National Museum of African-American History and Culture – Washington, DC

At the conclusion of our trip to the Finger Lakes in New York, we found ourselves in Washington, DC. The National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC) topped our list of things to see on this trip.

Admission is free but timed-entry tickets are required. Even though the website showed tickets weren’t available on the weekend of our visit, NMAAHC releases a batch of same-day tickets at 8:15 am. It was worth a shot and we secured tickets for 2:30 pm that same day.

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Vanderbilt Mansion and the Hudson River Valley – New York

The Hudson River Valley, which stretches from Yonkers to Albany, beckoned many wealthy families of the 1800s, including the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Mills, Goulds, and Roosevelts. We had less than 24 hours to explore and most of our time was spent at the FDR Birthplace and the adjacent FDR Library & Museum in Hyde Park. However, we did manage to swing by the Vanderbilt Mansion and other spots along the Hudson River.

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Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and FDR Presidential Museum – Hyde Park, NY

Since visiting Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, I’ve always found the 32nd US President’s life intriguing. FDR first came to the area in 1924 to seek treatment for his polio symptoms and his legacy continues to impact Georgia today. FDR founded the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, built a cottage (nicknamed the Little White House) where he died in 1945, and donated his personal land to create F. D. Roosevelt State Park. So it’s no wonder FDR’s historic home and presidential museum in Hyde Park, New York were on my bucket list.  

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