We’ve been studying the American Revolution in our homeschooling this year. But despite living in a cultural mecca during normal years, we’ve found ourselves instead living in a cultural desert thanks to COVID-19-related lockdowns.

We usually live in the perfect place for homeschooling: right outside of Washington, D.C., the home of some of the best museums in the country. But as we have tried to plan new field trips, we keep running into the same situation: In politically left-leaning areas such as Philadelphia, Boston, and to some extent, New York City, almost all of the attractions we’d like to have visited are closed. It’s the rural areas that now provide the best opportunity for exploring new museums, arts, and music.