Day 15 & 16: Salisbury, MD
We enjoyed a couple days in Salisbury/Fruitland, MD where we lived for eight years. It was nice to visit and already see changes in the last year. Since we had only a short amount of time, we spent most of it seeing family and friends in the area. My parents and children did take a walk through the city park and FREE Salisbury Zoo. Our 7 1/2 year old daughter agreed to be the photographer in my absence.
The Salisbury Zoo is a small zoo, but that makes it very manageable. When we lived nearby we would visit on an almost weekly basis during much of the year. We were able to learn the names of almost all the animals and because it is free they do need support from memberships and donations. The memberships are very affordable, a great way to support the zoo and give you access to the zoo reciprocal program. One of the zoos in the program is The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. A family membership at the Salisbury Zoo is $45 for 2 adults and 2 children. Admission to The Maryland Zoo would be $56 for a family of four. Just that one visit would mean a savings of $11 and there are many other zoos in the program.
They have an exceptional story time done by volunteer docents at the Salisbury Zoo. It is for preschool children, but my older children loved it as well. They teach about an animal each week and use songs, books, facts, and a craft to teach the children and parents about the animal. Sometimes they bring in an animal for the children to see. It can get crowded, particularly in the summer, so you want to get there early to get a spot before it fills up.
One of the benefits of living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland was all of the destinations within 2-3 hours of where we lived. We didn't have a chance to go anywhere this time, but I thought I would include some links to destinations in the area.
Day Trips from Salisbury:
Dover, DE- There are some museums, with free or low admission costs, as well as Dover Air Force Base with a museum full of planes and displays. It is also the capital of DE and the original capitol building is one of the oldest in the United States.
Herr's Factory- We never got a chance to take the free tour, but I hope to someday.
Philadelphia, PA- There are free historical destinations like The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall as well as top-notch museums, some of which are free in reciprocal programs. You also have professional sports teams there.
Lancaster, PA- Amish country has museums, buggy rides, Amish tours, a large railroad museum and train rides. Dutch Wonderland is a great amusement park for younger children. Sight and Sound does amazing Biblical theater productions.
Baltimore, MD- There are museums, the Inner Harbor with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Fort McHenry, birthplace of The Star Spangled Banner. There are also professional sports teams.
Annapolis, MD- It is the capital of Maryland with the original capitol building open for free tours. The Naval Academy has a wonderful, free museum and the grounds are large and enjoyable to walk around.
Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Hampton/Portsmouth, VA- This area is full of things to see and do. They have a great aquarium, the USS Wisconsin, Virginia Living Museum and NASA's Air and Space Museum.
Mount Vernon- The home of George Washington is a great place to visit for all ages. We purchased a year long membership a few years ago and enjoyed three visits there over the year. We could not see everything and stop to enjoy it in one day. The membership cost only slightly more than a one-day pass and included admission to the distillery and gristmill which is down the road. They do have a homeschool day with reduced prices in November.
Wilmington, DE- There are museums and the DuPont estate, Winterthur.
Richmond, VA- The capitol of Virginia is free to tour and has statues and busts of many famous Virginians. There is also a children's museum and a nice science museum.
Fort Frederick, MD- One of the few remaining forts from the French and Indian War in the eastern U.S. It is our oldest daughters favorite fort. There is also a small, but entertaining children's museum in a former bank building in Hagerstown.
Overnight trips from Salisbury:
Colonial Williamsburg
Jamestown/Yorktown
New York City
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| Flamingos get their beautiful pink color from eating shellfish. |
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| One of the Llamas resting on a hot day. |
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| Jaguars are one of my personal favorites and my daughter got both of them in one photo even though they were pacing the enclosure. |
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| There are many geese that live in the zoo and park in Salisbury. |
They have an exceptional story time done by volunteer docents at the Salisbury Zoo. It is for preschool children, but my older children loved it as well. They teach about an animal each week and use songs, books, facts, and a craft to teach the children and parents about the animal. Sometimes they bring in an animal for the children to see. It can get crowded, particularly in the summer, so you want to get there early to get a spot before it fills up.
One of the benefits of living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland was all of the destinations within 2-3 hours of where we lived. We didn't have a chance to go anywhere this time, but I thought I would include some links to destinations in the area.
Day Trips from Salisbury:
Dover, DE- There are some museums, with free or low admission costs, as well as Dover Air Force Base with a museum full of planes and displays. It is also the capital of DE and the original capitol building is one of the oldest in the United States.
Herr's Factory- We never got a chance to take the free tour, but I hope to someday.
Philadelphia, PA- There are free historical destinations like The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall as well as top-notch museums, some of which are free in reciprocal programs. You also have professional sports teams there.
Lancaster, PA- Amish country has museums, buggy rides, Amish tours, a large railroad museum and train rides. Dutch Wonderland is a great amusement park for younger children. Sight and Sound does amazing Biblical theater productions.
Baltimore, MD- There are museums, the Inner Harbor with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Fort McHenry, birthplace of The Star Spangled Banner. There are also professional sports teams.
Annapolis, MD- It is the capital of Maryland with the original capitol building open for free tours. The Naval Academy has a wonderful, free museum and the grounds are large and enjoyable to walk around.
Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Hampton/Portsmouth, VA- This area is full of things to see and do. They have a great aquarium, the USS Wisconsin, Virginia Living Museum and NASA's Air and Space Museum.
Mount Vernon- The home of George Washington is a great place to visit for all ages. We purchased a year long membership a few years ago and enjoyed three visits there over the year. We could not see everything and stop to enjoy it in one day. The membership cost only slightly more than a one-day pass and included admission to the distillery and gristmill which is down the road. They do have a homeschool day with reduced prices in November.
Wilmington, DE- There are museums and the DuPont estate, Winterthur.
Richmond, VA- The capitol of Virginia is free to tour and has statues and busts of many famous Virginians. There is also a children's museum and a nice science museum.
Fort Frederick, MD- One of the few remaining forts from the French and Indian War in the eastern U.S. It is our oldest daughters favorite fort. There is also a small, but entertaining children's museum in a former bank building in Hagerstown.
Overnight trips from Salisbury:
Colonial Williamsburg
Jamestown/Yorktown
New York City
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