As we have just returned from our tour of America’s central East Coast, I count myself still into all things hot, humid, and historic. Here’s a taste of the highs and lows we encountered along the way:

.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Somewhat familiar territory to me as this area was once my home turf, but all new to the kiddos.

• Highlights: The Smithsonian, acres and acres of stellar artifacts housed in air-conditioned museums, plus a world-class zoo (Madeline’s fave) — all completely free. (Thank you, Mr. Smithson, for your far-reaching vision and incredible gift to the U.S.) The Museum of the Bible, new since we were last there and absolutely worth a day (we spent 6 hours, could have done more). The Holocaust Museum, horrific, heart-rending, and absolutely necessary. Potomac dinner cruise at night.
• Lowlight: Mediocre food at sky-high prices anywhere within a mile of the National Mall. (Tip: Best place we found for daytime eats? Cafe in the basement of the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Still expensive, but tasty and representative of some of America’s quintessential cuisine — think BBQ and burgers.)
• Highlight and lowlight: Getting caught out in a flash flood on our first night in town.

.

NEW YORK CITY. A first for both my husband and me. We decided that what they say is true: for better or worse, there’s really no other place quite like NYC.

• Highlights: Arriving by train at Penn Station. Foods of New York Tour, 3-hour walking tour of arguably the best mom-and-pop shops in Greenwich Village (shown here in the back of Murray’s Cheese Shop with our incomparable guide, RJ). The sheer spectacle of Times Square. Lady Liberty up close and personal. Dinner at the historic Fraunces Tavern.
• Lowlight: NYC traffic. Everywhere and always.
• Highlight and lowlight: Taking a New York Yellow Taxi from Penn Station to our midtown hotel. Had to do it at least once because when in Rome, but after that, Uber all the way, baby.

.

PHILADELPHIA. Philly’s friendly citizens and pretty, tree-shaded public spaces pleasantly surprised us.

• Highlights: Tour of Independence Hall led by an excellent guide. An unplanned but completely worthwhile tour of the historic Eastern State Penitentiary.

.

GETTYSBURG. Beautifully preserved, a history buff’s dream.

• Highlight: Sleeping in the historic, bullet-riddled Farnsworth Inn.
• Lowlight: A disappointing battlefield tour. Booking a personal guide should have made it terrific (as it was last time Scott and I were in town), but luck of the draw landed us a dud this time around. Kids were bored out of their minds, and I wasn’t far behind. Scott managed to be a little more grace-filled. Oh well.

.

WILLIAMSBURG. Can’t swing a cat in this town without encountering something you’ve read about in the history books. Exactly my kind of place.

• Highlights: Shirley Plantation, America’s oldest and still operational plantation with a fascinating history (with ties to Robert E. Lee and General McClellan); while the ground floor is open to the public, the family’s 11th & 12th generations still live in the upper floors. Busch Gardens amusement park — hands down, the kids’ favorite day (natch).
• Highlight and lowlight: Our river cruise viewing of Jamestown got canceled due to thunderstorms, but we made up for it the next day by visiting the site instead on foot. As a result, we snagged an outstanding tour guide, who brought us up to date on all the fascinating findings literally unearthed there in the last two decades — including chilling hard evidence of cannibalism in the colony.

After words:

So that’s it for me. What are you into these days?

P.S. Care for a few more family pics? Find them here on Instagram.