Learning Archives - Active Boomer Adventures

Shelburne and Birchtown Nova Scotia

By Tom, on August 30th, 2015

Shelbourne, on Nova Scotia’s southeast coast, was an 18th- and 19th-century shipbuilding center that was founded in 1783. It grew to 10,000 people within a year, primarily due to British loyalists who fled America after the Revolution. It eventually grew larger than Montreal and Quebec before the British-run Canadian government stopped providing free land and [Read more …]

Checking into Halifax, Nova Scotia

By Tom, on August 5th, 2015

Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded on 1749, was one of the first English settlements in Canada. Initially created as a naval and military base, it is dominated by its Citadel. Its subsequent role as a shipbuilding center created much of the wealth that funded the building of many of the city’s grand buildings. True, many such [Read more …]

Washington, D.C. Science and History Museums—Spring 2015

By Tom, on July 22nd, 2015

As with our return trips to most of our favorite cities, this trip focused on museums, walking tours (both guided and independent) and of course, restaurants. We devoted so much time to museums and visitor centers that we have divided these stops into two posts: One focused on art museums and on science [Read more …]

Appomattox: Where the Civil War Almost Ended

By Tom, on July 11th, 2015

Appomattox Court House is the site of Robert E. Lee’s April 9, 1865 surrender to Ulysses S. Grant ended the Civil War. The reconstructed courthouse at which the surrender was executed is the centerpiece of the National Historic Park and the site of the museum. The park also includes 27 neighboring restored buildings [Read more …]

An Express Driving Tour of Winston-Salem and Greensboro

By Tom, on July 9th, 2015

We had a long day’s drive that would take us through both Winston-Salem and Greensboro. Although we had little time to spend in either, we were able to at least find time for lunch and catch street-side views of some of the cities’ primary sights. Winston-Salem We did, [Read more …]

New York City Museum and Art Update—Beyond the Whitney

By Tom, on May 10th, 2015

The highlight of our New York museum and art experience was our opening day excursion to the incredible Whitney Museum. We were, as discussed in detail, loved the building design and were fully engaged by its inaugural exhibit on the history of American art since the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit, titled "America [Read more …]

San Francisco’s New and Improved Embarcadero

By Tom, on August 11th, 2013

The Embarcadero, between the Ferry Building and Pier 39, used to be something of a wasteland occupied by underutilized Piers and a few long-standing restaurants, such as Waterfront and Butterfly. Now, with the opening of the Exploratorium and the America’s Cup Village, it has emerged, at least through September, as one of the [Read more …]

Interesting Stops Between Portland and Camden Maine

By Tom, on August 3rd, 2013

We left Portland early and made a short, mandatory, but generally perfunctory stop at LL Bean and a couple other Freeport outlet stores. Then on to a couple more interesting stops. Bailey Island We had planned a walk along one of the most scenic areas of the lower Maine coast (Pemaquid Point) and either [Read more …]

Washington D.C. Museums

By Tom, on July 15th, 2013

Washington is the ultimate museum city. Not only does it have a huge number of absolutely world-class museums, but it has some that are absolutely unique (such as it’s Museum of American History (aka, “the Nation’s Attic), but many of these museums are absolutely FREE. Not surprisingly, we spend much of our DC [Read more …]

The Best of the Texas Hill Country—in Two Days

By Tom, on April 26th, 2013

We have always wanted to visit the Texas Hill Country during springtime, when the wildflowers were in bloom. Despite a number of business/leisure trips to Austin (and one previous visit in San Antonio), none of the trips seemed to correspond with wildflower season. So, not only did we lose out on the flowers, but also [Read more …]

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