Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Star Spangled Sailabration

The east coast states have so much history to them that I don't think we could possibly visit all the sites and museums just in the nearby states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and even here in Baltimore.  Were able to visit one of them many places this last weekend.  The War of 1812 is having its 200th anniversary and Baltimore played a part in that war.  The city is putting on a "sail" celebration this month and we went downtown for a day of it.

We parked downtown in the inner harbor and there were some sail boats that came from around the world docked there.  They look very majestic and David had a good view of a couple of them from his office when he went in on a Friday.  (His office is right on the harbor, but 90% of the days he goes to work, he goes to the client and he rarely goes into the inner harbor office.)  We walked around the harbor and caught a bus that took us out to Fort McHenry on the other side of the harbor.

Fort McHenry is the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner and all day they had reenactments, an air show, fireworks, and a program of singing and skits.  We spent the day with friends from church and made some new friends too.

We got there that morning at 10 and found our group of ward friends.  We sat around watching the kids run circles around us and ate.  We watched some reenactments from the war and Katelyn slept through the whole thing even though they were pretty loud with all of their "shooting".  We thought it would be really loud so we got ear plugs, but she wouldn't let me put them on her to help with the sound so they just sat in her ear all day.


Everyone on the peninsula fort area joined together and sang The Star Spangled Banner as they raised the flag from the time of the war with 15 stars and stripes.  It was neat to be singing that song at the same place that it originated.

She's so patriotic :)



 She nearly died laughing playing with the blanket as a parachute toy.  She would squeal with excitement and run in and out of it just thrilled with how much fun it was.  I was more than willing to do this for 30 minutes rather than the tiring swinging, throwing, spinning, chasing and similar games that take a lot out of us but get the same reaction.


We watched an air show that showed off a bunch of important air crafts and they showed off the tricks they had.  They also showed us some of the boats that were used in combat and their agility.  They were all okay and neat, but then the Blue Angels part of the air show started and those pilots have some intense skill.  Besides the loud sneak-up-from-behind trick, we were fascinated and oohing and aaahing.  They are so synchronized and they fly so close together sometimes.  I heard that sometimes they get within 18 inches of each other!  It looks like they are close, so if that is true then that is crazy!  It was a fun air show and it made me remember the air shows that Dad and Papa took us kids to when we were little.  

Katelyn was fascinated by the planes and most of the videos I got of the neat Blue Angels either have the glaring sun shining or I am zooming in or out too early or too late to catch the tricks as they flew by or I was filming and not paying attention to the planes through the camera.  Just a few technical difficulties!  Don't hire me to video anything anytime soon!

The second half of the air show Katelyn and her buddy Landon "Nanon" just giggled and chased each other around being cute as can be.




 Most of the group left for dinner and only us and the Weatherbee's stayed for dinner and the fireworks.  We loved chatting with them and getting to know them.  The remind me a lot of my parents in what they do and how they act ...except that they make their own honey...well they have their own bees that make the honey and they scoop it off.  They gave us some to try out, but said we have to finish the honey we have at home before we start the bottle they gave us because we will want to throw the store bought stuff out once we try the fresh honey bee honey!  Katelyn loved them too and was not shy around them like she is around most new people.  She would play hiding games with them and ask for snack or treats they were eating and just be silly.  She especially loved their mini Oreos and those are probably what scared the shyness away :)
 In these pictures she was being funny as she asked him to hold her apple, and then as he offered to give it back, she refused to grab it with her hands and put her hands behind her back.  She then saw that as an opportunity to be fed like a queen and would nibble off the apple as he held it out for her.
His wife was taking notes on Katelyn's technique and wanted to try her tricks out at home to get served like a queen!

It was such a nice day and parts of us got burnt from too much sun even though we had sunscreen on.  Katelyn just tanned and got a nice farmer's tan.  She still has envious skin that is so soft and a beautiful brown too.

All-in-all a beautiful day enjoying a bit of history and an air show topped off with fireworks!  And the fireworks may have been just as good as the ones at Rockaway Beach!  They were just missing my family and all the fun that goes into our sand couch and sandy s'mores!  Can't wait for the rest of this summer when we will all be reunited!!!

1 comment:

We Choose Joy said...

Love the videos Lorry! Katelyn really juked him a couple of times ;) I've always wanted to go check out some of those historical places, looks like you guys had a blast!!