Speaking of Summer Vacation...

[iteachsocialstudies]

I am from Texas, and I am wondering if you guys can give me some good travel advice. I would like to take some vacations this summer to historical place~ it would be great to go anywhere that would help me teach American History better (i.e. the White House). Any suggestions? Homes of American authors? Landmarks? I noticed on another thread someone mentioned New Jersey and the east cost~ can you give me specifics?

Also, I will possibly be in San Diego over spring break~ any suggestions for there?

Thanks for the help!

[TeacherRW]

I have started to compile a list of "must-see" places for me to visit in my lifetime. I can't wait to see some of these suggestions.

Looking forward to the responses...

[lovetoteach]

Valley Forge PA

[iteachsocialstudies]

Thanks!

I'll put it on my list~

[vallecito93]

My family and I took a Colorado History tour 2 years ago that was alot of fun. My oldest daughter was asking lots of questions about places around our state so we decided to bring it to life. Our trip started off in Creede, we went through the Bachelor Loop Silver mine tour, visited the underground mining museum, headed up toward Fort Garland and went to the Fort Garland Museum and learned about Kit Carson and his career in the military. Our tour continued up to Colorado Springs and over to Cripple Creek. We took a mine tour on a train from Cripple Creek to Victor, walked through the town and went to the local museum. Some of the people were even dressed in period clothing. Some of the places are even said to be haunted. lol. After leaving Cripple Creek we went to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Our tour continued up to Leadville. There we went to the Baby Doe Tabor mine, National Railroad Museum, and Healy House Museum. We continued on down to Montrose and went to the Ute Museum. Our home is in Durango so coming home we went through Ouray and Siverton. This probably is not really what you were looking for, but I thought I would pass it on. I know mining was a big part of our history. It was a great vacation for us. We love to camp so this was right up our alley.

[sweetsass]

New England is FULL of American history. I drove in through Massachussetts from the East, and got to see several old colleges, Emily Dickinson's home, and amazing architecture. Boston has a 450-year-old graveyard preserved in its downtown, cobblestone streets. It's really something to behold.

[iteachsocialstudies]

Oh those are great ideas; thanks yall!:)

[Helper]

Texas has a vast amount of History in it's young life but, of course you knew that...:)I recently traveled to the Natches Trace in Tennessee/Mississippi which has a tremendous amount of history as well. America The Beautiful...New Mexico has alot of touring sites from White Sands to Roswell, Ft. Sumter, and several old mining towns.

[Krafty]

Gettysburg PA is also a good choice from a history perspective - lots of monuments, museums, preserved homes (one house has a cannonball still lodged in the exterior wall from the war). You can follow some of the paths of the Union and Confederate armies - it will fill more than one day. If you can plan it during some of the reenactments, it is quite an experience. Philadelphia is always a good historical choice with foot tours and places of interest.

I'll also second New England - lots to do in Boston.

Williamsburg VA and surrounding area is rich with early settlement history.

On my list of "want to go there" is the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet SD - after reading all the Little House books, I just really want to see the land and feel a connection.

My DH is from New Jersey, he says there is a lot in Trenton about Washington and the crossing of the Delaware.

GL with your planning!

[TeacherRW]

Alright, I am biting (again)...
How about ND?? Yep, come on up this week. Our projected highs are hovering around 0*F with windchills at -30*F. Actually, we have had an extremely mild winter so far... can't complain. :)

[SLP]

I used to be a tour guide in historic Philadelphia. :cool: There is just so much to see in Philly and the restaurants are fantastic too!
Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court (Ben Franklin Museum), Betsy Ross House, Edgar Allen Poe House, The (new) Constitution Center, Independence Seaport Museum, the U.S. Mint, the Phila. Art Museum (run up the steps like Rocky), the Rodin Museum (the statue "The Thinker"), The Franklin Institute Science Museum (hands on for all ages & now the King Tut exhibit from Egypt runs through 9/2007), University of Penn Museum of Archeology & Anthropology (my kids' favorite...especially the mummies), and countless more than I can list here! Valley Forge is about 40 min. out of the city and Pennsbury Manor (where every local school goes on field trips) is about 40 min. outside of city too (opposite direction from Valley Forge). A great historic place to dine is City Tavern...they specialize in authentic colonial meals and have live harpsicord music too.

[Sassafras]

you can stop in Tifton Georgia and go through the living museum at the Georgia Agirama. It shows how people lived in the late 1700's to the 1800's. There are a couple of working farms with crops and sugar cane, barns with animals, a saw mill, Newspaper print shop, turpentine still, blacksmith shop, commissary, a one room school house, a Victorian house, and a doctors office. They also have an old running steam train you can go for a ride on.

[anyalee]

I think it would be fun to take a Civil War History tour. I'd love to get enough pictures to make a slide show for my History class next year- they really seem to get into those.