Since the late 1960s, “The Nutcracker” has been among the American holiday season’s most popular entertainment offerings. With the worst of the pandemic past (we hope), the abundance will be reflected on East Coast stages this year, with a variety of companies that put their own twists on the timeless story. The two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Dec.18, 1892. Its libretto was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 dark fantasy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” about a …
EH&T Top Finds
EH&T Travel Blog
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Family FriendlyNorth CarolinaOutdoor ActivitiesPennsylvaniaVermont
Take Christmas to the next level with a visit to these Christmas towns
A few quaint little East Coast towns take celebrating the Christmas season to the next level, offering some of the best light displays, decorations and festive family activities. These four charming locales, full of holiday-obsessed folks, are well worth a visit. Koziar’s Christmas Village | Bernville, Pennsylvania Back in 1948, William M. Koziar began decorating his family home and barn for Christmas, and it became Koziar’s Christmas Village. Annual additions to the original displays include the property’s lake, walkways, trees and fences. Visitors walk through a dazzling winter wonderland, with more than 1 million lights throughout 11 indoor buildings, including …
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Family FriendlyMarylandMassachusettsNew YorkOutdoor ActivitiesWashington, DC
Holiday lights shows sparkle throughout the East Coast
Holiday lights shows have emerged to make this season sparkle especially brightly. Here are some curated suggestions of shows to seek out on the East Coast to stir up feelings of pure holiday joy. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress for potentially frigid weather to reap the utmost pleasure in these predominantly outdoor experiences. NEW YORK Dyker Heights Christmas Lights About 100 homeowners take holiday decorating to the limits with over-the-top bright lights, nativity displays, nutcrackers and inflatables for the annual Dyker Heights Christmas Lights in Brooklyn. According to legend, Lucy Spata, also known as the Queen of …
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FloridaGeorgiaMassachusettsNew YorkNorth CarolinaPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaVirginia
TOP 10 GHOST TOURS ON THE EAST COAST
There’s never a bad time to take a ghost tour, but now is the perfect time to get into the spirit — or spirits. After combing through a multitude of options, we’ve narrowed the field to 10 that are certain to be indelible experiences. ST. AUGUSTINE, FL St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States. Spain claimed Florida in 1513, but because of its strategic location, the French and the British also contended for the area. In fact, the English explorer Sir Francis Drake attacked and burned St. Augustine in 1586. With all this conflict …
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MaineNational ParksNew HampshireNew YorkNorth CarolinaOutdoor ActivitiesVermontVirginia
Where to see autumn’s dazzling colors on the East Coast
When planning a trip to view – and photograph — the kaleidoscope of fiery reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows of fall foliage on the East Coast, timing is of the utmost importance. Climate change has affected weather patterns, causing autumn temperatures to rise, and leaf colors to change later in the season. Most predictions for the northeast indicate that leaves will start changing to mostly yellow and a bit of orange in mid-September. By the end of September, the northernmost states should be in full color. Mid-October is the peak season for the rest of the northeast, and leaves …
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The Brandywine River Valley serves as an epicenter for public gardens in the U.S. One of America’s finest is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Created by Pierre du Pont, these gardens are magnificent. More than 1,000 acres are available to explore, with more than 11,000 plants on display. In addition to the grand gardens, you can experience unique diverse landscapes such as meadows, woodlands, a large and small lake, and a farm. Everywhere you go, there is something amazing to see. The Italian Water Garden is presented as a formal lawn with old world décor that reminds you of …
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FloridaGeorgiaMaineMassachusettsNew YorkNorth CarolinaOn The WaterOutdoor ActivitiesRhode Island
To the Lighthouse: Beacons from Maine to Florida serve as picturesque reminders of the past
Lighthouses once made the way safer for ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean into East Coast ports. By 1900, the United States had nearly 1,000 of these picturesque beacons. Since then, the installation of satellite-based navigation systems on ships has replaced the lighthouse as a primary navigational aid. Now automated lighthouses function mostly as backups for marine navigation, while many other lighthouses have ceased to operate and exist solely to beautify landscapes and remind us of the past. Maine Starting up north, the Cape Neddick Light Station, aka Nubble Light, stands on a rocky nub of Nubble Island on the southern …
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Whether it is art deco, luxury, modern or another style, most hotel rooms are pretty boring style-wise and serve only as a place to shower and rest before heading out for an adventure or business meeting. This is not the case with The Roxbury, a lodging experience unlike any other, featuring whimsical rooms that will make your Instagram followers envious. Nestled in The Catskills about 150 miles from New York City, the hotel features themed rooms and suites with massive wow factor. The original hotel opened in 2004 and a second location is just a few miles down the road, …
Visiting St. Augustine, Florida, is like visiting a vibrant European city.
https://easternhomeandtravel.com/experiencing-european-flair-in-st-augustine/
Jan 25
The Providence Ice Rink at the BankNewport CityCenter (@banknewportcc) in Rhode Island is a great place for public ice skating, and now it's an ice bumper car venue as well. That's right, bumper cars, the county fair favorite, are now on ice in the Ocean State!
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#familyfriendly #winterfun #datenight #citycenter #rhodeisland #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 23
At first glance, a Harris’s Hawk looks heavy. With a body length of about 18 to 22 inches and a wingspan between 3 ½ and 4 feet, this is a large creature. But I found out, in a very hands-on way, that the raptor is actually quite light, weighing only about 1 ½ to 2 ½ pounds.
