Don't forget to check out our itinerary at:
Well, after a painful week with no internet, the park here has finally got their wi-fi marginally in order, and so we can update you on our whereabouts and what we've been up to.
(Donna is attempting to prepare a photo album to attach to this entry - but the internet here at the park is so poor that her efforts have been futile - so we'll have to wait for a later date to attach the link.)
So... to begin. We arrived in Maryland at Ramblin' Pines RV Park on Monday afternoon. We chose this park because it is equi-distant from Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD.
On Tuesday we drove to Glenmont, the furthest north Metro stop on the D.C. Red Line, parked our car, and headed into the city. The drive is about 40 minutes, and the Metro ride about 25 minutes, but it's an easy trip; and allowed us to avoid a hard drive into the city. We left the Metro at Union Station to begin our day in the city.
The temperature was close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity was about 100 percent as well, and so you might think we were sweating bullets... and you would be right. But that didn't stop us as we made our way around the city. D.C. is a great walking city, with numerous museums and attractions closely centered in the city. We also bought a day pass for a hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus called Tourmobile, which allowed us to see the entire center of Washington with some degree of comfort.
We decided to visit the Holocaust Museum first, as this museum is new since our last visit to the city. All we can say is that a walk through this impressive building is exhausting - both physically and emotionally. But it's well worth the visit. We then stopped for lunch in the museum's dining room, and of course, dined on knishes (as well as other tasty items).
After lunch we hopped back on the Tourmobile to see the rest of the city, hopping off at The White House for a few photos.
By this time it was getting near rush hour, so instead of heading back to Glenmont during the rush, we hopped back on to Tourmobile and returned to Union Station for a cold beer and some relaxation before taking the subway north. It should be mentioned that Union Station itself is worth a visit. We've been inside a lot of train stations, in the U.S. and other countries, but in our minds, this is about the nicest and cleanest station we've seen.
On Wednesday we drove to Baltimore, and headed down to the Inner Harbor area for a look at the revitalized city. We were quite impressed with the progress Baltimore has made in urban renewal. The Harbor area provides tourists with numerous attractions and shopping opportunities. We were particularly interested in the U.S. Constellation that is berthed at Pier I. This three masted historic sailing ship is beautifully restored. (Glen has a commemorative coin that was given to him as a gift by his Uncle Bud back in the 'Fifties' that was struck from copper nails, removed during a re-fitting of the ship, and so he was particularly interested in seeing the Constellation.)
We took a water taxi boat ride out to Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, and had a nice picnic lunch that Donna had packed, before heading back to the downtown area and a drive out to Glen Arm - where Glen's cousin Stephen and his wife Joanne live. We were hosted to a fine meal at Josef's, accompanied by a great evening of 'catch-up' conversation with Stephen and Joanne.
We had planned Thursday as an off-day, but we couldn't help but notice that Gettysburg, PA was only an hour drive, and so we again packed a picnic lunch and drove north for a visit to the historic battlefield. With a brand new Visitor Center, the town is well-equipped to provide numerous opportunities for remembering the American Civil War. We followed a self-guided automobile tour map, and saw many of the most important places, including the cemetery where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.
Friday was another scorcher, but never daunted, we again traversed into Washington D.C. We were anxious to see the American Indian Museum, which is also new since our last visit to the city. Not only is the building beautiful, and in keeping with the American Indian tradition, but the exhibits are nicely done and provide some wonderful insights into native culture. Again, wanting to have a lunch that was in keeping with our museum locale, we visited the building's dining room. Glen had a pulled buffalo sandwich, followed by a slab of Indian fry bread covered with cinnamon and honey. Donna had a wild rice salad with cornbread. Both meals were very tasty.
The U.S. Botanical Gardens were only a few blocks away, and so we trekked over for a pleasant walk through the outside gardens and the conservatory-style buildings.
Then it was a half mile or so walk up the D.C. Mall, to the Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art to meet our niece Erin for a picnic in the park accompanied by one the park's regular Friday evening Jazz concerts. We were able to spend a couple of pleasant hours in conversation with Erin, and very much enjoyed the picnic that she prepared and lugged to work Friday morning, and then to the park for our dinner in the evening. All-in-all, another great day in the city.
Today, June 14, we will pack up and drive the motorhome to Allentown, PA, where we'll spend the night before heading tomorrow afternoon out to Long Island, NY, where we'll spend a week visiting our daughter Lisa, Donna's cousin Kristine and her family, and seeing the sights of Manhattan.
If you stop in here at our blog, send us a comment to let us know you've visited. It's always good to hear from you. And don't forget to return at a later date and see the pictures after Donna is able to post them!
Donna & Glen
