Our tour sponsor spotlight for August is Crossroads of the American Revolution, in Trenton, New Jersey. Crossroads currently has two TravelStorys tours, with a third in production.

From the heights of the Palisades at Fort Lee to the shores of the Delaware River at Red Bank Battlefield, the 2,155-square-mile Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore the impact of the American Revolution. General George Washington spent more than one-quarter of his time as commander-in-chief in New Jersey, establishing dozens of headquarters here during the course of the war. In fact, New Jersey saw nearly 600 battles and skirmishes, which involved both soldier and citizen in a daily struggle to survive.

Crossroads is dedicated to connecting people to New Jersey’s rich Revolutionary heritage to inspire community pride, stewardship and civic engagement. It works with partners throughout the entire state to tell the Crossroads of the American Revolution story. Here’s what Laura Foley, program manager, says about her experience with TravelStorys:

Q: What is your favorite story on the tours and why? 

A: My favorite tour is the Washington Slept Here, tour as it was the first one that I worked on at Crossroads of the American Revolution. There’s a section of the tour entitled “The Threat of Smallpox,” which discusses how Continental soldiers were inoculated against the disease.

Q: Is there anything that surprises visitors about the tours?

A: The overall role that New Jersey played in the American Revolution surprises people. Our tours focus on New Jersey’s role in the Revolution, as well as the lives of the diverse population that lived here during the war.

Q: Where do the majority of your visitors come from?

A: New York, Philadelphia, and other areas in New Jersey. We do have plenty of out-of-state visitors as well.

Q: Please briefly describe your target audience for these tours.

A: Our tours are geared toward a wide audience. We’ve had both those familiar with New Jersey’s Revolutionary history and those unfamiliar with it take the tours and learn something new. We offer the tours in both English and Spanish in order to make the information more accessible. We want our visitors to see themselves reflected in the diverse population that inhabited New Jersey during the American Revolution.

Q: Why did you want to tell the stories on your tours?

A: We wanted to highlight New Jersey’s diverse and engaging Revolutionary history. We also highlighted how Washington spent a good portion of the war here in New Jersey on our Washington Slept Here audio tour.

Q: What is the most interesting comment you’ve received about the tours?

A: One of our visitors is a reenactor. She told us how much she enjoyed the tour and said she learned information that she did not know before taking it! Our tours have something for those familiar with New Jersey’s Revolutionary history as well as those who are not as familiar with it.

Q: How does telling your stories through the TravelStorys audio tour platform compare to other ways you've communicated with your audience in the past?

A: We are able to engage a wide audience. Listeners can drive the audio tour or listen to it at home. We love the accessibility of it.

Q: What part of the tour-building process do you enjoy most or find most interesting — and why?

A: I enjoy getting to work with the local sites to gather more stories that allow us to better highlight the uniqueness of their sites. We want our audience to not only take these tours but to go and explore the sites featured on the tours as well.

Ten Crucial Days

Step back in time and follow in the footsteps of General George Washington as he launches a series of actions that would turn the tide of the American Revolution.

Washington Slept Here

Follow General George Washington and the Continental Army’s march from Princeton to Morristown after the Ten Crucial Days campaign in 1777.

Explore all our tours (248 and counting!) at travelstorys.com.