On the morning of September 14, 1814, a 35 year old Francis Scott Key stood on the British warship HMS Tonnant. He was there to negotiate for the release of an American prisoner captured during this, the third year of the War of 1812. During the prior day, and throughout the night, a British fleet…
Summer in Baltimore means a lot of things. It means baseball at Camden Yards. It means weekend trips to the beach. And most importantly, it means crabbing. If you are lucky enough to experience summer in Charm City, and you do nothing else, finding a crab deck will ensure your trip will be a memorable…
After a fairly insane start to 2025 that saw me visit Guatemala, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Morocco, Tunisia, and Canada within the first six months, the summer is mainly about catching up on life. Part of that is seeing friends, and lucky for my travel schedule, some of them live domestically in some places that…
The American Civil War is the most transformational event in the country's history. Battlefields and historic sites decorate much of that US Southeast, some well preserved, others simply marked with a small monument, and others lost to obscurity. It is impossible to visit all of them. Last year, my father and I were blown away…
I'm not leaving for a week, but timing of other posts mandates that this one go up a tad early. In any event, it is time for my annual driving trip with my father, and I am - as always - excited! This year we are headed to coal country to see the fall colors,…