I discovered this fact when the hawk landed on my wrist as a part of The Falconry Experience at The Hotel Hershey in @thesweetestplaceonearth.
https://shha.re/rdeoL
Jan 23
The sight of dozens of cars going in circles at 200 miles per hour just inches apart from each other, the sound of the engines roaring, the smell of rubber, the feel of the wind passing by your face as the cars whiz by you … this is all part of an experience you will not forget at a National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing event (also known as @nascar).
https://shha.re/KpnVA
Jan 20
Owls Head Transportation Museum (@owlshead_transportation_museum) in Owls Head, Maine is a great place to get out of the cold and see the evolution of transportation through the years. This impressive collection includes examples of some of the first functional airplanes and automobiles alongside their modern counterparts!
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#museum #familyfriendly #rainydayfun #historymuseum #maine #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 18
Whether you are a local who wants a delicious meal or a tourist who worked up a huge appetite after a day taking in the Gettysburg National Battlefield, The Lodges at Gettysburg has the perfect dining spot to provide a great meal.
https://shha.re/CULui
Jan 18
The American Visionary Art Museum (@the_avam) in Baltimore, Maryland is an art museum with a unique twist. AVAM specifically highlights self-taught and intuitive artistry across all mediums! That doesn't mean that the art inside is low quality, on the contrary, the pieces are all the more breathtaking when you consider that most of the artists had little or no formal training!
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#artmuseum #familyfirendly #rainydayfun #americanart #baltimore #maryland #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 17
New York City looms large on the international arts scene, but visitors to the area don’t need to remain in the city to find thriving arts scenes. Serious art-lovers looking for visual and performing arts outside of the Big Apple will want to ensure these two Connecticut art powerhouses are on the itinerary.
https://shha.re/XDEhI
Jan 16
Nicknamed “The Family Beach” for good reason, Surfside Beach is very community oriented and tucked away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Myrtle Beach. Through the years it has remained a quiet, family-friendly, laid-back, wholesome beach town.
@rivercitycafesc
https://shha.re/lxEmr
Jan 13
Coca-Cola is one of those brands that has transcended to the level of becoming a national symbol. Their reach may be global, but their home is in Atlanta, Georgia. World of Coca-Cola (@worldofcocacola) is a museum, sales room, and nostalgia factory all rolled into one where lovers of the iconic beverage can come together to celebrate and learn the history of a true American classic!
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#cocacola #familyfriendly #nostalgia #iconic #atlanta #georgia #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 13
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (@vaaquarium) in Virginia Beach is the perfect place to spend an unexpected rainy day! The facility offers 800,000 gallons of aquatic exhibits, a nature trail, and an aviary spread across two buildings! While you're there be sure to engage with the friendly, knowledgeable staff peppered throughout the aquarium to really get the full experience!
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#aquarium #natureiscool #familyfriendly #rainydayactivitiy #virginia #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 12
Outsiders may see Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as an eternal place of mourning, filled with museums and an endless sea of fallen soldiers’ graves. Though you will still find some kitschy souvenir shops, historical names donning many a business and ghost tours aplenty, but today’s Gettysburg is less relic and more inspired.
@hollabaughbros, @eisenhower.nps, @masondixondistillery
https://shha.re/NRu5m
Jan 11
Its nickname is “the Yellowstone of the East.” With its awe-inspiring landscapes, abundant wildlife, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails, @shenandoahnps certainly lives up to that impressive title.
https://shha.re/TNkvQ
Jan 9
Planning a road trip to our favorite Southern New Jersey beaches for a week, our family decided to make the hours-long trip there even longer, and it was one of the best travel decisions we ever made.
https://shha.re/YF2qa
Jan 6
Instead of letting your kids play with tiny versions of construction equipment, why not let them operate real machinery?
@diggerlandusa gives kids the opportunity to get down and dirty with excavators, tractors, dump trucks, steer loaders and more. Based in West Berlin, N.J., the amusement park features more than 40 attractions designed to delight the young and the young at heart.
https://shha.re/bRpQm
Jan 4
Martin Guitars (@martinguitar) have been prized by some of the most celebrated recording artists of the modern era. Musicians like Bob Dylan, John Prine, and Willie Nelson all fell in love with the beautifully handcrafted instruments, but did you know that many of the company's famous models are still made in Nazareth, Pennsylvania? The factory is open for tours daily. While you're there be sure to also check out the Martin Museum to learn the history of the legendary luthier and the Pickin' Parlor to try the various models out for yourself!
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#handmade #americanclassic #madeinamerica #guitaristsofinstagram #pennsylvania #easternhomeandtravel
Jan 2
When visiting the small town of Luray, Va., you may be tempted to fill up your camera with images from the picturesque Shenandoah Valley; however, nature’s beauty can also be found in abundance underground. @luraycaverns
https://shha.re/BuDMj
Jan 2
After meandering through the ever-growing number of retail stores, restaurants and homes that line on Md. Route 26 in Frederick, folks may be surprised at the quiet farmland that awaits them just minutes away in the Town of Walkersville.
https://shha.re/j6GPL
Dec 30
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (@gardnermuseum) in Boston, Massachusetts is a break from the traditional museum experience. The exhibits are housed in a multi-story mansion modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palace, right in the heart of the city! The art itself is a rich collection spanning numerous mediums, continents, and styles. Opened to the public in 1903, the museum now serves as Isabella Gardner's legacy by giving visitors to her home a chance to enjoy the art she loved!
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#artmuseum #museum #bostonart #artforthepeople #boston #massachusetts #easternhomeandtravel
Dec 30
