A fall East Coast road trip — DC monuments, Ivy campuses, lighthouses & the Falls
Our fall adventure was a drive straight through America's first chapters — and a rolling classroom for Mattie. Twelve days, one campervan, and Ziggy riding shotgun: from the National Mall to the Freedom Trail to the edge of Niagara Falls.
Our Itinerary!
Stop 1: Washington, DC (Monuments & Museums)
We kicked off the trip in the capital, doing DC the way it deserves: on foot.
DC Main Itinerary:
Museum of the Bible & the International Spy Museum — Two only-in-DC stops. The Spy Museum was a hit with everyone; the Museum of the Bible's scale surprised us.
The National Mall, on foot — Walked the Mall end to end: the Lincoln Memorial at one end, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial's quiet wall of names at the other. Some places you just have to stand in.
Georgetown & Clyde's — Wandered Georgetown's streets, had dinner at Clyde's, and met up with friends. The best travel days end around a table.
Annapolis day trip — Drove out to Annapolis for crabs. When in Maryland.
Stop 2: Philadelphia (Oct 5 — The Birthplace)
From DC we rolled north to where the country started.
Philly Main Itinerary:
Morning: Started at the Independence Visitor Center, then hopped on a hop-on-hop-off tour to cover the historic district the easy way.
Afternoon: Reading Terminal Market — sensory overload in the best way. Worth the trip alone.
Lunch: A proper steak sandwich at Sonny's. Non-negotiable in Philly.
Camping in the parking lot at Bass Pro Shop for the night!
Stop 3: New Haven & Yale (Oct 6–7 — The Cathedral of Books)
Next stop: an amazing school. Mattie got a campus tour and a school day she'll never forget.
Yale Main Itinerary:
Oct 7, 10:30am: Guided campus tour, including the Sterling Memorial Library — designed to look like a cathedral, and it earns it.
Beinecke Rare Book Library: Saw the Gutenberg Bible. Only about 50 left in the world — he printed around 180 in three years in the 1450s. Before that, scribes copied bibles by hand. Standing in front of one reframes what "printing" meant.
Worldschooling Mattie: She took her online class right from Yale's campus. Try topping that school day.
The inside of the archive library! The walls are huge blocks of marble held together by granite so light does not get inside to preserve the books.
MJ taking a class at YALE (in the van).
Yale sculpture
I guess you have to rub the foot of this sculpture before any game or test. It’s proven and tested that it works.
Theodore Dwight Woolsey
Stop 4: Boston (Oct 8 — The Freedom Trail)
A bit of Boston! This city has been on our list for a long time. We finally made it.
Boston Main Itinerary:
Morning: Rode the Green Line in, then walked the Freedom Trail — a blast straight into our country's early history.
Afternoon: The North End for cannoli. Obviously.
Love Boston!
Stop 5: Harvard Yard (Oct 9 — The Morning Stop)
Quick morning stop at Harvard Yard — and more cannoli!
Harvard Main Itinerary:
Morning: Walked Harvard Yard, then Mattie took her class from campus — two Ivy campuses as classrooms in one week.
Afternoon: Back to the North End. When the cannoli is that good, you go twice.
Stop 6: The Maine Coast (Oct 10–11 — Fall Colors)
Finally made it to Maine in the fall! The colors are popping and so is the amazing food.
Maine Main Itinerary:
Oct 10: Portland Head Light — The classic lighthouse shot, then the Marginal Way cliff walk in Ogunquit. Dinner at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland.
Oct 11: Nubble Light & Kennebunkport — Nubble Light in the morning, then a stop at a little gem — the Bush family favorite at Walker's Point. Finished at a great little museum in the area; beautiful spot, deep history.
Ziggy's moment: "Ziggy in his own element!" — the coast agrees with him.
Some oysters in Portland MN
Amazing day here by the lighthouse!
Beautiful sunset in Kennebunkport MN
Stop 7: Niagara Falls (Oct 12 — The Grand Finale)
We saved the loudest stop for last.
Niagara Main Itinerary:
Maid of the Mist — Into the spray at the base of the Falls. Ponchos are not a suggestion.
Cave of the Winds — Down into the gorge, close enough to feel it.
The Canadian side: Crossed the border for about an hour to catch the full panoramic view — passports, Mattie's birth certificate, and Ziggy's rabies papers in hand. Worth it.
We rolled into Canada at night and wanted to see the falls. Spent around 3 hours here and crossed back into USA.
