We headed north from Virginia to attend the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in mid-October. But we had a couple of weeks to spare so we decided to spend the time in the Maryland/Washington area. Carrie was born in D.C. but neither of us had spent much time there since we were kids so we wanted to visit. We rented an apartment in Severn, Maryland, approximately equidistant from Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis.
We began with a visit to Baltimore, stopping first at Fort McHenry, the site of a decisive battle in the War of 1812 and also the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. We got to witness the daily raising of the 15-star American flag that flies every day (there were 15 states at the time). They normally fly a replica of the huge 30 by 42 feet garrison flag that was flown after the battle (we saw the original flag later, displayed in the Smithsonian) but we were there on a windy day so they flew a smaller version. The morning view of the flag was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key in writing the Star Spangled Banner. The battle in Baltimore Harbor in 1814 was crucial to the American victory in the war. Washington, D.C, had been burned by the British just a few weeks prior and if Baltimore had also fallen it might have been the end of our country as we know it.
After lunch we took a 1-hour boat cruise of Baltimore Harbor. We saw Fort McHenry from the water and we also had good views of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a previously blighted warehouse district that has been revitalized with skyscrapers and restaurants. On another day we took a van tour of location filming sites in Baltimore from The Wire TV series that ran about a decade ago. It was interesting to see the actual locations from the series but we didn’t get out and take any photos that day. Click on the first photo in each block to view the slideshow.
We spent a day exploring Annapolis, a colonial-era port that also serves as the capital city of Maryland and the home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Annapolis is a beautiful old city and it was fun to walk around the old streets. During the afternoon many midshipmen from the Academy were running through the streets in identical workout gear, getting their daily exercise.
We visited Washington, D.C., on several occasions. It was within easy driving distance and there was also a Metro (subway) station not far from our apartment in Maryland. As we have done in several large cities, we took a hop on/hop off bus tour to get oriented and to see some of the iconic sites. We passed by George Washington University Hospital, Carrie’s birthplace, which she had never seen as an adult. Our ticket included a 1-hour boat tour along the Potomac from Georgetown to a dock near the Jefferson Memorial. We like boats so it was fun, but much of Washington is set back from the river so there isn’t a lot to see (excellent views of Reagan Airport, though).
Our favorite stop in Washington (and currently one of the most popular in the city) was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This new museum, part of the Smithsonian, opened just three years ago, and it has a unique and symbolic layout. You begin by taking an elevator to the basement, which houses displays depicting the early days of the slave trade. The museum down there is dark, evocative of the slave trader ship’s hull. You then wind your way up a series of spiral ramps with displays depicting the years of enslavement, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and finally present-day America.
We made several other trips into Washington to visit other museums and attractions. The Renwick Gallery, near the White House, is an art museum featuring special arts and crafts exhibits. Part of the Smithsonian, it just recently reopened after major renovations. We especially enjoyed an exhibit of holograms, with moving flowers visible only by holding an iPad near the artwork. On another day we visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A special feature there is a display of the inaugural gowns worn by First Ladies going back more than a century. Finally, although not strictly a museum, we visited the White House Visitor Center, which has displays of presidential history and daily life in the White House. We did not tour the White House itself but we walked around the perimeter. We were intrigued to see one of those huge airport fire department foam trucks enter the gates, and then about an hour later the Marine One helicopter arrived. It makes sense that such fire protection would be provided for the President, but it never occurred to us before. Since then we have seen the same truck in the background on TV when President Trump does his South Lawn press briefings before boarding the helicopter.
On one of our last days in the Washington area we intended to visit Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Virginia home south of the capital. As it turned out, however, it was Columbus Day and also Homeschool Day, so the place was mobbed. We couldn’t get a house tour ticket until late afternoon so we decided to regroup and spend the day in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, instead. As it turns out we had a great time exploring this old colonial city on the banks of the Potomac. There is interesting history everywhere you turn along the Atlantic Coast.
