Baltimore and Fort McHenry

In September of 2012, I decided I needed to see Baltimore.  September 13th & 14th is the anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore.  This is significant, because not only did we win this very important battle during the War of 1812, this was the battle that Lawyer Francis Scott Key wrote his poem about the flag over the fort, The Star Spangled Banner.  Of course, we now know those words as the lyrics to the American National Anthem.

Instead of driving to Baltimore on my own, I went down on a tour bus.  Erie is lucky, we have one of the safest Bus Touring companies just around the corner in Greenville, that offers amazing tours for low prices.  Anderson Coach and Travel offered a one day trip down to Baltimore's Inner Harbor for under $100.00.  I couldn't pass it up.  So I made my reservation and off to Baltimore I went at 2 am.

We made a couple stops on the way, one to get the big bus (we left Erie in a short bus), then we stopped at Breezewood, PA for a quick breakfast and freshen up ourselves for our arrival in Baltimore in an hour.  We arrived in Baltimore close to 8:30 AM and had until 7:00 PM to tour where ever we wanted.  With our tickets on the Bus, we got complimentary harbor ferry passes for the day, so I plotted my activities, with the first being a stop at Ft. McHenry, lunch at Fell's point, then the National Aquarium, and a shopping trip around the Harborplace.

M&T Stadium (Home of the Baltimore Ravens)

Camden Yards (Home of the Baltimore Orioles)

Hard Rock Cafe (dinner later today)

Men (and women) in Uniform.  God Bless the Military

USS Torsk

USS Torsk

USS Constellation

USLS Chesapeake

Navel Mascots

National Aquarium

Anchor

USS Constellation

National Aquarium

USS Constellation

Ripley's Believe it of not

Rusty Scupper

Water Taxi

Buddy on Water Taxi

I walked around the inner harbor for a couple minutes waiting for the water taxi to take me over to the fort.  The temps were still a little chilly and on the water very cold, but after a brief stop at Fell's Point (where I decided lunch would be), I was off again to Fort McHenry.  This place was amazing.  A Star Fort design, famous from the Revolution Era in fort building.  From one side of the fort, you could see out of the harbor and down Chesapeake Bay, there is a bridge that crosses at the mouth of the Bay, where the British came in for their attack.  Not expecting the fort to be either as heavily armed as it was or to fight back as ferociously as it did, the battle lasted two days, and on the dawn of the second day, the Stars and Stripes rose from the smoke as the British fleet backed out of the harbor.  Warning, there are lots of picture of guns coming.

Amphitheater & Pirate Boat

Fell's Point

Koopers Tavern

ICE Cream Stand

Shucker's (lunch)

1812 Flag

On the Harbor

Naval Vessels

Tug Boats

Welcome to the Fort

The Flag

The Original Flag

On Post

Hello Artillery

The Fort

The British were Right There!!!

Over looking the Entrance to the Harbor

On Watch

The Fort

More Guns and Ammo

Even More

Buddy on a Canon Ball

Buddy on a Canon Track

Buddy on a Canon

More Canon

The Bay and entrance to harbor

A Parapet

Entrance to Sally Port

Caterpillar

Buddy in a Canon

More Balls

Gun Powder

100 Years of History

Buddy it is not time for bed yet!!!

The inner grounds of the fort

Officers quarters

Smoke stack

Battery

The Star Fort

During WWI it was a Hospital

US Eagle on Canon

Flag's Crossbrace

mock up of crossbrace

buddy on powder

Canon Barrels

More Barrels

2 of the original 13 flags at the fort.

The Visitor Center

Welcome Sign

Col George Armistead (Uncle of CSA Gen Lewis Armistead)

Col Armistead, CO of Ft McHenry day of the attack

After walking around the Fort, I took over three hours to check everything out, I loaded Buddy and I back onto one of the Water Taxi's for Fell's Point.  I decided I wanted good old fashioned Crab Cakes from Chesapeake Blue Crab.  Shucker's it was.  After eating lunch, I walked around Fell's point a bit, and found some really interesting shops and shop names.

I thought this was bakery at first

I loved this store

Brick road and trolly lines

Buddy and the menu

There was a wedding party taking Pics, I couldn't resist

A cold one for a warm day

Lunch.  two thumbs up and it did not last long

fell's point plaque

I know a Robert Long

The rest of the house.

After lunch and touring Fell's Point it was time to return to the Inner Harbor area, for the National Aquarium tour and some well deserved shopping.  Before I hit the Aquarium, I stopped at the World Trade Center building Baltimore for some great shots of the city from above.  The the Aquarium.  It was huge, and the dolphin show was very educational. 

A carnival at the harbor

Baltimore from the water

Baltimore

pleasure craft

Sail boat and giving Passing Honors

Amphitheater

Apartments

A Medical Ship

The USLS Chesapeake

The USS Constellation

Hard rock from above

Baltimore from above

Baltimore from above

The Harbor from above

Centennial Park from above

Harbor and Inner Harbor

The City

M&T Bank Field

The Constellation from Above

This is a Hilton

Honoring 9/11

Honoring 9/11

Honoring 9/11

Honoring those that died that day.

JAWS

Dolphin

Ceiling (jelly fish)

Dolphin

Whale Skeleton

Whale Vertebrae

Puffin

Dolphin

Dolphin Flipping

After a long day of walking and touring.  I headed to the Hard Rock to get my shot glass, and a much needed drink.  Waiting for the bus to take us home, I knew alcohol and road would equal sleep.  This was an amazing day, and I would do it again in a heart beat.  Listed below are links to all the places I mentioned. 

Dinner Time

Ahhhhhhh!!!  Zombie!!!!

http://www.goanderson.com/
http://www.fellspoint.us/
http://www.harborplace.com/
http://www.aqua.org/
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

Next time we will visit the wondrous world of Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot in Arizona, part of my vacation to Arizona with Mom in 2012.  But as always remember to be safe and remember to have safe travels, enjoy life and get you bucket list checked off.