Last week, my blog introduced the idea of family field trips, for families that homeschool or traditional school. We started by planning a family field trip that centered around Boston and then ventured out in the New England region. If you missed the first blog in the Family Field Trip series check it out at Family Field Trip: New England.
This week, we will take the same ideas to plan out a trip that we can weave history, science, culture and arts into, that the whole family will enjoy. Now we will be moving onto the Mid-Atlantic states, where I grew up attending field trips myself. I don’t even want to share how many times I’ve been to the Liberty Bell… big bell with a crack, is this really historical? The people from Philadelphia are proud of their history, food and sports teams! Unlike New England, there are four big hub cities in the Mid-Atlantic that you could use as your hub or even focus an entire trip around itself. If you are coming on a long road trip, I’d plan to spend at least a week in most of the areas, but they can be puzzling together, since they are all located within an easy drive or train ride.
Hoboken, New Jersey
Starting in New York, a place I spent a year of my life navigating and working, so I feel like more than just a visitor, but never truly a local with my Philly accent. My favorite way to see NYC is to get a hotel in Hoboken or Jersey City, right across the Hudson from Manhattan. I often suggest this to families, there are many apartment rentals in this area and the mini-city feel allows parents to easily get into New York City on the PATH train or ferry each day. Hoboken is like a mini-Manhattan with the best views of her older, more popular, sister just across the river. Walk the waterfront for the best views and photos of the city, visit Pier C Park with your kids to let out some of their energy or try the restaurants and bars that pepper this river front block of Hoboken. If you want to splurge or have Marriott points saved, the W Hoboken has the best views of the city and sits half a block from Sinatra Park. Washington Street is set back a few streets and is filled with bagel shops, bakeries, restaurants and an awesome beer garden with authentic German foods and “biers” (as we say in Deutschland). Hoboken’s most famous baker is Carlo’s from the show Cake Boss, but spoiler alert, their stuff has never impressed me in taste. The cakes are fancy and people line up around the block and stop traffic, but there is a better German bakery and Italian bakery just down Washington Street… try them and you won’t be disappointed or have to wait in a line! Even if you don’t stay in Hoboken, take the ferry out for the day or dinner date.
New Jersey also houses many of the ferry terminals to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which are both must do activities and best to book ahead of time to ensure the time of day you prefer. You can book a guided tour to learn all about the history of both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or go with an audio tour and buy your tickets at Cruises to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Ellis Island is such a powerful place to take children and give them the perspective of moving across the world, often without families for new opportunities in America. Build that anticipation before taking the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, seeing the same site welcoming all those immigrants in the 1920’s.
New York City Historical and Cultural Sights
Once in Manhattan, you realize how large and small this island really feels simultaneously, once you have some perspective. I don’t always suggest seeing cities by bus tour, but NYC’s sightseeing bus rides are iconic in themselves and give a great overview of the city. My favorite is Big Bus Tours because of their easy to navigate, color coded uptown and downtown maps. If you only really have 2 or 3 days to see the city, dividing it between uptown (mid-town, central park and the upper east side) and downtown (Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, the village, Soho, and the financial district) is the best way to maximize your time. It’s a way to easily check major sights off your bucket list, while also saving your feet the steps. Bring your comfortable walking shoes for the daytime sites and save the fancy shoes for dinner and show reservations, with cabs or uber rides. These sights are just a jumping off point:
- Times Square & Broadway
- Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock)
- Central Park (zoo, strawberry fields, Alice and Wonderland statues)
- MET Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Grand Central Terminal
- American Museum of Natural History
- Guggenheim Museum
- Chelsea Market Place
- NYC Public Library
- Carnegie Hall
- Intrepid Museum
- Empire State Building
- Bryant Park, Washington Square Park
- Wall Street & the New York Stock Exchange
- World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
Besides all the amazing architecture, history, culture and museums in New York the food is a cultural attraction too! From iconic foods like NY pizza, Coney Island hot dog, bagels and lox, a sandwich from a Jewish deli and Manhattan clam chowder (that’s the red, not the white). There are street foods like a “bacon, egg & cheese” from a bodega or a soft pretzel at Yankee Stadium that are a must when visiting. Little Italy is a great area for Italian food, you can’t go wrong with an old school chicken parmigiana, a nice pasta or ravioli in a sage butter sauce. For dessert, be sure to enjoy a cannoli or simple NY cheesecake. There is a Korean BBQ scene taking over in Manhattan, but for other great Asian restaurants, take the train out to Flushing and skip Chinatown. Soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai is top on all food and restaurant lists or make a reservation for Dim Sum for a real cultural treat.
