Detroit to Elizabeth City Road Trip Guide

When you’re on a road trip with the little ones in tow, you simply do not miss out on a chance to visit the zoo. The Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio, is home to more than 9,000 animals, belonging to more than 750 species. The wildlife is so far-ranging, that in the span of a few hours, you’ll meet animals from the Arctic Tundra and then all the way from Africa to the wildlife of the tropical rainforest.

This trip is also educational as there are many animal enrichment programs that will teach you about what it takes to care for these animals and their needs. In fact, you might even get a chance to see some of these animals being fed. The zoo is also very proactive in its conservation of endangered species. The zoo receives a million visitors annually and also offers a fun Aerial Adventure Course with a sky bridge, a zip line, and a challenge course.

Cleveland, Ohio, has won all the luck when it comes to brag-worthy metro park systems. As if that wasn’t enough, the citizens also ended up with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park situated between Cleveland and Akron. Enviable as all that massive green stretch of a public place is, no one is complaining. In fact, visitors from near and far make a trip to see this park. The park sweeps over 33,000 acres of land and includes an abundance of woods, wildlife, and water.

One of the highlights of the National Park is the over 80-mile long multiuse Towpath Trail which is frequented by joggers and cyclists. Who, after all, wouldn’t want to avoid the traffic and start their day with the gorgeous view of the Cuyahoga River, the adjoining forest, and Ohio and Erie Canals? Another 2.2-mile trail within the park will take you around the Virginia Kendall Ledges and to the landscape dotted with caves, huge limestone boulders, and moss-covered cliffs.

Have you ever met someone so passionate that they’ll unlock their home doors and invite you to stop by any time of the day, seven days a week so you can treat your eyes with their impressive art? And not just regular art, but art that turned a dull neighborhood corner into a psychedelic dream. Well, the artist, Randy Gilson from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, did just that.

The local artist bought his North Side house he calls Randyland, in 1995 and expanded his curb art from there until it reached the entire neighborhood and just couldn’t be ignored. Without anyone else’s help, Gilson worked on the art in his house and then moved out on the neighborhood of the Mexican War Streets and redecorated it into something colorful, bright, vivid, and an amazing spectacle. As you’ll approach the street, you’ll be able to spot the giant banana plants, huge pink flamingos, and the colorful walls from far away.

American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia, is made of three parts. The first part is, of course, the Civil War museum, the second part is the Museum of the Confederacy, and the third one is the White House of the Confederacy, which was most popularly known for being the official residence of the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis during the Civil War era.

The museum spans three floors and exhibits memorabilia from the Civil War, and tells stories of the people who lived through this time in history and the experiences they had. Richmond itself played a significant role during that time and you’ll be able to learn more about it during your visit to the enlightening and interactive museum. This is a must-stop for all the history aficionado and anyone who wants to know about the Civil War. It’s also a great place to introduce this chapter in history to the kids.

General Douglas MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA, pays homage to the US general and Chief of Staff of the US Army General Douglas MacArthur. The general served in some of the most important wars in the history of the US including World War I, World War II, the Occupation of Japan and the Korean War. The memorial itself can be found in the grand old courthouse building and can be accessed through the large visitor center that has a gift shop and numerous displays, including the staff car of MacArthur.

In the memorial building, you can get close to the tomb of General MacArthur and his wife. The galleries surrounding the memorial include the life and events in MacArthur’s life in chronological order. The museum also honors the comrades of the General who fought alongside him during these wars and events in his life.