August Travels

As the summertime winds down and everyone prepares to go back to school, that doesn't mean that should be the end of traveling. This is a great opportunity to incorporate learning into your family travel. But as your family gets back into the swing of things, you may feel like that there isn' t time to go anywhere. Turn to the Internet to take a virtual tour of places.

August is National Parks Month. National Parks are comprised of 378 sites that cover 80.7 million acres of land. This number includes parks, monuments, preserves, historic sites, memorials, battlefields, cemeteries, recreation areas, seashores, lakeshores, rivers, parkways, trails, and other related areas.

August 7th celebrates National Lighthouse Day. Did you know that the first lighthouse in the United States was built in Boston, Maine in 1716? Cape Hatteras, North Carolina is home to the tallest lighthouse that stands 191 feet. Have your family take a virtual photographic tour of lighthouses in the United States and around the world. Using a map or a globe, find where various lighthouses are located.

Celebrate Archeology Day on August 17th by visiting a museum to learn about archeology or by simply visiting some sites on the Internet. Learn about  early man or visit the Middle East and Northern Africa on an archeological adventure, while never leaving home. Another site children will enjoy is Underwater Archaeology in Wisconsin. With over 10,000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes, children have a virtual opportunity to explore what archeologists have uncovered.

Take time out of everyone's busy schedule and instead of getting in your car, use the Internet to travel to places that might take days to reach. Learn about something new as a family and you just may get some ideas of where to take your next weekend excursion or family trip.