Philadelphia Historical Attractions
There is no shortage of history in America’s first capital, Philadelphia. Check out this Visit Philly link to see some of the most interesting things to do in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania, “Penn’s Woods” named for William Penn, its most famous Quaker resident. Philadelphia was the centerpiece for many famous moments in Revolutionary history including the home of Benjamin Franklin, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and where the Constitution was signed. Check out these famous Philadelphia sights to enrich your knowledge of our Nation’s History. If you are visiting with younger kids, checkout Once Upon a Nation- storytelling benches where an educator will meet with groups at designated spots in Independence Square. Check out as many of the historic and cultural attractions in Philadelphia:
- Liberty Bell
- Independence Hall
- National Constitution Center
- Philadelphia Museum of Art (do the Rocky run up the steps)
- LOVE sculpture
- Philadelphia Zoo
- Franklin Square (Chinese lantern festival)
- Museums:
- Franklin Institute
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Bestey Ross House
- Benjamin Franklin Museum
- Museum of the American Revolution
- African American Museum of Philadelphia
- Please Touch Museum
I always recommend a Delaware River Waterfront tour and our favorite has been the Duck tour. The Duck tour is an amphibious vehicle that tours the streets of Philadelphia as well as turning into a boat for a cruise of the Delaware River. Philadelphia is another foodie city, similar to New York with pizza and pretzels, but has its own specialities too. Be sure to try a cheese steak, Pat’s and Gino’s have been the two rivals for years (I’m a Pat’s girl all the way), but most of the Italian restaurants and pizza shops all have a great selection of cheese steaks and chicken cheese steaks (my favorite). Many make it without cheese wiz, to the relief of many visitors. The first food I eat when I go back for a visit is a hoagie, a sandwich made on an Amoroso’s long roll. I love a good Italian hoagie with all the meats and cheeses, but also enjoy tuna and provolone from my years of Friday night dinners during Lent growing up. Water ice is another must eat in Philadelphia and yes it is different from Italian ice. Food tours in Reading Terminal are popular to try a few of the best options in a short period of time or just shop the food markets in Reading Terminal.
Over the bridge from Philadelphia is Camden, NJ. Camden doesn’t have the best reputation, but the parts on the waterfront have been cleaned up and attracting tourists for years. The biggest attraction since 1993 is the Adventure Aquarium. Their mission has always been to provide the best possible care to the 15,000 aquatic animals they house. They also offer animal encounters, interactive touch exhibits and opportunities to learn about rare aquatic species. Once over that side of the bridge, check out the Camden Children’s Garden, Independence Seaport Museum and the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial. The battleship offers a tour route that takes you through the bunks the sailors sleep in, climb the 16” gun turret and sit in the chair reserved for the Admiral. This up close look at the nation’s military history intrigues guests of all ages and is the largest battleship ever built.
Greater Philadelphia Area
There are still a lot of fun and educational attractions, north east of the city. Continuing on the historical perspective, visit Valley Forge & Washington’s Crossing to see two more historic locations. There are a lot of fun places for little kids in suburban Philadelphia. My daughter’s favorite place to visit every trip is Kid’s Castle at Central Park in Doylestown. My high school class built the first edition of the infamous wooden castle structure. Over the years it has expanded and the equipment has been upgraded and is worth a drive to check out. Stop by a Wawa for some hoagies and drinks to enjoy at the park or picnic tables. Here is a short list of some other little kid favorites, get Sesame Place in before they are too cool for Sesame Street characters!
- Sesame Place, Langhorne
- Elmwood Park Zoo (smaller, community zoo, giraffe feeding)
- Bucks County Children’s Museum
- Giggleberry Fair at Peddler’s Village
- Kids Castle Central Park, Doylestown
- Crayola Factory, Easton
Western Pennsylvania Must See
Traveling west from Philadelphia, about an hour drive is Longwood Gardens, especially worth the drive during their Holiday lights and tulip festival shows. Don’t miss the boardwalk and fountain shows that have day and night options. Don’t let Hershey Park fool you, it is a theme park and Hershey chocolate factory all rolled into one! I loved this place as a child, especially the chocolate ride, where you’d get the full cocoa bean treatment. In the summer season there is also a water park attached for a few days of fun in Western, PA. Ironically, after all my love for Hershey Park in my youth, my daughter hates Hershey chocolates. My bougie kid will eat German or Belgium chocolate and even Reese’s chocolate in a pinch, but don’t dare put a bar of Hershey’s chocolate on her s’mores… better break off a piece of Godiva.
