• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Grace & Lightness Magazine

Inspiring Wonder. Traveling Better. Making Mental Health Cool.

  • Mood Recipes
  • Life Coaching
  • Anxiety Hacks
  • Travel Well
  • Cool Ideas

small town america

At This Charming Paw Paw Festival in Maryland, America’s “Secret Fruit” Shines

September 21, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

paw paw festival maryland

Momentum is growing behind a beautiful Paw Paw Festival that takes place at a 25-acre homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Frederick, Maryland– an event that’s fast becoming one of the DMV area’s best-kept secrets in the realm of local food. Organized by permaculturist and landscape designer Michael Judd of Ecologia […]

Filed Under: Cool Ideas, Travel Well Tagged With: nature, small town america, washington dc

The 6 Best Lobster Rolls in Kennebunkport, Maine

July 10, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

Searching for the “best” lobster roll in Kennebunkport, Maine, is sort of like searching for the “best” grain of sand on any of the beautiful local beaches: it’s hard to find one that’s better than the rest. This is because there are so many great options!   As we wrote in our Insider’s Guide to Kennebunkport, […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: Maine, restaurants, small town america

9 Cool Things to Do in Cumberland, Maine

July 10, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

Cumberland, Maine is a lovely little idyllic town in Southern Maine that’s known for its peaceful recreation areas and luxuriously slow summer living. It’s full of charmingly expansive farmland, lush wooded areas, and welcoming small town New England heritage that makes it a nice place to, quite frankly, simply wander around.    Having a car […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: Maine, nature, small town america

The 8 Best Breakfast & Brunch Spots in Alexandria, Virginia

July 5, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

The best breakfast + brunch spots in Alexandria, Virginia reflect the locavore foodie ethos of this charming historic city. Whether you’re looking for a fancy new age restaurant, a healthy option, or a traditional greasy spoon, Alexandria can provide it– especially if you know where to look. Fortunately, like all of our bespoke restaurant guides, […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: american cities, northern virginia, restaurants, small town america, virginia

A Gorgeous Place To Go Peach Picking in Northern Virginia

July 2, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

peach-picking-northern-virginia

Looking for a gorgeous place to go peach picking in Northern Virginia, or near DC? Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia is an ideal spot for a serene day trip, reminiscent at once of a scene from the orchards in Call My By Your Name, or a naturalistic Renaissance painting. It’s gorgeous!  When peach season […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: nature, northern virginia, small town america, virginia

10 Cool Things to Do in Keene, New Hampshire

June 14, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

Keene, New Hampshire is a quaint little college town in the rolling hills of Southern New Hampshire that makes a great low-key destination for a weekend away.  If you’re looking to experience historic small-town New England at an affordable and accessible pace, Keene is a great place to start. Because of its pastoral roots and […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: american cities, nature, small town america

The 7 Best Hikes in New Hampshire

June 2, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

mount major views

New Hampshire is a great place to hike with ample access to woods, water, and windswept summits. Below, we spotlight some of the best, most beautiful, most famous, and most accessible hikes in New Hampshire for visitors and Bucket List-oriented locals, alike. Each is special for a different reason, as each hike detailed below reflects […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: american cities, exercise, hiking, nature, small town america

At This Lovely Lavender Farm in Maryland, Guests Can Do Yoga, Commune With Bees, Pick Their Own Lavender, and Sometimes Nap

June 2, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

lavender farm maryland

Picking fresh lavender during the warmth of summer is a Bucket List experience for plant and nature lovers, one that conjures visions of tranquil frolicks in the French countryside and other Edenic pursuits.  For those living in the DMV area, however, Soleado Lavender Farm in Dickerson, Maryland offers a limited number of pick-your-own lavender events […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: nature, small town america, washington dc

The 5 Best Restaurants in East Hampton (& Nearby)

May 28, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

The best restaurants in East Hampton capture the ethereal loveliness of summertime along one of the East Coast’s most storied coasts. Whether you’re looking for decadent dining experiences (like tucking into the East Hampton Grill’s epic Oysters St. Charles) or rustic seed-to-table beach food (looking at you, Page), these five wonderful East Hampton restaurants demonstrate […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: New York City, restaurants, small town america

5 Beautiful Places to Go Strawberry Picking in Northern Virginia (2025 Edition)

May 1, 2025 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

strawberry picking northern virginia

When May and June roll around, it’s strawberry-picking time in Northern Virginia. This is a great Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day activity, depending on whether the season starts early or goes long. For two or three precious weeks in the early fruit season, picking strawberries in Northern Virginia becomes the region’s most lovely agricultural activity– […]

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: nature, northern virginia, small town america, virginia

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Sign up for the G&L Newsletter!

  • Understanding Ho’oponopono: A Beautiful Hawaiian Teaching About Forgiveness
  • Ted Lasso’s Biscuit Recipe (The Real Recipe from The Show)
  • The 15 Best Restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina (& What To See While You’re There)
  • 9 Free Guided Meditation Videos for Stress
  • The 6 Best Free Meditation Apps of 2026
  • Yes, You Can Eat Magnolia Flowers— and They’re Having a Renaissance Right Now
  • The 15 Best Restaurants in Charlottesville, Virginia (+ Other Locavore Gems)
  • The 9 Best Restaurants in Amelia Island, Florida (+ The Best Coffee, Sweets & More!)
  • The 10 Best Cruelty-Free, Non-Toxic Nail Polish Brands of 2026
  • The 9 Best Bagels in NYC (Most Famous & Iconic Places)

Search The Archive

Footer

Pages

  • About This Magazine
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Copyright © 2026 Grace & Lightness Magazine