I’ve always considered Harrisonburg, Virginia to be the quintessential college town. Well, I guess I should clarify... From 1999 to 2003, it was my quintessential college town. I loved calling it my home during those few fleeting years that I attended James Madison University. It was a really affordable and fun place
All throughout the mid-Atlantic, a change is taking place. Yes, friends, it’s time to say goodbye to summer and celebrate fall once again! Fall is arguably my favorite time to plan a weekend trip in this part of the U.S. The weather’s consistently temperate and mild, the natural scenery is at
Hello, friends! I've taken a little blog breather since I have so many upcoming travels that I'll be writing about over the next few months. But a new "Ask Chris" question has me back in action once again! This question comes from Facebook. And, here we go! Dear Chris, I'm going
As a fledging “mid-Atlantic travel expert,” I’ve been road-tripping around the region practically every weekend for the past year in an effort to find the best and most unique experiences the mid-Atlantic has to offer. As a result, I frequently receive emails from people looking for help planning specific travels
For the past 30-some years, minstrels-in training, ladies, lasses and squires, beggars, wenches, knaves and even kings have been conveying on a 27 acre bit of forested land in Crownsville, Maryland each fall. No, it's not a time machine. It's the Maryland Renaissance Festival! Here, people come to step back in time, to
As soon as I open the car door, it hits me. A delightfully humid whiff of briny ocean air. The man in front of me’s unloading his car and I see a boogie board and black mesh bag filled with neon-colored shovels and buckets. It becomes obvious to me: people
This 4th of July, I was lucky enough to have a 4 day weekend. That meant there was plenty of time for local travel adventuring! Here are a few photo highlights from my holiday... THURSDAY, JULY 4 [caption id="attachment_4154" align="aligncenter" width="360"] The view from Old Rag - an 8 mile hike in Shenandoah
A few weeks ago, I waxed poetic about the wonders of Ottawa after my very first visit to Canada's capital city. Today, the sheen still hasn't worn off. I dream of returning and revisiting some of the places that I discovered on my trip. Thankfully, Ottawa's just a brief plan ride from many
Last week, I met a man on the train between Toronto and Ottawa. We exchanged the normal how-do-you-do's, bonded over the unparalleled perks of VIA Rail business-class train travel and started to chat about our journey. When he discovered I was a travel blogger headed to Canada's capital city, he furtively looked
St. Michaels, Maryland (the "Hamptons of the Chesapeake") is where the elite goes to spend the weekend. Located right along the Old Line State's craggy coastline, it's an idyllic waterfront retreat where all roads lead to the water. With a deep history and a familiar, small-town feel, it's the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Here
Southern Delaware offers a number of cultural and gourmand experiences... you just need to know where to look! Luckily, as part of my "digging deeper" exploration of the region, I searched for the best lesser known experiences to share. And the best part about it was that I didn't have
Montreal. How I’ve lived in Washington, DC, a mere 10 drive hours away, for 31 years without taking the time to visit this gem of a city is beyond me. It is, for lack of a more exciting or descriptive word... lovely. A true remedy for any American’s wanderlust. I wasn’t
