Top 15 Homes Visited In My Travels

For the avid traveler, our home is the springboard from which we satisfy our wanderlust. There’s really no better way to understand a destination than to see how the locals live. And sometimes, this is achieved by visiting their residences. It doesn’t matter if these locals are famous or even royal. They can be just everyday folk like you and me. The homes may be opulent and royal, others may be modest at best. But no matter who lived there or how grand the residence may be, these homes provide a window into the history, people and culture of our chosen destination. And for me, discovering and exploring homes have been a highlight of many of my destinations. So come with me as I explore the Top 15 Homes Visited In My Travels.

Let’s begin with some “presidential homes” starting with…

THE WHITE HOUSE

Every President of the United States since George Washington along with their families call the White House their home. And for Americans, this is the “people’s house.” It symbolically belongs to each and every American.

My family has visited Washington D.C. multiple times (that post is for another day). On most visits, my family viewed this beautiful structure only from the outside. Luckily, on our last visit — pre pandemic– my family got tickets to tour the inside of the White House. Although public tours are typically available and free of charge, you need to schedule your visit and obtain tickets through your congressional representative. No walk ins allowed. And take note. As of October 2021, tours are suspended due to Covid restrictions. But keep checking their site for updates: https://whitehouse.gov1.info/visit/tour.html

Interested in fun White House facts? Let’s start with its size.

• The White House is huge and has lots of rooms and floors! Here’s the count–132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 7 staircases, and 3 elevators. Pretty amazing!
• The site was selected by and designed by the first president George Washington in 1791. Why is it “white?” Well, his design called for a lime-based whitewash because it would protect the exterior stone from moisture and cracking during winter freezes. Pretty smart man!
• All the windows are bulletproof and,
• The White House is the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge. 

Now, let’s head about 15 miles South to…

MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA

the former plantation estate and burial location of the first President, George Washington.The remains of his wife, Martha Dandridge Custis, as well as 25 other family members, are also entombed there. The property is quite expansive with beautiful views overlooking the Potomac River.

In our visit, we learned a lot about this man. For example, Mount Vernon was more to Washington than just a home. It became a highly profitable business. An innovative farmer, Washington experimented with different crops, tools, livestock breeding and more.

In 1858, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association bought the estate from George Washington’s great-grand nephew. For the last 150 years, the organization has worked tirelessly to restore and maintain the all its buildings and grounds.

FUN FACTS: Did you know that Thomas Edison installed electricity at Mount Vernon in 1916? And Henry Ford donated a custom made fire truck, creating the Mount Vernon Fire Department? Very interesting!

Now, let’s head up North to visit two more presidential homes starting with…

SAGAMORE HILL, NEW YORK

which was the home of the 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt. He and his family lived here from 1885 until his death in 1919. 

Located in Oyster Bay, Long Island, visitors can walk the grounds, tour his home and explore nature trails.

To read more about my visit to this historic site, click here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=5180

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About 2 hours North, visitors can immerse themselves in Teddy’s Roosevelt’s cousin’s home in…

HYDE PARK , NEW YORK

Springwood is the birthplace, lifelong home, and burial place of the 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1945.

Visitors can tour Roosevelt’s estate, Springwood, his wife Eleanor’s home, Val Kill Stone Cottage, the FDR Museum and the first Presidential Library of the United States.

Now let’s change course in more than just direction. Heading South, the next group of homes are of those individuals who made an impact on history, music, literature and technology starting with…

MARTIN LUTHER KING NATIONAL PARK

Visitors can only tour the interior of the home with one of the popular and free ranger led tours. These tours are limited to 15 people and are filled on a first come first served basis on the day of the tour. No advance booking is required. Of course, always check their website for current schedules and closures.

Heading down to Florida, our next stop is the…

HEMINGWAY HOUSE

the residence of one of America’s most famous writers, Ernest Hemingway. Situated on the island of Key West in Florida, its formal address is 907 Whitehead Street, across from the Key West Lighthouse. This residence was Hemingway’s home for eight years between 1931 and 1939. And although he didn’t live here after 1939, he kept the house.

