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Home / Destinations / USA / Mid Atlantic

Mid Atlantic

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Taughannock Falls State park

The Northeast Destination Built Around Lakes, Waterfalls, and Gorges

Rolling vineyards, sparkling lakes, and picturesque small towns make this one of the most scenic regions in the northeastern United States.

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Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

This Might Just Be America’s Closest Thing to a Real European Mountain Town

Tucked between steep forested ridges and the Lehigh River, there’s a small borough that feels like it wandered out of the 1800s and just never left.

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Best Cities in New York

Best Cities to Live in New York: A Quick Guide

When people think of New York, minds often jump straight to the spellbinding high rises of Manhattan.

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Downtown Gettysburg

Visit The Civil War’s Most Famous Town

Best known for one of the most pivotal moments in American history, this small town draws visitors with its preserved battlefields, historic landmarks, and powerful sense of heritage.

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Best Cities in New Jersey to Live and Visit

Best Cities to Live in New Jersey: A Quick Guide

While New Jersey, unfortunately, has a bit of a bad reputation, there are still many cities in the Garden State that are lovely to live in and visit.

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John Dickinson Plantation

This Historic Capital Is One of America’s Oldest — and It’s Full of Colonial Charm and Coastal Access

Rich in history and filled with cultural attractions, this compact capital city offers a surprising variety of experiences.

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Annapolis, Maryland

One of America’s Most Historic Cities Still Feels Surprisingly Authentic

Founded in the mid-17th century, this historic waterfront city went on to play a remarkable role in shaping the story of the United States.

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10 Best Places to Visit in New York State

New York is a large and diverse state, but many visitors only visit the Big Apple. While New York City is undoubtedly exciting, there is far more than the state has to offer.

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Things to do in Niagara Falls, NY

16 Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss in Niagara Falls

Renowned around the world, Niagara Falls is without doubt one of the States’ most stunning natural sights with millions visiting each year.

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Ocean City Boardwalk

The Shore Town Where Summer Still Revolves Around Families, Not Nightlife

Wide sandy beaches, a classic boardwalk, and a relaxed seaside atmosphere have made this one of the Jersey Shore’s most beloved family destinations for generations.

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Bushkill Falls

Discover the Majestic Waterfalls and Hidden Gems of Pennsylvania’s Niagara

Known as the “Niagara of Pennsylvania”, this scenic natural attraction is every outdoor lover’s dream.

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Best Things to Do in Buffalo, NY

12 Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss in Buffalo

Set at the eastern end of a vast Great Lake, this resilient city has quietly reinvented itself as an appealing place to both live and visit.

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George Peabody Library Baltimore Visitor Guide Most visitors don't expect to find one of the most striking interiors in America tucked behind a row of white columns in a quiet Baltimore neighborhood. You walk through the doors of the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, turn a corner, and suddenly you're standing beneath a skylit atrium that climbs six stories above a polished marble floor. It stops you cold. The George Peabody Library Baltimore is that kind of place. It doesn't announce itself from the street. There's no flashy signage, no grand plaza. But step inside the stack room and you'll see why people call it a "cathedral of books." Over 300,000 volumes line the walls, and the space itself feels like something pulled from a 19th-century novel you half-remember reading. Johns Hopkins University runs the place as part of its Sheridan Libraries system. This isn’t a museum replica—it’s a working research collection. You can visit for free during public hours, which makes it one of the easiest cultural stops in Baltimore. Whether you’re chasing that perfect symmetrical shot up through the iron balconies or just want a quiet ten minutes surrounded by something genuinely beautiful, the library delivers without asking much of your time or your wallet. Cast-Iron Balconies And The Soaring Atrium The first thing that hits you is the scale. Five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies rise from the ground floor and climb 61 feet to a massive skylight that floods the room with natural light. The effect is vertical and dramatic, like standing inside a very elegant cage made of books and ironwork. Each balcony tier is lined with gold-and-black volumes shelved behind low railings, and the repeating geometric patterns of the iron railings create a visual rhythm that photographers obsess over. Point your camera straight up from the center of the floor and you'll get that iconic symmetrical shot that's all over travel feeds. The image almost looks digitally generated, but it's real, and it's been here since 1878. The marble floor adds to the atmosphere. Sound carries differently in here. Footsteps echo softly, and conversations drop to whispers without anyone being told. The reading room on the ground level sits just off the main atrium, offering a quieter space with wooden tables and the kind of warm, worn-in feeling that modern libraries rarely manage. The light keeps the space from feeling like a museum. On a clear afternoon, sunlight pours through the skylight and shifts across the iron railings and book spines, changing the room's character every hour. You could visit twice in the same day and walk away with completely different impressions. A Quick History Of The Landmark George Peabody, a financier who got his start in Baltimore before heading off to London, founded the Peabody Institute in 1857. He wanted to give something meaningful back to the city that launched his career—a free public library, a lecture series, a music conservatory, and an art gallery. The library building itself took its sweet time, finally opening up in 1878. Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind teamed up with Nathaniel H. Morison, the institute's first provost, to design the interior. Lind focused on that dramatic stack room—he wanted it to feel grand enough to match Peabody's vision but still practical for researchers. Local craftsmen made the decorative cast-iron balconies, and people immediately noticed the design. It stood out as one of the most distinctive library interiors on the East Coast. The collection changed hands a few times. In 1966, the City of Baltimore took over and ran things through the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Then, in 1982, Johns Hopkins University stepped in, and the library became part of the Sheridan Libraries system. These days, the focus is on 18th- and 19th-century works—architecture, religion, science, geography, literature—with gems from folks like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman. George Peabody Library Baltimore

One of America’s Most Beautiful Interiors Is Hidden in Baltimore

Most visitors don’t expect to find one of the most striking interiors in America tucked behind a row of white columns in a quiet Baltimore neighborhood.

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Ricketts Glen State Park

If You Like Waterfalls, This Is the One East Coast Park You Shouldn’t Skip

In the calming mountains of Pennsylvania sits Ricketts Glen State Park, a scenic region only a short drive from my home state of Maryland.

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Cape May

Tucked Away on the Atlantic Coast Is a Town That Feels Almost Too Pretty to Be Real

Known as the nation’s oldest seaside resort, this charming coastal destination has been welcoming holidaymakers for nearly two centuries.

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