While we stayed the summer in the historic triangle of Virginia, we took a week to “vacation” up in Washington, DC. Interested in our itinerary? Download it for free! Pohick Bay Regional Park Since it was a several-hour drive from Camp Cardinal to Washington, DC, we instead stayed at the Pohick Bay Regional Campground. This busy little park was laid out much like the state parks we love so much;
The Museum of Life and Sciences in Durham, North Carolina was one of the most amazing museums that we absolutely must go back to. It was like an epic STEM museum and a great zoo had a baby. The kids and Mom spent most of the day, and still barely saw a tiny fraction of what was available. One of our focus points along our travels has been to make
While traveling through Charlotte, North Carolina, we got another chance to explore an amazing science center and STEM play place, The Discovery Place! What’s Inside The Discovery Place? This three-story structure was more than we could explore in just one day! The first area we explored had water tables, pneumatic tubes, and other similar experiences as one could find at other STEM playspaces. Just outside this area, they had tanks
On our journey out of South Texas, we stopped in at the Houston Space Center, in Houston, Texas. This is another one of those museums that we got into for free due to our EAA student membership The boy got during his Young Eagles flight. And probably the BEST space museum we’ve ever seen. The museum was a little overwhelming at first. Everything was off the main entrance, and we’re
We stayed at Goliad State Park and Historic Site as our first stop after leaving our winter home of Resaca de la Palma State Park. Many pros to this site far outweighed the few cons we came across. As we’ve discussed many times, we love museums! Goliad State Park and Historic Site is a park and museum rolled into one! About the history The keystone of this park is the
While staying in South Texas, we had many opportunities to explore South Padre Island. This resort town on the Island of the same name had a lot of activities to do and explore. Of course, the thing we explored most was the beach! South Padre Island (SPI)’s main draw is its miles of white sand beaches on either the Laguna Madre or the Gulf of Mexico. The island has tons
While we wintered in south Texas, we had many opportunities to explore the museums of the region. One day, we decided to check out The Museum of South Texas History. While a lot of the history museums we encountered in Texas were dedicated to a section of Texas history, such as the war for Texas’s independence from Mexico, or the Mexican-American war, this museum spanned from the age of the
While staying in Brownsville, the kids and I decided to spend a day exploring the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park and learn about the Mexican-American war. The free park is dedicated to the opening moves of the Mexican-American War of 1846. This war was the last significant map change for the United States. The US Army eventually occupied Mexico City and forced the annexation of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona,
While Staying at Lake Casa Blanca State Park, we took some time to explore Laredo, Texas. One of our stops was the Imaginarium inside the Mall del Norte. The kids have explored many museums and play spaces, and came here with high hopes. The Imaginarium of Laredo, Texas had a very limited footprint compared to other places we’ve visited, though that’s not surprising as it was located in a mall.
One stop during our stay at Lake Casa Blanca State Park was the Laredo Water Museum. The museum is another of those free museums that are overlooked by most people. Instead of being eclectic like others, this one was dedicated to water conservation, and how water is collected from the Rio Grande and treated for use in the Laredo area. The Laredo water museum was put together by the Laredo