We relocated to the east coast, near Washington, DC, approximately 10 years ago. In all of that time, we haven’t had the joy of a white Christmas, nor have we seen the National Christmas Tree, in person. It was long past time to make at least one of those two things happen.

Flight 93. I suspect for most people in the United States who are old enough to remember Tuesday, September 11, 2001, they can say exactly where they were on that fateful morning. At 8:46 a.m. the twin towers were struck. The Pentagon was struck at 9:37 a.m. United Flight 93 crashed landed at 10:03 a.m. in an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A trip to Gettysburg is a day filled with history, nature, and local culture.

Located approximately 85 miles from Washington, DC, a day trip to Gettysburg makes for a terrific outing through beautiful landscapes filled with history. It’s an easy drive along scenic Maryland Hwy 270 to the Pennsylvania border and to PA Route 85.

eSim: Stay connected without overspending. Retirement offers the perfect opportunity to travel, explore new destinations, and enjoy life at a more relaxed pace. But with all the excitement of new adventures, it’s easy to overlook practicalities like managing phone bills while traveling.

Updated: October 2024

Georgetown, a trendy neighborhood in Washington, DC, holds a special place in our hearts. For four years it was a focal point in our family, as our son attended Georgetown University. His four years at the university gave us the perfect opportunity to get to know Washington, DC. Little did we know that eight years later we would relocate to the east coast where Washington, DC and Georgetown would become our nearby playgrounds.

With that being said, let’s spend a day exploring Georgetown, shall we?

Covered Bridges. What is it about covered bridges that capture the imagination? For a couple of history lovers like us, driving or walking across a covered bridge is a step back in time. Fun fact: since early bridges were built of wood, they were covered to protect the wood from the elements. Short and simple, but here we are in modern society fascinated with covered bridges. Well, at least we are.

A return to Nova Scotia. We first visited Nova Scotia in late summer 2022. Prior to taking the ferry across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia, we spent 10 glorious days exploring Prince Edward Island. As we made our way south, toward home, we mapped out a quick five days on Nova Scotia.

Edinburgh. Is there anyone who doesn’t instantly recognize the name? It’s a city with a rich history of kings, queens, castles, stunning landscapes and infamous festivals. What more could you want in a travel destination? It’s one of those cities that captures the imagination. So much so that for a city with a population of 500K+ it averages nearly four million visitors per year. We were fortunate to be two of those four million.

Glasgow, Scotland. After spending10 days traveling through rural Scotland and experiencing the extraordinary landscapes and historical sites, stepping off the train in Glasgow was quite a shock to the senses. It was definitely a “we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment.

The Lake District is not actually in Scotland, but our visit to the region was a continuation of our Scotland travels. A national park, in Cumbria northwest England, the Lake District is just a stones throw across the border from Scotland. Our travel group was based in Penrith for four nights while we explored the region.