The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and if you don’t already have plans for a backyard bash or barbecue, I propose something a little different this year: A field trip.

One of the ultimate American experiences, in my book, is a trip to Ellis Island. Since the new and improved park reopened a few years ago, it has become an educational, emotional roller-coaster ride that simply cannot be beat. And now that the passenger manifests have been computerized, you’ll have the chance to discover first-hand whether or not your ancestors were among the 12 million hopeful immigrants who passed through these historical portals and into the United States in search of a better life. (There’s a very good chance they did, by the way, since their descendants currently account for almost half our country’s entire population!)

Can’t make it there in person? Thanks to years of painstaking genealogical research and data entry, visitors to the Ellis Island Website can now access virtually all of the immigrant information online – and much of it for free – by simply filling in a few fields.

Happy searching, Mamas, and happy Fourth!

XOXO

Eliza

P.S. Only our dear Allie could find a way to make practicing sun safety so sexy...