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One of the coolest surprises from our recent Red, White, & Roadschooling trip happened before we ever set foot in Valley Forge.
For those new around here, Red, White, & Roadschooling is what we call our American history-focused road trips. The goal is simple: get out from behind the desk, hit the road, and teach history where it actually happened.
This year’s journey took us from Branson to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Washington DC, Mount Vernon, Valley Forge, Philadelphia, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Boston, Plymouth, and beyond.
We already knew we had ancestors who served during the Revolutionary War.
That wasn’t the surprise.
The surprise was discovering that some of them had actually been stationed at Valley Forge with George Washington.
That changed the entire experience.
Not because it suddenly became emotional or dramatic. It simply gave us a mission.
Instead of wandering around reading signs, we were hunting for pieces of our family’s story.
If you’re planning your own Red, White, & Roadschooling adventure, here’s my advice:
Do your homework before you go.
Start With Your Family History
You don’t need a complete family tree.
You don’t need to spend six months becoming a genealogy expert.
Just spend a little time digging.
Search family names through Ancestry, FamilySearch, Fold3, DAR records, SAR records, military records, old census records, whatever resources you have available.
You might discover Revolutionary War soldiers, Civil War veterans, immigrant ancestors, colonial settlers, or connections to specific regiments and locations.
You may discover absolutely nothing.
That’s fine too.
The goal isn’t finding someone famous.
The goal is giving your kids a personal connection to the places they’re about to visit.
Kids remember stories.
Especially stories that involve people they’re related to.
Prepare Before You Arrive
Before we ever started our Red, White, & Roadschooling trip, we spent time learning about George Washington.
One of the resources we used was Presidents For Kids.
The books are written specifically for kids and helped lay the groundwork before we arrived at places like Mount Vernon, Valley Forge, and Philadelphia.
By the time we walked through Washington’s home, visited Valley Forge, and stood where history happened, our boys already knew the major players and events.
Instead of introducing the material, we were building on it.
If you’re planning an America 250 trip or your own American history roadschooling adventure, you can check out Presidents For Kids here:
👉 https://presidentsforkids.sjv.io/k496rn
We Moved Curriculum Around To Match The Trip
One of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is flexibility.
Nobody is standing over your shoulder insisting Chapter 7 must happen before Chapter 8.
Before leaving, we looked ahead through our boys’ BJU Press Heritage Studies and Handwriting curriculum and intentionally rearranged some assignments to line up with where we would be traveling.
George Washington lessons came before Mount Vernon.
Revolutionary War lessons came before Valley Forge.
Founding Father assignments came before Philadelphia.
And lessons that were about or referenced famous people or a specific state happened before we arrived in that location or on day where we were traveling through that location.
The result was simple.
The places felt familiar before we arrived… or they got a front row view by looking out the window.
The lessons stuck because the kids had context.
How We Planned Our Red, White, & Roadschooling Route
A lot of people have asked how we planned a coast-to-coast RV trip that included so many historical sites.
The answer is RV Life Trip Wizard.
We used it to build our route, estimate drive times, locate fuel stops, compare campgrounds, and organize our travel schedule before leaving Arizona.
When you’re traveling with kids in a 45-foot motorhome, having a plan beats making it up as you go. Disclaimer: We *did* wing our trip on the way back. (Oops!) But, we literally spent months planning the trip from our starting point to our last important destination. When we were finally ready to head home, we pulled up Trip Wizard and drove like crazy to get home in just a couple days.
You can check out RV Life Trip Wizard with a 7 Day Free Trial here:
👉 https://tripwizard.rvlife.com/#6968379601399
Want Our Red, White, & Roadschooling Itinerary?
We’ve had quite a few families ask for our complete route.
We’re putting together a downloadable version of our Red, White, & Roadschooling itinerary that includes:
- Campgrounds and RV resorts.
- Historical sites and museums.
- Drive-day recommendations.
- Suggested family stops.
- Roadschooling highlights.
If you’d like a copy when it’s ready, fill out the form below and we’ll send it over.
Request Our Itinerary By Clicking The Button Below
Final Thought
You don’t need Pinterest-perfect lesson plans.
You don’t need matching notebooks.
You need a plan.
You need curiosity.
And you need opportunities to connect what your kids are learning to places they can physically experience.
That’s what Red, White, & Roadschooling is all about.
And Valley Forge is one heck of a place to start.
(Just do your homework before you go.)
You never know whose footprints your family might already be following.
Copper State Homeschoolers & Roadschoolers 