"I've been there!" - some thoughts on significant travels

The first part goes, "Fore score and seven years ago..."

Gettysburg battlefield

Mostly when my family travels it is for recreation- we want to go somewhere fun and see and do new things.

But almost all of our adventures include something significant too, usually a visit to a historical site or museum, as well as other "fun" recreational activities. We've been to old army forts and WWII airship hangers as well as quirky private facilities housing interesting collections and awesome science and natural history centers, even a pirate museum in Nassau and Mayan ruins in Belize.

Today on the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address I was talking to my oldest son Justin about it and he referenced our visit to the museum and battlefields about six months ago.

I think having been there and seen the battlefields, graveyards, and the museum really gave him an appreciation for that period in our American history. And today in school when the conversation turns to this significant event, Justin gets to say, "I've been there!"

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery

He also knows quite a lot about the Civil War, largely as a result of visiting Gettysburg.

Beyond just going somewhere, it is important to be there, to soak it in and let the experience change you a little bit.

The World Trade Center

Similarly, both my kids (as well as my husband and I) have an even greater understanding of the sacrifices made by our fellow Americans from visiting Arlington National Cemetery and the 9-11 Memorial. There's something about the immensity of the sites that you can only appreciate having seen it in person. Huge city block sized holes where the Twin Towers once stood and rows upon rows upon rows of solemn marble headstones impress a magnitude of significance and provide an opportunity for reflection.

Inside the Capitol rotunda

So too does standing in the United States Capital Building, or Ford's Theater, or Little Bighorn. The Alamo, Federal Hall, or one of many other sites around the country. The National Parks provide plentiful opportunity for great family adventures, and they are usually not particularly expensive to visit. We're planning on taking the kids to see the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore in the near future.

Our recent visit to Orlando also included a day trip to the Kennedy Space Center and the Police Hall of Fame and we were able to check one more space shuttle off the list of the ones that we have seen in person (only one more to go!) I think that even on a theme-park centered vacation, it is good to take advantage of opportunities to have a greater appreciation for science, history, or the arts as well as the chance for the kiddos to say, "hey, I've been there!" in history class at school.