Benjamin flew to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, then drove north through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and continued out of the state. When returning a few days later, he crossed the impressive Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis and stayed a night in the Arundel Mills area before flying home.
Several days in June were spent visiting various sites around Maryland. We drove the scenic loop through Greenbelt Park, then drove east to Annapolis where we spent an evening walking around the historic downtown to see the waterfront, Main Street Historic District, and the Maryland State House (which is the oldest state house still in use in America).
In Baltimore, we toured the B&O Railroad Museum with its impressive collection of 19th-century locomotives, a restored roundhouse, machine shop, and more. Known as the birthplace of American railroading, the museum is the site of the first regular railroad passenger service in the United States which began in 1830. Tiffany visited the gravesite of author Edgar Allan Poe at Westminster Presbyterian Church, then we all toured Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine where Elizabeth was impressed with all the cannons. The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail also passes through the fort.
At Baltimore's Inner Harbor, we saw several of the 'Historic Ships in Baltimore', including USCG Cutter Taney (the only surviving ship that was in Pearl Harbor during the WWII attack), USS Torsk submarine, Lightship Chesapeake, and USS Constellation (the only surviving warship from the Civil War). We also saw the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse and enjoyed a meal at the Hard Rock Café.
A few days later we toured the grounds of Hampton National Historic Site, then drove the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (which is called the Scenic Entry to the Nation's Capital).
We drove west through Maryland to Frederick where we toured Monocacy National Battlefield and hiked the Gambrill Mill loop trail. Then, we visited Antietam National Cemetery and toured Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg.
In Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, we hiked along the Potomac River on part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which was also part of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. We also hiked part of the Appalachian Trail across the Potomac River to Maryland Heights where we continued hiking to an overlook of Harper's Ferry at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
We took a summer road trip through Maryland and visited several locations. First, we viewed the Monocacy National Battlefield overlook and toured the Camp David Museum near Thurmont. We also spent a day in Baltimore where we visited the Inner Harbor and saw the USS Constellation, USCGC Taney, and the Lightship Chesapeake.
Before leaving Baltimore the next day, we toured Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (home of the Star-Spangled Banner) where Tiffany helped raise the morning flag. We also drove along the Eastern Shore of Maryland where we saw the Atlantic Ocean and stopped for a fun lunch at Dead Freddies Island Grill in Ocean City.