Road trip day 3 part 1

 

Yes, today we ventured into Baltimore.

First stop,  Fort McHenry, where “The Star Spangled Banner” was born.  An active fort through WW II, its claim to fame occurred during the War of 1812, more specifically in Battle of Baltimore in 1814. Lawyer Francis Scott Key was aboard a British ship during the battle, and when the fighting was done, he looked to see whose flag flew over Fort McHenry.

You start at the Visitor’s Center, with a short movie explaining the history, and then the screen rises and you can see the fort in the distance.

You see cannons as you walk towards the fort.

History is preserved inside, including the original flagpole.  A flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes is often flown.  But if you want to see the flag that inspired Key, you’ll have to go to the Smithsonian.

There’s a bronze statue of one of the officers…you enter a room and there he is.  The statue really startled Drew.

After a quick stop in the gift shop so Drew could add to his cannon collection, we headed over to the other side of town, to the Inner Harbor.

The Inner Harbor area is home to many tourist attractions.  We came across the 9/11 Memorial while walking towards our destination.

Our destination was the USS Constellation, a ship primarily in service during the Civil War.

Yes, more cannons.

Drew also went aboard the submarine. You ca see it behind The Chesapeake.

I didn’t have the desire or energy to climb ladders inside a sub.

There are several other ships at this location, but they were closed to visitors today.  Sigh.