Craters of the Moon

Last week was quite the blitz. I had a long couple of days teaching at the AFB, and by Wednesday afternoon I was ready to hunt for an adventure. It was the National Parks Service's 100th birthday, and the closest national park was Craters of the Moon Naitonal Monument, so off I went.

Boise (because Basque food!)

I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person at work who enjoys being sent to Idaho for trainings. Sandpoint? Love it, and I can spend the weekend with Nana and Grandpa! Idaho Falls? I'll have dinner with M's brothers. Boise? Basque food!

Blitz - Phoenix for a Weekend

Sometimes, at towards the end of a rainy PNW winter, we web-footed PNWerners start thinking about sunshine. A wedding in Phoenix was the perfect excuse to head south and catch some rays. We didn't take many photos, but we did have a great weekend with M's family!

Cannonball!

Civil War Battlefields - Gettysburg

My second stop on my tour of Civil War battlefields was the infamous Gettysburg. The visitor's center is very well done. It includes a short film, cyclorama (ca. 1894), and museum with many artifacts from the battlefield. The special display had a sample of Lincoln's papers. His handwriting is amazing!

Civil War Battlefields - Antietam

I scheduled an extra day for myself on the east coast. Maryland prides itself on having a central place in American history, from being one of the first states, to hosting naval battles in the War of 1812, to being the scene of one of the most devastating battles of the Civil War. In the Confederate states, it was called the Battle of Sharpsburg for the nearby town. Union soldiers named it Antietam for the stream that was the site of a bloody assault at the end of the fight.

There is an excellent description of the actual battle at this link. Check it out!

Chesapeake Bay (North Point State Park)

 After my last day of training, I was ready to release a little stress by taking a walk in the woods. The nearest state park (at least a state park that had more than a 1-star rating on Trip Advisor) was was at the edge of Chesapeake Bay, 20 minutes away. Perfect. I was off over the Francis Scott Key bridge to North Point State Park.

Chesapeake Bay

the Inner Harbor at Baltimore

After my second day of teaching just outside Baltimore, I thought it was time to head into town. The most common response I got when telling friends I was headed to Baltimore was "Oh, I'm sorry." I drove through the potholed suburbs with low expectations.

the Inner Harbor and Baltimore skyline from Federal Hill