September 28, 2014

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, MD

The ramp that we were supposed to exit on in Baltimore was closed so we were detoured past the M & & Bank Stadium just prior to the Ravens game—how is that for timing!

 

Surprisingly, despite the thousands of fans looking for parking spaces and walking along the street, it didn’t take us long to navigate through the crowds thanks to the large police presence directing traffic.

 

 

We began our visit to Fort McHenry at the Visitor Center where I stamped my passport.  The $7 entrance fee was waived thanks to Monte’s senior pass. 

 

 

 

After watching the short 10-minute orientation film and touring the museum

 

 

 we made our way down to the dock where we paid $10/each before boarding the Mildred Belle.

 

 

 

 

 

It was an absolutely picture-perfect day to be on the water. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the boat ride we walked the short distance to the Fort and began our tour. 

Fort McHenry is known as “The Birthplace of the American National Anthem.”

The star-shaped fort is best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy, September 13-14, 1814.

When Major George Armistead, in Baltimore’s preparation for an expected attack on the city, expressed desire for a very large flag to fly over the fort an order was placed with a prominent flag maker for two oversized flags. 

The smaller of the two flags would be the Storm Flag to be more durable and less prone to fouling in inclement weather and the larger flag, the Great Garrison Flag measuring 30 by 42 feet, would be the largest battle flag ever flown at the time.

 

Following the bombardment of the fort, a Washington lawyer, Francis Scott Key seeing the American flag still standing, was inspired to write a poem that would eventually be set to music and become the national anthem. 

 

 

 

The fort was named after James McHenry, an early American statesman.  A Scots-Irish immigrant and surgeon-soldier, McHenry was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland and a signer of the United State Constitution.

 

 

 

 

 

September 27, 2014

Maryland & Virginia

We had an unexciting day doing chores that included laundry and food shopping.  We also drove 20 miles into Alexandria to a Batteries Plus store to drop off the batteries in Monte’s satellite meter because it isn’t holding a charge

Washington D.C. Monuments

Washington D.C. is one of my favorite places but as many times as I have visited our nation’s capitol there are still some monuments I have not toured.  One of the biggest challenges to tackle when visiting the city is parking and getting around.   Most of the free parking (if you can find a spot) has a three hour limit.  There are some metered spots but they are limited to four hours.   We planned on spending the entire day so even if we could find one, a metered spot would not suit our needs.

We ended up parking in the lot near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.  There is no time restriction and there were plenty of spaces available when we arrived at 10AM.  We brought our bikes to get around the city.

 

 

Thomas Jefferson Memorial-The memorial is located along the southern edge of the Tidal Basin with views toward many of the other presidential sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of the Washington Monument from the Jefferson Memorial

Stamping my passport-I hope I don't run out of room in the book. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial-

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the more expansive memorials with five outdoor rooms that include shade trees, waterfalls, statuary and quiet alcoves.

 

Sculpture of a 1930s breadline.

The statue of Eleanor Roosevelt commemorates her role as First Lady.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial- The imposing Statue of Hope is part of National Mall and Memorial Parks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is located at the intersection of independence Avenue and West Basin Drive SW.

World War II Memorial- dedicated to the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.

 

We took advantage of an empty bench to eat our lunch.  This little guy was looking for a handout.

 

 

 

 

The White House-There was a lot of extra security due to a recent breach in which a man armed with a knife jumped the White House fence and managed to make his way through the front door before being stopped.

 

 

 

The White House Visitor Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, is operated by the National Park Service. 

It is possible to tour the actual White House but in order to get tickets a request has to be submitted through one’s Member of Congress, months in advance of the visit.

 

 

 

The White House Visitor Center offers opportunities to learn more about the White House and the presidency through exhibits, artifacts, and videos.

Our next stop was at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  By the time we arrived at the museum we only had two hours to tour the exhibits before closing time so we were kind of forced to rush through.  There is no photography allowed in the museum.  I think not being distracted by taking pictures enhanced my experience that had me welling up with tears several times.

The Washington Monument-This 555-foot marble obelisk, built to honor George Washington, towers over Washington, D.C.  Tickets are required to visit the interior.  This morning, not being able to find a parking spot near the monument, Monte dropped me off at the Washington Monument Lodge so I could go to the kiosk to request tickets.  We arrived too late to get tickets.  I learned later on that it is advised to arrive by 8:30AM to get tickets. 

 

 

 

We rode our bikes along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial.

  After locking up our bikes and taking a few pictures we walked the short distance to the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial-

Freedom Is Not Free-“Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”

In the form of a triangle are 19 larger than life-size stainless steel statues. 

The figures, each weighing nearly 1,000 pounds, represent a squad on patrol, drawn from each branch of the armed forces.

  Lincoln Memorial-The 16^th President sits immortalized in marble with the following words etched above his head, “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever,”

The Lincoln Memorial is my favorite of all the memorials and monuments.  As many times as I have climbed the stairs and looked past the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument, the view has never failed to instill a feeling of national pride. 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial-The memorial that honors the men and women who served in the controversial Vietnam War, chronologically lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in service to their country.

 

 

The memorial includes “The Three Servicemen” statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

 

After retrieving our bikes, we took a couple more pictures at the Lincoln Memorial even more imposing now that the sun had set.