Anyone familiar with the American Civil War will be aware of the part that Gettysburg played, and the amount of lives that were lost during the historic 3 day battle that took place there in July 1863.  The area was the later that year to be the scene of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.   Although the final outcome of the battle at Gettysburg was a Union victory, the amount of fallen soldiers who lie in the Union burial site at Gettysburg National Cemetary (actually located on Cemetery Hill) is evidence that victory came at a high human cost to both sides.  

Today the Gettysburg National Military Park is a silent witness to the military strategies, human heroism, and the loss of life sustained during its history.  You should start your visit with a walk around the visitors center, even if you are familiar with the events of the battle, as it will help you to orientate yourself “on the ground”.  You can take advantage of joining a guided tour around the park, or pick up a map for a self-guided auto tour.  A film in the Cycloarma Center will also help with your orientation to the area before you set off exploring.  The Cyclorarma Center also shows other educational films as well as displaying civil war exhibits so you may like to spend time back here once you’ve taken your drive around the park, if not before. 

Read more »

Managing your child’s medications while traveling can be the difference between a full and fun filled trip or cutting the vacation short to go home. Forgetting medications could even result in an emergency room trip in a strange city.

Pack your child’s medication in an accessible, easy to remember place within the vehicle. Do not store any medicines in the trunk of your vehicle. Depending on the weather, they could freeze or get too hot. Many medicines are changed by extreme temperatures.

If traveling by plane, put medications in your carry on bag so they are always with you.

Read more »

Being that time of year right now, snow holidays are in season!  And what better place to ski than magnificent Whistler?

Accomodation is easy to find too, so if you are looking for a last minute get away,  check out Whistler lodging on the Holiday Whistler.com site.  A great  Whistler condo rental is easy to find, simply fill out your selection criteria on the right to see a list of accomodation that meets your needs.  

One of my favorites is Cedar Ridge 17, a greatlodge with 4 bedrooms that sleeps 10. Just above the Village on the lower slopes of Blackcomb Mountain, you can ski right out of the lodge!

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is dedicated to the preservation and display of Canada’s history and to the culture and art of the First Peoples (a common Canadian term for the pre-European native population of Canada).

The Museum, in Hull, Quebec, is across the Ottawa River from Parliament Hill, Ottawa.  Douglas Cardinal designed the two massive curvilinear buildings that make up the museum and the curatorial department.  The design was intended to be evocative of the formation of the North American continent and its subsequent reshaping by glaciers, wind, and water. 

The Grand Hall exhibit space is a little over 19,000 square feet (1,782 sq m) and contains six full-size reproduction facades of houses and totems.  Each facade represents a typical chieftain’s home in one of six Aboriginal communities from coastal British Columbia.  The Museum is working with the Native people of each region represented to create a cooperative exhibit for the houses’ interiors.

Read more »

For sheer variety, there aren’t too many places that can beat Northern Arizona for landscape and beauty.

 First off, select a home base–a place to return to after driving around all day.  The Northern Arizona sights are relatively close, but “relatively” still might mean a few hours drive.  One of the best home bases is Sedona.  It’s got quite a collection of shops and restaurants, and also has Slide Rock, in Oak Creek Canyon, just a few minutes outside of Sedona.

Slide Rock is a canyon carved out of the red rock by Oak Creek.  The algae covering the rocks makes them especially slippery, so swimmers can actually slide right on down the river, like a naturally formed water park.  It’s a very popular destination, but be sure to check with the park in advance, because they will close the creek to swimming if the algae level gets too high or the water level gets too low.  Oak Creek is also great for fishing.

Read more »