Located just a bit south and west of Hershey is the Civil War capital, Gettysburg. This small Pennsylvania town is full of Civil War heros, ghost stories and both the Seminary and Gettysburg College. Be sure to check out the Visitors Center during your trip, it is a wealth of knowledge and will give your kids an overview of Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War and the massive loss of lives. Download the audio tour of Gettysburg and head out on the trail. Take your time, stopping to read informational posts and spend some time in the cemetery. If you want to take a deeper dive of the time period, reserve a small group or private tour for the best value. Gettysburg is a one or two day experience, especially with children, but an adult historian could spend a week exploring it all.
Baltimore Inner Harbor Attractions
Baltimore is just under a 90 minute drive from Gettysburg and would be great to pair the two together, since the only surviving Civil War ship can be visited in the Baltimore Harbor. The USS Constellation is part of the Historic Ships in Baltimore’s floating museum. The main tourist area, especially with children’s interest in mind, is the inner harbor area. Try to get a hotel in this main tourist area for safety and ease of walking to all the attractions. A stop at the Baltimore visitors center and a walk around the waterfront promenade will quickly get your bearings in the compact harbor. In the summer, get out on the harbor in a water taxi or Chessie dragon paddle boat or visit the fountain and splash pad at West Shore Park. The National Aquarium is the number one attraction for our family, we love a good aquarium and this is one of the best in the country!
A visit to the Top of the World Observation level at World Trade Center is the best view in town and available all year round. Children will love to play at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum or brush up on their science skills at the Maryland Science Center with both an IMAX and planetarium. If you have a young ballplayer (or hubby that loves America’s game) take them to a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and visit Babe Ruth’s Birthplace & Museum just down the street from the ballpark.
When visiting Maryland, trying their seafood and Maryland crab in particular is a must try. I can taste the crab cakes all the way in Colorado!! Hubby and I had our first date at a restaurant called McCormick & Schmick’s in Naples, Florida over 13 years ago, and I know all the towns that have one of the delicious northeastern seafood restaurants. Try it here in Baltimore or one of the other seafood spots in the Inner Harbor such as:
- Blackwall Hitch
- Phillips seafood
- Rusty Scupper
- Mason’s famous lobster rolls
- Crust by Mack (bakery)
- Matriarch Coffee
Washington D.C. Home of National Pride
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the Residence Act of July 16, 1790 moved the national’s capital to Washington D.C. in an effort to appease pro-slavery states who feared a northern capital could be influenced by abolitionists. The city of Brotherly Love had a few other issues at the time, not being able to pay its soldiers, local and state governments fighting each other and a mutiny, just to name a few. Today, the government of the United States is housed in Washington D.C. (standing for the District of Columbia and not a State). This small area lies between the states of Virginia and Maryland, very close to Baltimore and many destinations in both Maryland and Virginia.
The National Mall is a one of a kind display of government and national pride. Seeing the Washington Monument, especially at sunset is a magical moment housed between the Lincoln Memorial and U.S. Capitol Building. A Big Bus tour where you can hop on and off around the National Mall might be the easiest way to see the sights and minimize your walk between the political and historic sights. The bus tours are typically open air and even head over to Arlington National Cemetery on the Virginia side.
