As I mentioned before, my husband and I went on a very short trip to visit our daughter. (She is interning in DC for the summer.) We lived out there when both our son and daughter were quite young, so we thought that it might be fun to go out and “show her around” the places we used to enjoy.
We lived in the DC area two different times. One of the times was a wonderful planned community called Columbia (in Maryland.) My husband commuted from Columbia to George Washington University for a year… which meant he had to go park his car in New Carrollton and then ride the metro downtown. That’s quite a daily commute! But, we loved being close to both the DC and the Baltimore areas. The Baltimore Aquarium is one of the finest of its kind… anyway it was (+/-) 20 years ago, and as a “young” family, we loved our trips to the Baltimore Zoo.
For this visit, we actually flew into the Baltimore airport and stayed out in that vicinity, rather than try to get a hotel in downtown DC. As long as we were renting a car, we thought we might as well commute back and forth, either by rental car or metro. We definitely saved money by renting a car VS. the price of hotels in downtown DC! (And I’m not talking about five star hotel accommodations!)
I had forgotten what it is like living in a very large-city environment… having access to wonderful transportation like the metro. [They tried to pass a metro-type of deal here in San Antonio -years ago- which was quickly defeated by a lot of people who had never experienced the joys of metro transportation. I think that it was at about the same time there was a big push toward getting our water DE-fluoridated. (That’s probably not a real word… but you probably can get the gist…)]
Anyway, back to our DC trip… It was so wonderful being in an area where you can drive less than two hours in any given direction and see something interesting.
We visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania one day, and that was a truly emotional experience. If ever you go to the DC area, try to take the bus tour around the Gettysburg National Park. (Our tour guide is a teacher during the school year, and she was phenomenal!)
We took another day to visit a little (Maryland) town called Havre de Grace. I grew up listening to my grandmother talk about where she came from and thought that I would revisit this town, so that my daughter could get a sense of my grandmother. It is a beautiful town on the Susquehanna River – which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. We truly enjoyed the day.
As you can see, we didn’t do the “usual” things that people do when visiting the DC area, but, we did have an UNusually good time going off of the beaten path; immersing ourselves in both the history of our nation and the history of our family.
Larraine says
We live about 20 min from Havre De Grace. It is a lovely town that sits right at the mouth of the Susquehanna as it flows into the Chesapeake Bay. It’s really a pretty town. Hope you got to try one of the restaurants or at least got some Bomboy’s home made ice cream!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Larraine,
I’m sorry I didn’t write about Havre de Grace before we went. We missed the ice cream shop but did manage to make a stop at your home-made candy shop!
Chris says
I was in DC the first weekend in June, but I took 147 ninth graders with me. I did have twelve other chaperones too.
Teresa and I are stopping by again and spending a night or two on our way down to see the grandchildren in Wilmington, NC. I’ve never seen DC at night and I hear it is so pretty with all of the monuments lit up.
We plan to spend a night in Baltimore on the reverse trip.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Chris,
That trip of yours in June sounds like… fun (?!?) I don’t care if there were twelve other chaperones with you or not… I remember ninth graders all too well!
You and your wife sure travel around a lot. I enjoy reading about your trips… including all of your favorite restaurants on your Burgers and Brew Food Review…
Chris says
Yeah, it was an interesting trip. The kids were well behaved though.
I’m glad you enjoy the food blog. I have a lot of fun writing it (and eating the food). We travel to see the grandchildren. Three are in NC and one is in PA.
Pam says
I live in the Houston area and find it puzzling when people vote down any mass transit issue (I’m originally from Philadelphia). We do – finally – have a light rail which I use for work every day. It is WAY better than busses. It is faster, cleaner and cheaper than busses and easier to board too! I hope SA gets a train eventually!
shirley says
I just got a new mystery by Laura Griffin…….someone online
on the Amazon Mystery Blog…….about the book…Untraceable…WOW…..that book was fantastic……….I couldn’t do anything……….each page took to the next….etc.
Then Found out her next was coming soon………..and I got it….another one word title “UNSPEAKABLE”
This book is a perfect combination of forensic science, mystery, romance & action…………..I say double WOW!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Shirley, for telling us about Laura Griffin’s Untraceable.
shirley says
Hi Danna…………..I just love cozy-mystery…………I feel like a bee zooming to this web………grin.
Anyway I thought I would tell you that CYNTHIA RIGGS has a new book coming out soon……called “TOUCH ME NOT” I have read every one of her books…………this author is 80 and still going strong…………….I love it…..read her mysteries they are SO GOOD>>>>>>>smile.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks again, Shirley! I will be posting the new mystery book releases for August on Tuesday, and Touch-Me-Not will certainly be on it!