Summer 2013–July 19–Baltimore, MD

From Andrews Famcamp just east of Washington D.C. we traveled a little over 40 miles to Baltimore, MD.

Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/43515)”The Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower, built in 1911, was modeled after Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. The tower was built next to the Bromo-Seltzer factory. Now the tower is an art studio and showcase, with an original elevator that can take you from floor to floor and to the top where you can see and learn about the four clocks that are at the top of the tower.”

We explored the Inner Harbor area including the Maryland Port Vessel Operation. Baltimore is located on the Patapsco River an arm of Chesapeake Bay. The Port of Baltimore is a large Mid-Atlantic seaport founded in 1706.
 

Brewer’s Hill was originally the location of The National Brewing Company. The distinctive logo is of the one-eyed mustached round faced character named “Mr Boh”. The brewery closed in 1978. The neighborhood is now one of retail, office, restaurants and residential. It is located just a block from the waterfront.
 
We had lunch at Mo’s Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant – Inner Harbor 

 
Mural on the side of the building

This will be the last post on our 2013 trip for a while. I've lost some photos due to a corrupt SD Card.

Summer 2013–July 17 - Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, VA.

If our travels brought us near Vienna, Virginia we were asked to visit Wolf Trap Theater. As it happened Wolf Trap National Park is just over 30 miles from Andrews Joint Base where we were parked. Our visit was on a day with little activity at the theater, however, it is a really pretty area and the shows must be fantastic.
  


From www.wolftrap.org:
”The late Catherine Filene Shouse founded Wolf Trap through a donation of 100 acres of her Vienna, Virginia farmland (near Washington, DC) to the U.S. Government, as well as funds for construction of a 6,800-seat indoor/outdoor theatre. The gift was accepted by an Act of Congress in 1966 and Wolf Trap's larger venue, the Filene Center, opened in 1971. The Filene Center season usually runs from the end of May to the beginning of September with an average of 90 outdoor concerts each year.”



”Wolf Trap is run through a public/private partnership between the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, creates and selects programming; develops education programs; handles ticket sales, marketing, publicity, and public relations; and raises funds to support these programs while keeping ticket prices affordable. The National Park Service maintains the grounds and buildings of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and provides technical theatre assistance for the Filene Center.”



If you happen to be in the Washington D.C. area, Wolf Trap National Park is well worth spending some time visiting.

Next post: July 19, 2013 Baltimore, MD

Summer 2013 - July 15 & 16 - Washington D.C.

We drove into Washington D.C. on July 16th from Joint Base Andrews, MD (Andrews Air Force Base) about 13 miles. We were looking at the different possibilities for transportation to be able to spend some time in the city. We decided to tour the St Andrew’s Cathedral. This time of the year the parking lot was almost empty and after talking to a security person, it was also free. This is a beautiful building both inside and out.
  

And then since there was a shady parking spot right in front of St Matthew’s Cathedral, we spent some time here. This is a much smaller building, but no less impressive.


It was obvious from my photos that the Washington Monument was under repair while we were there.


On July 17th we were going to take the Metrorail from Andrews to DC, however at the last minute W decided we would take our chances parking. We toured the Smithsonian American History Museum. We were able to park about one block away in a Federal Building parking garage. I was interested to see the quilt exhibit, but it was already gone. Instead one of the things we saw was;the Doll’s House.


Surprised we found a parking place on the street right in front of Old Ebbitt’s Grill. According to http://www.ebbitt.com/about/history the Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest saloon, was founded in 1856 when, according to legend, innkeeper William E. Ebbitt bought a boarding house. Today, no one can pinpoint the house’s exact location, but it was most likely on the edge of present-day Chinatown.

As a boarding house, the Ebbitt guest list read like a Who's Who of American History. President McKinley is said to have lived there during his tenure in Congress, and Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding supposedly refreshed themselves at its stand-around bar.


Next post: Same day we traveled to Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, VA.

Summer 2013 - July 12 - Atlantic City, NJ

July 12th we were on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ. Below some of the casinos and hotels. People on the Atlantic Ocean beach.

The Steel Pier with the rides was closed the day we were there.

However, Margaritaville, all the restaurants, the casinos and the shops were busy.

Next post: Washington D.C.

Summer 2013 July 11 - Philadelphia, PA

July 11 on to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and the some of the history of the area that set the original tone for our country.
    

We ate lunch at what is claimed to be the original Philly Steak Sandwich Shop?  

There is competition between two shops claiming they had the original Philly Steak Sandwich. Click on either or both of these websites for more confusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesesteak  http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/PhiladelphiaCheeseSteak.htm. 

Pat’s Steaks is Geno’s competitor.
 

Below is the mural across the street from Geno’s and the historic building (photo on the right) that were on our path as we drove to the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia.
  

Rodin Museum

      

We returned to Fort A.P Hill to pick up the rig and head to Andrews Joint Base outside of Washington D.C. We left the fifth wheel and traveled to New Jersey to visit with W's Uncle Joe in Williamstown and his Aunt Kay in Westmont. We had a great time.

Next post: Atlantic City, NJ.