- White House
- Lincoln Memorial
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Library of Congress
- Vietnam & Korean War Memorial
- World War II Memorial
- Chinatown
- Wharf & Potomac boat cruises
- Arlington National Cemetery
The Smithsonian Institute is a must visit attraction, but really is 17 museums, galleries and a zoo in its entirety. The Smithsonian boasts over 150 million objects, works of art and specimens, clearly making it the largest collection in the country. Washington D.C. is the place to see all these items that our country has collected and is proud to display as part of its History. The National Zoo is particularly popular with young visitors. Another popular attraction for kids is the Fossil Hall at the National Museum of Natural History. Check out the full list of Smithsonian Museums that are all free to enter and explore:
- Smithsonian Institution Building (the castle)
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of American History
- National Zoo
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- American Art Museum & Renwick Gallery
- National Air and Space Museum
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens
- National Portrait Gallery
- National Museum of Asian Art
- National Postal Museum
- National Museum of African Art
- Anacostia Community Museum
Over the many years of taking 5th graders through high school students on field trips, my favorite place to visit with students has been the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for its moving presentation that captures the attention of even the toughest teen. This is a must see location for students (8+ years), who have been introduced to the concept of World War II and the Holocaust, even though it is done in a tasteful way that will leave students in tears, but not nightmares. The permanent exhibit is called Daniel’s Story and told from a child’s perspective. Daniel’s Story is also an easy to read book that would make for a perfect story to accompany the museum experience. I have taught Holocaust and World War II history across many grade levels and it is appropriate for them all, despite their background and reading levels (an audio book is available for reluctant readers). There is also an interactive component that follows the journey that Holocaust victims experienced during World War II. This part of the experience is intended for teens and not appropriate for younger children. Consider reading the picture book the Terrible Things as well, this picture book is an allegory of the Holocaust that even the youngest children can listen to and learn character lessons. Even Doctor Seuss wrote the Sneetches and Yertle the Turtle with World War II themes that can be read for context. This is a great way to build background knowledge before students arrive for the experience and makes the biggest impact.
When traveling with young kids, transportation is often a topic of concern (I’m thrilled to be out of that phase where I have to drag car seats around on planes and taxis). Washington D.C. has a great Metro that is free for kids under 5 with an adult ticket. Many families will just use the metro and walk, getting around fine. Ride shares are also a good option, especially once your kids are a little older. Kids who are younger will enjoy the following museums and attractions around the National Mall, so don’t miss them just because they aren’t the most popular attractions.
- National Children’s Museum
- National Building Museum
- International Spy Museum
- National Law Enforcement Museum
- U.S. Botanic Garden
- Planet word
Greater Maryland and Virginia Attractions
Since Washington D.C. is located between Maryland and Virginia, both states are easy to visit attractions before or after a visit to Washington. Maryland is known for its beaches and seafood that comes from the Chesapeake Bay. When you’re in the area, check out the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Maryland has their own seaside town called Ocean City, that I’ve always wanted to check out, to see if New Jersey or Maryland has the better Ocean City. Sounds like a future blog article to me! North Beach & Chesapeake Beach are also nice beaches, if you want less of the touristy boardwalk feeling.
Maryland has Chincoteague & Assateague Islands, known for their wild horses. Many visitors have become familiar with the horses from a children’s book titled Misty of Chincoteague by author Marguerite Henry. The story takes place during a traditional festival called Pony Penning, when the herd is rounded up and swum from Assateague to Chincoteague Island and the foals are auctioned off to pay for the protected land. The book has enchanted children for years, even though there is no record to confirm the story that the horses are descended from a Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Virginia. More realistically, they are descendants of horses that were brought to the barrier islands in the late 17th century to avoid fencing laws and taxes. The horses are split into two main herds, on the Virginia and Maryland sides respectively, but the Virginia herd is traditionally referred to as the Chincoteague ponies. The herds divide themselves further into small groups of 2-12 animals that can be spotted around the area. Be sure to enjoy the ponies from a distance and not to make an impact on their land so they can continue to thrive for future generations.
About 30 minutes south of Washington D.C. is George Washington’s home and museum called Mount Vernon. Mt. Vernon is located on a beautiful plot of land near the Potomac River. Go to the Mount Vernon Visitors Site to download an audio tour before your visit or share the virtual tour in school or homeschool lessons. Give yourself a few hours to visit the mansion, historic areas, gardens, tombs, farm, distillery & gristmill and museums. There are two additional living museums in the area, most famously 18th century Colonial Williamsburg. Stop at the visitors center for free parking and a map to the grounds. Follow a prescribed tour or make up your own, but plan to spend a few hours. Teachers, bring Colonial Williamsburg to your classroom with Colonial Williamsburg under the education tab. The other living museum is the Jamestown Settlement where a realistic Powhatan village and European settlement set the scene for the Colonial expansion in the Americas.
The Virginia area isn’t just all historical, there’s also lots of fun for the whole family at Virginia Beach, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. Plan a fantastic trip to see the Mid-Atlantic cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. to see where the countries’ recorded history began. Unless you are a traveling family and have weeks or a season to spend in the region, don’t think you can see and do it all. Late Spring to Fall are the best times of year to enjoy the weather and outdoors, the winters are cold, dark and damp and many people hide inside for the Winter. Washington is known for its magnificent cherry blossom season, which is a beautiful (yet busy & expensive) time to visit. Who’s ready to plan a Mid-Atlantic road trip this summer?
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