Taking this cruise is a great way to enjoy Presque Isle State Park and Lake Erie.
War of 1812
Every Soldier Has a Story at the National Museum of the U.S. Army
The National Museum of the U.S. Army isn’t your father’s military museum, not by a long shot. This high-tech, modern museum connects America’s past with its present through soldiers’ voices, experiences and stories. Within its walls, you’ll learn about the stories of innumerable individual soldiers — the men and women of all heritages who have […]
Seven Fabulous Forts in the Mid-Atlantic States You Should Visit!
Everyone’s probably heard of famous Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which tells the story of the War of 1812 and is immortalized in Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” But seven other fabulous forts are worth exploring in the mid-Atlantic region: three in Maryland, and two each in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Each fort has a unique history […]
Patriotic Daytrip at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
In 1813, the United States was at war with Great Britain. The British Royal Navy, by then, completely controlled the Chesapeake Bay, and Baltimore was preparing for an attack. Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry, wanted a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a great distance, so […]
Fort Monroe by Segway
For almost 200 years, Fort Monroe has guarded the navigation channel between the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads — the natural harbor, or roadstead, at the confluence of the Elizabeth, the Nansemond and the James rivers. Surrounded by a moat, the seven-sided star fort is the largest stone fort ever built in the United States. […]
Fort Monroe’s Casemate Museum
Fort Monroe, the largest stone fort in America, is a decommissioned military installation in Hampton, VA on Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. For at least 400 years, the point of land that now includes Fort Monroe has served as the key defensive site at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. […]
Exploring Kent Island’s Cross Island Trail
Just over the Bay Bridge in Maryland, the Cross Island Trail is a rail trail in Queen Anne’s County occupying a section of the abandoned Queen Anne’s Railroad corridor that travels the width of Kent Island. The trail begins in Terrapin Park, near the foot of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and brings you through both Terrapin Park […]
Fort Washington Stood Sentinel Through Multiple Wars
Fort Washington is a War of 1812-era fort which has stood sentinel, guarding Washington DC through most of this nation’s history, although it didn’t always look like it does now. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was originally called Fort Warburton, but later renamed. During the War of 1812, […]
Oh Say Can You See… Fort McHenry and the Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key was always sort of a hometown hero for me: I grew up in Frederick, MD, where Key is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery as he desired, “in the shadows of the Catoctin Mountains.” Thus, Fort McHenry has always been a favorite destination for me. It’s a lovely place to walk along the […]
Fort George and the War of 1812
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and quaint Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is part of the 6-part series of posts about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up north! No other event has defined Niagara-on-the-Lake (NotL) than the War of 1812 (known by our neighbors […]
New Year’s Resolutions: Daytrips for 2014
I always make New Year’s resolutions. Some I keep, some I don’t, some I try diligently to keep but peter out about June or July… This year I’m making some day trip-related New Year’s resolutions — and I’m betting I’ll keep all these! Here are some day trips and places I haven’t been to yet, […]