History, Crustaceans and Family

This is the quick and dirty version of the East Coast trip Kevin and I made at the end of October. The main purpose of the trip was to meet the family and attend the annual family pumpkin carving. By meet the family I mean ALL the family. I got to meet everybody on both sides with the exception of one uncle and a cousin. I also got to meet all the friends. By the end of the trip my head was spinning. In addition to the family fun we also squeezed in quite a bit of sight seeing along the way.

The first day was spent walking around DC. We clocked it at 14 miles of walking (Kevin wore his Garmin). So many amazing things to see. We didn't even begin to scratch the surface. We saw all the monuments and famous buildings, went to the National Archives and saw the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights (so damn cool!), walked up the steps of the Supreme Court to the front door (didn't know you could just do that) and saw many, many armed guards on top of the White House.

The Lincoln Monument was truly impressive and standing at the top of the stairs on the very spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech and getting this view of the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument actually choked me up a little. Stunning.

Great words of wisdom from FDR at the FDR Memorial which was my second favorite memorial in DC. These guys are statues of men waiting in a soup line during the Great Depression at the FDR Memorial.Kevin and George Mason both deep in thought. George contemplating freedom, Kevin contemplating lunch.The Korean War Memorial. The White House. Soon with new and improved occupants!On the Baltimore day we went to Fort McHenry and got to walk around the fort and walk on THE ramparts mentioned in the national anthem. I admit to being clueless as to what a rampart was before this trip. Now I know. Here is a picture from the top of one!A bomb that did not burst in air that night.

On our one afternoon in downtown Baltimore I made sure we got to bring out my inner baseball dork and go to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Being October and Baltimore, there weren't any games going on. Much like the Mariners, it will be many years before the O's see October baseball. However, it was still a beautiful park and I can't wait to come back and see a game there. Useless factoid: Babe Ruth was a Baltimoran. They have a statue of him outside the park.

We also got to spend the day at Gettysburg! For you history folks this is the view from Little Round Top looking out at Devil's Den. Civil War cannon.Civil War cannon on top of Devil's Den.I am completely envious of the history that they have on the East Coast. We have the stunning natural beauty in the west (but enough about me) but they are surrounded by important American history. His friends live right near Gettysburg and frequently eat at a house that was built in 1776, served as a hospital during the battle and was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. I get to eat at a pizza place in Ballard that might have been a brothel once. They win.

The one thing Kevin insisted I must have before leaving Baltimore was steamed blue crabs. I have been hearing how fantastic these little buggers are for two years so I had to give it a whirl. Baltimorans are crustacean obsessed people. Crabs and crab related items are everywhere. Dig the hat?