Read more about the article Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – Kennesaw, GA

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – Kennesaw, GA

A while back, I wrote a post about the two-mile hike up to Kennesaw Mountain. At 1,800 feet, the summit offers visitors 360-degree views of Atlanta and the North Georgia mountains. While a popular hiking spot for Atlantans, many overlook the museum inside the visitor center, which details the Battle of Kennesaw in 1864.   

Thing 1, a recent college graduate with a major in Public History, has moved home and we’ve enjoyed exploring museums and historical spots around the Atlanta area. In all my visits to Kennesaw Mountain, I’ve never ventured to the museum or watched the historic film about the battlefield. Nor had I ever explored more trails of the almost 3,000-acre park.

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Read more about the article Paris Mountain State Park – Greenville, SC

Paris Mountain State Park – Greenville, SC

We made a quick visit to Greenville, South Carolina, recently. Since it’s only a two-hour drive from Atlanta, Greenville is an easy day trip or a good halfway point stop on the way to Charlotte.

Plus Greenville is fun to visit any time of year. A major highlight is Falls Park on the Reedy, right in the middle of downtown. Visitors can explore both sides of the Reedy River on the Liberty Bridge. Spanning 345 feet, the single cable suspension bridge provides unobstructed views of the falls.

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Read more about the article Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park – Macon, GA

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park – Macon, GA

While on our way to Thing 1’s graduation from Flagler College in St. Augustine, we made a stop at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park in Macon. We had taken our daughters to the historic park about ten years ago, but I wanted to spend more time and visit the museum.

Plans are underway to make Ocmulgee Mounds the first National Park in Georgia. With the recent purchase of over 800 acres in Twiggs County, the creation of Ocmulgee National Park is a possibility in the near future.

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Read more about the article St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum – St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum – St. Augustine, FL

In the winter of 2025, we visited Thing 1 at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. We decided to visit the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum located in the historic district. I’ve never been particularly interested in pirates and couldn’t tell you who Blackbeard was, but I learned a lot and found the museum to be worthwhile.

Pat Croce, pirate scholar, diver, and former president of the Philadelphia 76ers, began this museum in 2005. Located in Key West, the collection included many of Croce’s artifacts from his dives. The museum moved to St. Augustine in 2010 and boasts over 800 heirlooms, exhibits created by Disney imagineers, and multiple “Book of Pirates” interactive touch-screen displays.

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