Travelling to historical places can jump start your kids’ interest in the past, while allowing an interesting and relaxing vacation for everyone. When we learn history in school, most of us are forced to read chapters in textbooks and memorize dates, which is fairly unstimulating. All those words and numbers start to blur together after awhile. During spring or summer break, pack up the kids and hit the road, to bring excitement and interest back to learning. Here are some great sites to see.
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
A historic, working village that shows how early American settlers lived their lives. Get some gingersnaps at their colonial-era bakery. Watch a blacksmith in action, shoeing horses. See sheep grazing the grass, and listen to old-fashioned music. Watch as old-style crafts are made, how yarn is spun on a wheel and listen to the tour guides explain the history of the area. It is fascinating, you feel like you have stepped back in time. People there wear period costumes, and conduct their daily business the way the settlers did, way back when. Visit the visitors’ center for more information and a map of the area.
Washington D.C.
Visit the Smithsonian Institution and see a variety of historical exhibits. See the Wright Brothers’ first airplane on display, and other famous airplanes at the National Air and Space Museum (a division of the Smithsonian.) See the Museum of Natural History too, for exhibits ranging from dinosaurs to rare gems such as the Hope Diamond. The National Gallery of Art houses famous paintings, sculptures and more; from all over the world. Also, see the monuments such as Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Memorial and more. The White House and the Capitol Building are stately and must be visited to make the trip complete. Washington D.C. is a treasure trove of sites for a history-loving family.
Civil War Battlegrounds
To get a feel for what it was like during the Civil War, go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania or other famous war sites.Other interesting sites are the battlefields at Kennesaw, Georgia or Chickamauga. When at these sites, go to the visitors’ centers and sign up for tours if they are offered. They will walk you around to the key areas of the sites, and tell you what happened during the war, and where. Usually, there are cannons or other Civil War memorabilia displayed. Some have museums as well, to see more war-era artifacts. These sites are an important part of our American history and worth seeing.
The United Kingdom
To see a large amount of historic sites, go to England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. London, England is just loaded with sites to see such as Buckingham Palace, Parliament, the Tower of London, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It is an amazing and elegant city with a wide variety of sites and entertainment in general.
Other areas of England that are highly educational are Stratford-Upon-Avon (where William Shakespeare was born) and the Lake District. In Stratford, visit the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. See a production of Hamlet or other classics. Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, which is very cramped but gives you a feel for the era in which he lived. In the Lake District, see Grasmere, where William Wordsworth lived and is buried. You can go through his house, in the lovely hills of the lush countryside. Stop for Gingerbread at the very famous Sarah Nelson’s Bakery.
If you want to see castles, there are many sprinkled all over the British Isles. Conwy Castle in Llandudno, Wales is a large fortress-type castle that is now a picturesque ruin, but is a testimony to the amazing designs of medieval architecture. If you want to see intact castles, see others such as Windsor Castle in Windsor. You can walk around and see a real, working and ancient royal residence. It is huge and the gardens are elegant.
The Yucatan Peninsula
To see amazing examples of Mayan and Toltec Indian ruins, the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico is a good place to start. In the state of Quintano Roo, visit the ruins of an ancient city called Chichen Itza. It has a large and well-preserved pyramid called El Castillo, and there are other buildings on the site with clearly readable heiroglyphics. Sometimes, tourists are permitted to go inside the pyramid. Inside, there is a very narrow staircase leading up to a room housing a Jade Jaguar sculpture and a Chac Mool figurine (ancient symbol in their culture.) This site is located deep in the Mexican jungle and is breathtaking, real-life history. If you go, bring water, as the area is steaming hot all year long. There is a hotel nearby for lunch if you need a break.
Other ruins to see are Palenque, Tulum, and Coba. Coba has the largest pyramid on the peninsula, but it is not as preserved as El Castillo. Still, the view from the top is outstanding, and worth climbing the steep, ancient stairs. Tulum is located on the Caribbean coastline, which gives it a atmospheric backdrop. Scenes from the movie, "Against All Odds" were filmed there. It is a beautuful site. Hire a professional tour agent through your hotel, but as at all ruins, make sure not to hire the freelance ones. They tend to make things up. Having lived in the region for two years myself, I learned these things.
There are multitudes of other great sites to visit, but these are ones that I have enjoyed most in my travels. Before embarking on a family trip, study up on places that interest you and see which are best for you. Historical vacations are gifts of memories to your kids, that cannot be taken away or forgotten. And, anywhere you go, the excitement of being in a different culture or era for that moment is an effective cure for everyday suburban boredom. Go ahead, explore and enjoy. Your kids will thank you for it in the end.