose on me.

I spent the winter of 2011-12 living with my parents until Alan got back from Afghanistan, and I had consumed an ungodly amount of chocolate chip cookies. Dad and I had ourselves a ball buying the dough at Sam’s and making cookies. Poor Mom had to go to work everyday, and we were at home baking and playing with babies. That was before gluten turned against me.

2015

For 2015, we made time for the condo again. Even though we lived in California, the beach there was not the same. You cannot beat the Emerald Coast with its white sand, warm weather, and aquamarine water.

I swear we were more fun and adventurous when we were younger. Nowadays, we go to the pool, the ocean, and a restaurant or two. Back then we’d go to malls, movies, and we even checked out the Harbor Walk Village.

2016

In 2016, we moved back to the South, and we went to Disney World. I have no idea how we found time to go to the condo too, but I found this photo from 2016:

I don’t know what year they reconstructed the pool, but it was definitely done by 2016. JD destroyed that poor Woody doll between all the sand, the pool, and the markers. But if Woody’s goal was to be played with, he was the happiest toy ever.

2017

I remember taking so many boys to the beach and the pool used to be so much work. It was draining and hard, but I always knew it was important and it was worth it. The photos and the memories are glorious preciousness and I love it so much. Now when we go it’s so much easier. No one even runs away when I whip out the sunscreen. It’s too easy.

2018

I know Alyson’s kids used to enjoy that float too. We all shared it for years. That storage closet of floats and buckets was so awesome. After a few years, the favorite float died, and we were all sad to see it go. There is an awesome new one down there though that is basically a boat!

In 2018, we were moving again, so the fact we even made it to the beach was a miracle.

2019

I remember this trip well because it was a moving year and the summer of my 20th high school reunion. Before the reunion, we went to the beach. We were kind of between houses. I think we’d moved our stuff but had not really unpacked it all yet.

In earlier years, we used to always go to Destin Commons at some point for either a movie, a Bass Pro Shop visit, or Barnes & Noble. Look at how nicely they all used to read. We aren’t as good about that as we used to be.

2020

In 2020, we didn’t make it to the beach until August. We all remember what a disaster that year was.

2021

After a year of solid quarantine in Maryland, it was extra special to go down to Florida and get to live life free and mask-less. The strict, drawn out lockdown policies in Maryland were a real downer.

2022

In 2022, we were again in the middle of a move. I didn’t take as many pictures that year.

I always make everyone take at least one evening walk on the shore. JD and Joshua usually throw the football the whole time as they are walking. It sounds impossible, but they make it work. In fact, I’ve been dragging everyone out on these evening beach walks for so long, I think they are starting to like it.

My mom laughed and laughed in 2022, when I told the boys, “Okay, everybody let’s go to the beach!”

And they said, “Nooooo!!!”

Sometimes, I think maybe their life may have been a little too exciting because they seem to crave low-key, couch time.

Alan isn’t much better about it than the kids. He was excited about chillin’ in the condo too. We were out walking on the beach that night, and Alan turned to me and said, “Is this what you wanted?
What do you do with a bunch of homebodies on vacation? It’s hilarious. I laughed and laughed. We now say that all the time whenever we go anywhere at all. “Is this what you wanted??”

2024

Many years we manage to get Nana to come down for a day or a night. We always enjoy that, and I think it’s good for Nana too. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just go to the beach all the time??

I’m proud to report that everyone went to the beach without complaining in 2024. They were all good, energetic sports this year.

I think 2024 was the year everyone in the family was most excited to go. Everyone expressed their regrets that this was our last time at the condo.

When Grandaddy passed away, we knew no one else would be able to afford to keep it up for everyone. The condo has to be sold at the end of this summer. It will always hold a special place in our hearts and memories. I have no idea what we will do for summer vacations from now on! I guess we will all have to try some new things. That’s fine too.

But for now, it’s an end of an era, and we are all so grateful for the time we shared at Seacove Condominiums in Miramar Beach.

I hope everyone in the family (and it’s quite a large family) gets to enjoy the condo one last time this year!

The post Over 35 Years of Miramar Beach appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

This is one of those questions I get asked the most from friends who are not local to the D.C. area. We have lived here off and on since 2009, and we have ALWAYS loved hosting our friends and family when they come visit the DC area.

One time we had so many guests that the older boys’ room looked like a summer camp type situation, with 5 young kids on air mattresses in one bed room. That was so much fun! I wish we had a bigger house so we could host more people more often!