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My husband and I visited this home when our daughter was a toddler. After touring the interior of the home, we encountered several of the resident cats that roam the grounds. Some of these felines even decided to take a nap in our daughter’s stroller parked outside the home!

But did you know that these feline residents have quite a distinguished lineage? Supposedly, Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snow White. Meow!

Next stop is also in Florida.

FORD & EDISON ESTATES

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located in Fort Meyers, Florida are the winter homes of two of America’s most famous inventors, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Situated on 21 acres of gardens, the grounds also contain a historical museum. A must see when in the Southern Florida area.

Now, I hear music so let’s head over to Memphis, Tennessee to visit..

GRACELAND

the home of the King of Rock N’ Roll– Elvis Presley.

I have to say I was bit surprised by Graceland’s size and location. Don’t get me wrong here. His home is large. But compared to the mansions owned by celebrities nowadays, it seemed modest, although gaudy. Also, the home is set back from a very busy road. I assume that it was much quieter when he lived here in the 1970’s.

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Some interesting facts about Graceland include:

• It’s the second most visited house in the U.S. after the White House
• It’s the most visited privately owned home in the U.S.
• It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006, the first for this type of site.
• It was listed as on National Register of Historic Places in 1991, the first rock and roll site to get this distinguished honor.

Now it’s off across the pond to visit some “royal homes” starting with …

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

which needs no introduction. Home to the Queen of England, millions of visitors come here to view this renowned palace and watch the changing of the guard.

When I first visited the palace in the early 1980’s, tourists were only allowed to view it from the outside. Starting in 1993, the palace was opened up to the public for tours in the summer months only.

Now let’s cross the English Channel to France and visit the…

THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES

Compared to what I viewed as the drabness of Buckingham Palace, this is what I always imagined a palace would really look like –over the top opulence, grand and ornate decorations and exquisite gardens. Buckingham Palace seemed so drab..from the outside anyway.

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Now, it’s off to Italy to visit...

THE VATICAN CITY

home to the Pope, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and home to a trove of iconic art and architecture. Surrounded by Rome, Italy, this city-state was founded in 1929. This massive complex is over 109 acres.

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Visiting the Vatican Museums that house ancient Roman sculptures, including the the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling is quite awe inspiring.

Now we head North to Venice, Italy to visit the..

DOGES PALACE

This was used as the residence of the Doge, the Venetian magistrate, for centuries as well as the seat of government.

The Bridge of Sighs was built to connect the old prison in the Doges Palace with the new prison across the river. Supposedly, prisoners would sigh as they passed the view for the last time before they were locked up!

Now let’s visit the homes of some “ordinary folk,” starting with…

ANNE HATHAWAY”S THATCHED COTTAGE

Home of Shakespeare’s wife, this cottage, nestled in beautiful gardens, is located about a mile outside Stratford -upon-Avon. Visitors can view several notable items including the “Hathaway Bed, the “Shakespeare Courting Chair” where he supposedly wooed Anne and the “Courting Settee.”

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Thirteen generations of Hathaways have lived here and it was a working farm until sometime in the 19th century. In 1892, the cottage was acquired by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Heading back across the pond to the America , we visit …

THE BIRTHPLACE OF JULIETTE LOW

the home of the lady who started the Girl Scouts. Located in the heart of downtown Savannah, the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace has been a gathering place for girls for more than 100 years.

Last on my list but certainly no less important than any of the other homes described in this post is…

MEMPHIS SLIM’S HOME

Located in Memphis Tennessee, my family noticed this dilapidated home when visiting the STAX museum located nearby. My husband, a huge blues and jazz fan, knew right away who owned the home.

Memphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer whose impact on this music genre is quite notable. In 1989, he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

After a tree fell through the front of the home, we learned that funds were raised for a $365,000 renovation on the house. The house was ultimately rebuilt on the bones of the house that was the meeting place of Memphis Slim and his friends.

It reopened in 2014 becoming a music “collaboratory” (collaboration + laboratory) — a community center focusing on music rather than after-school sports. Here, members of the art and music worlds can gather and create.

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No matter where we live or where we travel, we are all connected to our home. After all,

Home is certainly where the heart and is the centerpiece of any culture.