Cass Scenic Rail Road: Gorgeous Scenery at Bald Knob

Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers scenic train rides to the top of Bald Knob. It also transports passengers back in time to relive an era when steam-driven locomotives played an essential role in local industry. The history of Cass follows the evolution of the lumber companies that […]

Having a Blast at the Hoover-Mason Trestle

Beginning in late November, I started a series of posts about Lehigh Valley, PA. This is the third of this series. To see others in this series, click on the label “Lehigh Valley” below this post. So long-time readers of this blog know that I’m pretty much fascinated by any history — whether it be […]

Animals, Animals Everywhere at ZooLights!

There are few holiday light displays with elephants, cuddlefish, naked molerats, and orangutans, but ZooLights at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC is one of them! And unlike many (most?) other holiday lights displays, this one is completely free. I love holiday lights displays — that’s how I get into the holiday spirit, and […]

Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts

n late November, I started a series of posts about Lehigh Valley, PA. This is the second installment of this series. To see others in this series, click on the label “Lehigh Valley” below this post. In Bethlehem, PA, there’s a unique museum, inspired by a unique woman who was born just as the Civil War […]

Where to See Holiday Lights in and near Maryland

Going to holiday lights displays has become an annual tradition for me and my family. Check out the places to go to enjoy the magic of the holiday season! Brookside Gardens “Garden of Lights” But the fascination with the lights made me wonder — how did the extravagant lights displays come about? As our holidays […]

Fabulous Phipps Conservatory

Pittsburgh — the butt of all the jokes we Penn Staters used to tell when I attended that university — constantly surprises me. It’s a lovely city, and possibly one of the prettiest places in Pittsburgh is Phipps Conservatory. Phipps offers a visual romp of color and surprises, between lovely blooms and foliage to the glass art […]

Ghost Hunt: Anderson Mansion

Located in the historic Manchester District in downtown Pittsburgh, Anderson Manor is unique and packed with history. Built in 1830 by Colonel James Anderson, with additions to the house in 1905, this home was a part of the elite district during the Pittsburgh Steel Industry boom. A western Pennsylvania paranormal investigations and ghost hunt event […]