Everyone always wants to know where are the best places to go, what are the best things to do, especially when it is their first visit to our nation’s capitol. You want to pack only the best places into your vacation, and usually you are limited on time.

There are always so many places to go in DC, and most of them are FREE.

This city is so special. You will love your vacation here. I think the fact that it will not leave you completely broke really seals the deal. The main expenses are lodging and food, no need to buy pricy admission tickets.

#1. DIY Moonlight Monument Tour

This is by far our favorite DC activity. And when I say “our”, I mean my husband and me. We wait for rush hour to end, pile whoever is visiting into ye old minivan, and go see visit our favorite monuments without having any trouble finding parking spaces.

If you are wondering what to do in DC in only a weekend or a night, do the moonlight monument tour. It is such an easy trip add-on because it costs nothing, and it is after business hours.

Most of the museums close around 5:30, but the monuments are open and well lit at night too.

There are also tour buses downtown that will take you around. I would only do that if someone is your group has a hard time with walking because those are around $59 a person, and this stuff is fairly accessible on foot. However, some times of the year you can get these tickets more cheaply.

It is super easy to park around the National Mall once the Smithsonian museums close at 5:30. You will find plenty of parallel spaces open.

We tend to park close to the Lincoln Monument. Then we go hike around that area. You can see the Lincoln, the famous long reflection pool overlooking the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean War Memorial all right there, fairly close together, without having to move your car.

If you are spry, you can hike a bit and also see the World War II Memorial, but honestly we rarely make it that far.

If we are suffering from sore feet or backs, we sometimes skip the Korean War or the World War II at that stop because, well, people can only do so much, and those are a little further from where we tend to park.

However, the cool thing about where we park is that it is also fairly close to the White House. So before or after we go see the Vietnam Wall/ Lincoln Memorial area, we walk in the opposite direction to where you can get a glorious view of the White House.

So that is several major landmarks, with only having to park once and no train riding required.

Actually, I could go on and on about this, so I should make the Moonlight Monument Tour its own post in the near future with even more details.

#2. Tour the Capitol Building

You can go online and sign up for a time about a week out or more from when you want to go. I went online to check how far out it is currently booking in January. Currently Capitol tours are booked out 4 solid days in advance, and then a few times are left for each day after that.

So make sure you book your Capitol tour at least a week in advance, especially if it is over a weekend. Saturdays book a month and a half in advance, currently, and that is in January.

The Capitol building is beautiful and has so much history on display. You can even eat lunch in their food court.

#3. Tour the White House

This one takes a little more planning. You have to do this at least a month out, through a request to your state’s Congressional office. Go here to read how to do that.

Of all the places I have visited in DC, this one felt the most exciting and surreal to me. My mother-in-law arranged a visit for us many years ago. Back then, in 2010, we were not allowed to take photos, so I have no photographic evidence, but it was AWESOME. I loved getting to see all those famous rooms!

#4. Library of Congress

(closed Sundays and Mondays)

You will love the inside of the Library of Congress! This is the most underrated place to visit in D.C. Well, this and the art museums. The actual art museums are incredible too.

Of all the buildings you can tour, this one is the most ornate. The ceiling is a marvel. The decor! The books! And anyone can go in!! Go online here to schedule your timed ticket. This one is much easier to get than the Capitol. You can log in any time in the day and probably find a good time available at any time of the day that the library is open.

It is breathtaking in there. I hope you get to go inside!

#5. Smithsonian’s National Zoo

They have pandas!! And orangutans!

Just be warned that if you go on a hot day, this will be a physically exhausting day. Plan to buy yourself an ice cream or an ice cold beverage, which the zoo does sell.

It is an excellent zoo. It is a one-way giant hill though. Just know you are going to get good exercise. If you have small children or babies, bring or rent a stroller for sure.

Do check their website for parking and pass information. Admission is free, but parking is not. It is north of DC, not near downtown, so you will need transportation of some kind.

#6. Go see a Nationals Game!

This is another huge favorite of our family. We love the Nats and watching them play. Did you know you can make any kid like just about any sport if you buy them enough concession stand food? Ha! But at this stadium, especially in the summer, my other advice is to look for seats in the shade.

The mascots are four former presidents, and they race, and it is hilarious. Sometimes they fall too, with their giant heads, and it is just adorable.

Also, this activity is not as expensive as some of the other professional sports, which makes it my favorite. Ha!

