Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in Ohio, is a preserve along the Cuyahoga River containing the Ohio and Erie Canal. The most frequently visited section of the park is the Towpath Trail which runs beside the canal from Cleveland to Akron along the route that mules would walk to tow boats. The scenic trail can be hiked or biked and it passes many interesting points of interest including the canal locks and several visitor centers. It’s also not uncommon to spot some wildlife, espcially birds of prey and beavers!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Will and I were in Washington D.C. over the holidays and we decided to check out the Newseum, a museum dedicated to world news which opened a couple of years ago. The building is beautiful and the exhibits are state of the art and interactive. One covers the history of the newspaper with a searchable database of over 35,000 front pages going back 500 years and including the current day. Another chronicles top news stories of all time and others give the histories of radio and broadcast news. There is also an active studio, a place where you can try your hand at reporting and several changing exhibits featuring major news stories. Plus, the roof deck has one of the best views you can get of the city. It’s such a massive place that your ticket is good for two days so you don’t have to miss anything! It was definitely one of the best museums we’ve been to in some time.

Tickets are $19.95 plus tax but you can receive a 10% discount by purchasing them in advance online.

Newseum

Visit My Adventures to read about our trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina and see pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Date of trip: June 2010

When I realized that Will and I would be flying into Asheville for our trip to visit the Great Smoky Mountains, I knew we had to make a stop at the Biltmore Estate. Built by the Vanderbilts in the late 1800s in the style of a French Chateau, it is the largest privately owned home in the United States.

Highlights:

-The crown jewel of the Biltmore Estate is the Biltmore House. With 250 rooms, its size alone is magnificent. The interior is incredibly well preserved and tells a story, not only about the Vanderbilts, but about life and technology during the period they lived there. The audio tour describes the history of each room and its furnishings. My favorites were the heated indoor pool and the gym, complete with state of the art exercise equipment.

-The grounds at the Biltmore, designed by Central Park creator Frederick Law Olmsted span over 8,000 acres and contain America’s first managed forest. Once you pass the manicured Walled Garden and the Conservatory, filled with a collection of palms and ferns, you easily forget you are walking through something man-made. The Bass Pond is particularly pretty and if you are visiting during the warmer months, you’ll be sure to spot some snapping turtles swimming along the surface.

-It’s a short drive from the house to Antler Hill Village, a newly developed section of the estate that opened earlier this year. Here you can enjoy a wine tasting at the Biltmore Winery, discover early farm life at the Barn, learn more about the Vanderbilts at the Legacy Museum, or just get a bite to eat at one of the Village restaurants.

-To get the full Biltmore experience, you have to spend a night at the beautiful Inn on Biltmore Estate. Overlooking the Smoky Mountains it’s the perfect place to rest after a long day of exploring. It’s also a great location to spot wildlife. We spotted a hawk on the roof and a newborn deer on the back lawn.

Here in the United States, we don’t have elaborate royal apartments or castles but we do have some beautiful houses built by successful entrepreneurs in early days of our country. They are snapshots of the ever evolving American dream. The Biltmore is the finest example of this and that is undoubtedly why it is one of the most visited historic attractions in the country.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Biltmore Links:
Biltmore Estate Official Site