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

Annapolis

Work just sent me to Maryland for a week, so here comes a whole slew of posts on my East Coast adventures (including Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore, and Civil War Battlefields).

My first full day in  MD, I decided to drive down to the capital after work. DC was a traffic jam away, so I went to the other capital - the capital of Maryland, Annapolis.

The Maryland Capital Building