#7. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Did you know that out of all the Smithsonians this one gets the most people going through it each day? I guess it is just insanely popular with kids and flying enthusiasts. Also, it has a McDonald’s in there. I remember that being a selling point when our boys were little. Those other museum cafeterias were so much more expensive.

So yes, this one is wildly popular, and it is thoroughly interesting and fun. Can you tell it isn’t my personal favorite? I like it though. It just isn’t my number one pick.

#8. Smithsonian Carousel

We tried to fight it at first, but the fact is the carousel is kind of a lifesaver for kids. Sometimes they are selling ice cream cones near there too. They know where the kids are.

But after a day, or even an hour, of walking around in the hot sun or cold wind and hiking through all these museums and trying to figure out Metro train schedules, the carousel is a necessary treat for the whole family.

My best advice is if you want a happy day out in DC with children, do not skip the carousel and a good ice cream stand if it is hot outside. It will keep the family from staging a mutiny. That way you can stay out enjoying your time in D.C. longer.

You can find the Carousel on the side of the mall kind of close to the Air and Space Museum.

#9. National Gallery of Art

This one is free admission to everyone! In fact, all Smithsonian museums are free to all.

I wrote all about taking our kids to this museum here. It made for a pretty hilarious day. They aren’t supposed to touch things, and jumping up and down on the benches will get them reprimanded by the gallery security guards. There are security guards everywhere, and I think kids make them nervous.

So if you go with little ones, or even energetic big kids, do your best to just keep the group moving so they do not get bored and rowdy. Have low expectations for how long you will get to stay in the art museums.

But these museums are incredible, and I think you will be glad you went. One day I went in there alone and had the BEST day, calmly perusing the galleries. D.C.’s art galleries are actually my favorite museums in the city.

If you go alone or with other adults, you could have the BEST time.

#10. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (the dinosaur museum) is right next to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History— so you can knock these out back to back.

I want to reiterate that all Smithsonian museums are free.

These are both fascinating museums. You can fill up a whole day between the two of these. You could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They are right next door to each other.

No advanced tickets are needed for the Museum of Natural History or the Museum of American History, and all Smithsonians are free.

If you are quick, you could also squeeze in the new Museum of African American History & Culture, which is also next door to these.

The African American Museum is very new, so you still have to get a timed ticket for entry to that one. The good news is you can get one for the same day you request it, fairly easy, so long as it isn’t a Saturday. That is why I have not been yet, but one of my teenagers went. He said it was very good.

If your kids love dinosaur bones or animals, the Museum of Natural History is a must-see.

I think I have seen every inch of this museum a dozen times, but it is exciting to see so many dinosaur bones. If that is not your thing, they also have the giant Hope Diamond there in another section of the museum.

The American History museum has a wide variety of exhibits, from the history of transportation to First Ladies gowns.

They used to have a huge presidential section that seems smaller to me now, but it is still there, and it does include President Abe Lincoln’s hat. For more information, this is another of my favorites, so I have written about this museum twice, both here and here.

#11. National Portrait Gallery-Smithsonian

This one is my favorite for how well it tells the story of America. Also, I love the complete collection of Presidential portraits upstairs.

It is not on the National Mall with many of the Smithsonians, but it is only a couple of metro stops away, and it is AWESOME. I actually like it better than the Smithsonian American History Museum. I feel like it tells the story of real America better.

There are halls of portraits and art from famous Americans, going all the way back to our country’s colonial period. Then on the opposite side of the building there is the most enjoyable collection of American folk art I have ever seen. No stuffy art here. This is entertaining, and you will really connect with it.

Then upstairs, they have every single Presidential portrait. I absolutely love it.

#12. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

I have been a couple of times, and it is such a moving and impactful place. My favorite part is the videos of survivor interviews at the end. You get to see all these elderly people tell their story of how they survived. They tell about their fears, their triumphs, running from Nazi soldiers, life in a concentration camp, and fleeing to other countries.

These stories at the end enrich the experience so much because they are stories of hope after a whole museum of horror and sadness.

You will need to get your timed ticket for this museum here. Some times you can get them same day, sometimes you need to book it prior, depending on when you visit and how busy they are.

#13. Arlington National Cemetery

This can be exhausting if you try to do it all on foot. If you are spending a lot of time at the cemetery, and you want to see it all, you will want to buy an Arlington National Cemetery bus tour ticket, which they sell at the visitor center where you first arrive. You can buy those same day.

