Family history has a place in the world.

I know what it's like to have one clue and a lot of questions.

You might have a name. Maybe a county, or a story someone told at a family dinner. And you want to know where it actually leads.

I've been there. I still am.

I got into family history as a teenager, when my dad started researching our family. We did it together. We lived in Northern Virginia then, so we'd go to the National Archives and the local FamilySearch center and scroll through records on microfilm, one reel at a time.

The tools have gotten a lot better since then. The questions haven't changed. Who were they? Where did they live? Could I stand there?

Right now my toughest case is on my mom's side. A James Smith, born in Germany. That's all I have: one census record and one word. I don't know which port he came through, or whether Smith was once Schmidt. If you have an ancestor with a common name and a whole country for a birthplace, you know exactly how that feels.

Later I worked part time as a travel agent, so I've seen the other side too: how much goes into a trip, and how easy it is to end up with a generic tour instead of the places that matter to your family.

That's why I built Wondering Roots. Genealogy sites help with the records. Travel sites help with the destination. I wanted a place for the part in between: connecting your clues to a real place, to local people who can help, and to a trip that means something.

Here I'll share my own research, including the dead ends and the times AI got it wrong. I'll tell you what each resource covers and what it doesn't. And I'll never promise you'll find every ancestor, because nobody honestly can.

You don't need a finished family tree to start. A name, a story, or a place you're curious about is enough.

Five quick questions, and you'll get a suggested place to begin.

Stephanie Thompson
Founder, Wondering Roots