Annapolis is home to the State House for Maryland and the Naval Academy, both of which we were able to visit and also take a boat tour on Chesapeake Bay.
The State House was wrapped in plastic, getting a facelift; something that we have found several times in our visits to other capitals. The older buildings need constant upkeep.
The inside rooms are small and elegant.
Chesapeake Bay is a bustling place on the weekends, it seems like everyone in Maryland owns a boat of some kind or hangs out at one of the outdoor bars lining the docks. We joined the boats on a tour of the bay and enjoyed the ride.
The Naval Academy was an eye-opening place to visit. The campus is beautiful and huge, located right on the bay, and full of history.
The dormitory is huge.
The requirements to even be considered for acceptance are daunting, but once a person is accepted, then the work begins. We were amazed at the workload that each person is expected to complete, and we know that the graduates will be outstanding young leaders.
John Paul Jones, father of the modern Navy, is buried in a crypt under a chapel.
In Baltimore, we visited Fort McHenry (the birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner).
From the fort, we could see the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which had been struck by a container ship not long before our visit.
We had not been on a sailboat ride yet, so we took the opportunity to book one on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a busy area of recreation and commerce.
And who could visit the Inner Harbor without ending the day with a delicious lobster roll!
By May, we were in Delaware where we visited the Capital, Dover. Delaware was the first state to sign the Constitution, and they are quite proud of this honor and name things like “First State Heritage Park”. The Legislative Hall is where the legislature meets and it is small and has the most informal security of any of the state houses that we have visited.
We took a docent tour and were able to walk up to the dais of both houses because everyone was on lunch break. The State Bird is the chicken, and blue chickens adorn the top of many of their flagpoles. During the Revolutionary War, cock fighting was a betting game and the Delaware cocks, offspring of a blue hen, often won, earning money for the troops.
The original State House is a museum open for tours, and it is dominated by a life-sized portrait of George Washington.
Philadelphia was next and, oh my, the history!
The first thing we do in a new city is to take a Hop On/Hop Off Bus tour, if one is available. This gives us a good overview of the area and usually points out the places that we want to visit, and it is a good way to get some photos that are hard to get while walking.
Some of the highlights from our time in Philly:
Betsy Ross House:
Elfreth’s Alley, houses built beginning in 1702, and still in use.
Christ Church burial ground, where Benjamin Franklin and his wife are buried.
The Liberty Bell
Independence Hall – where the Declaration of Independence was signed and, later where the Constitution was drafted.
Ben Franklin Museum, built near where his home was located.
The original house is gone, but a frame has been erected over the site.
Philadelphia Magic Garden – an outdoor art exhibit.
The Museum of the American Revolution is huge, and we spent a lot of time viewing all of the displays.
The museum owns part of the tent that George Washington used during the war, along with other artifacts belonging to him and his wife. The tent is kept in a dark, climate-controlled room and can only be viewed at specific times and for a very short duration.
Martha Washington’s luggage.
More to come.