If you opt to go the free-on-foot route, just chart a course to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That is the main attraction.

It sounds funny to say, because this is a cemetery, but it is a beautiful place. If you travel up the hill to the Robert E. Lee house, which is called The Arlington House and museum, there is a perfect view of Washington, D.C. You can tour the house too.

The Northern generals felt like they had the perfect revenge on Lee when they took his estate and turned it into a giant graveyard.

The whole park does have a quiet, solemn vibe. You might want to warn your children to think of it as a quiet place.

#14. Museum of the Bible

We actually just went there for the second time the other day. This is good for the whole family too. I mean babies and toddlers will get tired of any place, but this museum is surprisingly interactive.

Some exhibits are more traditional, but even those have lots of good videos and statues to look at. For more about the Bible Museum, you can read the full article I wrote here.

This one is not free, but children, military, and seniors do get a discount. Anyone under 18 qualifies as “children.” The child ticket is way cheaper than the adult price. You do not need these in advance. Tickets can be purchased same day on site.

#15. Mount Vernon, Home of President George Washington

This is the number one choice field trip destination for kids in the D.C. area. It is so kid friendly because it is not just an antique house to explore, with a museum feel. Mount Vernon is also home to many farm animals and outdoor displays. Some times of the year there are also hay rides. We have always had a great time taking our children to Mount Vernon.

At Christmas you can sign up for a candlelight tour, and you get to meet Martha Washington on your tour. They also do colonial style dancing, hot cocoa and fires, and live camels at the candle light tour.

But be warned. Mount Vernon is not free. For more info, go here.

#16. Old Town Alexandria

You may be able to find a hotel more affordably in Alexandria, and if you do, take a little time to check out Old Town Alexandria. Most of Old Town predates Washington, D.C. There is so much history here. Stroll the streets. Go shopping. Have a lovely lunch. There is rarely ever a wait for lunch at most places.

#17. Thomas Jefferson Memorial and surrounding monuments

Park your car close to the Thomas Jefferson monument. They have a ton of parking over there, divided into several different lots, near the Tidal Basin. There you walk along the path beside the water, and you can see the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument and a huge display dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression. Plus, it has a beautiful view of the Thomas Jefferson Monument and the tidal basin. There are even rocks that kids love to climb on in some areas near the FDR Memorial.

If you come in spring, be warned the Thomas Jefferson area becomes the most popular spot in town as the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that surround the tidal basin bloom. It is a breathtaking sight to behold.

#18. National Botanical Gardens, right in front of the Capitol

When our kids were little, we used to LOVE to go through the US Botanical Gardens. It is just a quick, easy thing to do that our kids always enjoyed. At Christmas they often have electric trains running through there too, an added bonus for our little boys.

#19. The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

This is a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The Memorial is located outside in front of the Pentagon, easily accessible through the Pentagon parking lot.

If you get to go inside the Pentagon, there are even more tributes inside.

#20. Chinatown– At least drive or ride by it.

DC’s Chinatown is not very big, but they do have a beautiful archway that is worth seeing, and there are good restaurants near there too.

#21. Go to a Wizards Game

Disclaimer: This list is not in preference order because I can assure you my oldest son would put this as number one on the list. Alan took two of our boys this year, and they had the best time. If your group likes to eat popcorn, yell, and carry on at a basketball game this is for you.

#22. Visit the National Archives building where they have the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence on display.

One time I even happened up on a genealogy conference going on down there, and I got to attend for free. You can check the Archives’ website to see if they will be hosting anything special during your visit.

#23. And so much more. Take your pick from the MANY MANY other museums and attractions in town.

This was just a quick list of our favorite 23.

The US Navy Museum on Washington Navy Yard is also so good, as well as the US Army Museum on Fort Belvoir. Come to think of it, there is also a humongous US Marine Corp Museum on I95, South of the D.C. When the kids were little, they actually deemed the US Marine Museum playground, which is practically in the woods by the parking lot, the BEST playground in all of DC.

We actually went to the US Army Museum recently because it is new. I will have to write about that one soon.

Oh! And if you come in winter, the crowds are so small, and there are ice skating rinks!!

Plus, you can go to Ford’s Theatre to see where Lincoln was assassinated. That is on my list of places I still have not made it to but want to. You can go see a show there, or you can take a tour. Tickets are free and available same-day from what I can tell, so long as there is no show going on at that time. Here is the website for tours.

And! You can even go see a top notch, but probably pricey, show at The Kennedy Center.

We have done a lot of traveling as a military family, and Washington, D.C. still holds a special place in my heart as my favorite city.

It is just so clean!! The Metro train throughout DC and its suburbs feels so much safer to me than New York City’s subway system.

The National Mall has a feel of crisp, green optimism with all the grass and the white marble-looking architecture. I hope you get to come and enjoy it as much as I do. Feel free to ask any questions you have about touring DC in the comments.

The post 23 of the Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

July 4, 1863 Telegraph from President Lincoln:

“The President announces to the country that news from the Army of the Potomac, up to 10 P.M. of the 3rd. is such as to cover that Army with the highest honor, to promise a great success to the cause of the Union, and to claim the condolence of all for the many gallant fallen. And that for this, he especially desires that on this day, He whose will, not ours, should ever be done, be everywhere remembered and reverenced with profoundest gratitude.”

President Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1863

Day Trip to the Gettysburg Battlefield

One of my favorite things to do is to drag my entire family out on day trips. Gettysburg was just such a trip. It’s close to our house, and it is all outdoors.

Gettysburg is such a humongous historical battlefield that it is actually a driving tour. It was a good thing too because we went in freezing weather. The wind was howlin’! But you know I’ve never been one to let a little hostile weather lock me in. It was my birthday, and we made the most of it.

Four Key Facts to Know About the Battle of Gettysburg:

#1. This national park protects the very land of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, from the American Civil War.

#2. The Union Army won this battle, and it is considered the turning point of the Civil War.

#3. Gettysburg was the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. It effectively ended Confederate General Lee’s invasion of the North.

There were over 51,000 casualties.

#4. It is the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, which he made at the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery dedication.

A lot of that you may have already known.

But did you know that Lincoln was deeply disappointed in the end game performance of General Meade at this battle?

You see, Meade allowed the Confederate troops to flee the battlefield free of pursuit. President Lincoln thought if only Meade’s forces had given them chase, they could have finished off the war altogether. At this point, the Civil War had already dragged on for two years, and naturally the President was anxious to see it end.

Lincoln actually wrote a letter of reproach to General Meade but then did not send it to him.

Tips for Touring:

#1. There is a museum with gift shop.

Visit the museum first instead of last! We goofed on that by waiting until the end of our tour. The gift shop and the museum all closed up shop just five minutes before we finished up our tour and were ready to enter. Sad.

#2. Use a self- guided tour app!

They have bus tours you can sign up for, and horse tours, and all sorts of things. We just downloaded the app on our phone and toured in the comfort of the minivan. There are actually several apps to choose from. The apps work with your GPS. They know where you are and will give you the history as you drive.

I think we used this app.

Unfortunately, we were still figuring it out at the beginning and completely missed the cemetery area. This was disappointing because the cemetery is where the Lincoln statue and information are. Don’t skip the cemetery! See, you really do learn more from your mistakes…

Otherwise, the app was awesome. It told us history about each place we visited and explained many of the monuments. We used Bluetooth on my phone to play it through the van speakers, so everyone in the car could hear well.

#3. Plan for this whole tour to take a few hours.

You will stop and get out a lot. There are even tall look-out pavilions to climb and get views.

#4. Devil’s Den has lot of rocks that children like to climb on.

My kids passed on the climbing when we went though. It was too windy and FREEZING.

#5. If you have access to ancestry.com or family history, look up what grandfather you may have had that fought in this battle.

I was surprised to discover I had many grandfathers who fought in this battle, and so did my husband. Try to find which unit they fought with and if they lived to tell the tale.

The Gettysburg Address

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. “

“We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.“

Alan says my brooch looks like a sheriff’s badge. Ha!! I still think it’s pretty. Long live the brooch.

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. “

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion —

“…that we here highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.“

President Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863.

For more information, check out the Gettysburg website.

I hope you get to go. It was fascinating. I have one last group of photos I MUST share with you. This isw my favorite picture and sighting from the trip. How cool is this?

This barn was there before the battle, and it still stands. It STILL bears the cannon hole from the Battle of Gettysburg!

Closing Thoughts from Lincoln

If you are a history lover like me, there is nothing better than reading commentary from the people who lived it and lead it.

Lincoln noted in his second inaugural address that he believed the war dragged on so long so that our country might pay for every drop of enslaved blood that had been shed. Here is his exact quote:

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’

~Abraham Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address

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