WILLIAMSBURG GARDENS

The gardens are appropriate for the time period. These were good looking veggies.

The flowers and formal gardens were pretty.

These bushes are really shaped well.

PEOPLE OF WILLIAMSBURG

As you walk along, you can interact with the people as they go about their work, or put on their interactive street performances. You meet everyone from slaves to Thomas Jefferson. These two were delightful.


Having a little fun.

This man asked me to help him clean wool-no way!

This guy was crabby!

WILLIAMSBURG

On to Williamsburg, the restored capital of Virginia, where you witness life in the city, where the people struggle to become a nation. We spent two days and didn't see everything, but it was very educational. You begin at the visitor's center with movies about the revolution, and then take the shuttle to the town.

You're also able to ride in a carriage if you wish.

Not all the houses are open to the public, but are being used.

A couple kids were having fun.

BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOODS

Baltimore was full of row houses, old and new. There are also many restored old warehouses made into condos, and neat shops. They've really refurbished the old neighborhoods.

OUR NEW FRIENDS

We asked the ranger where the locals eat seafood, and he told us to go up the street to L. P. Steamers. It was one of those interesting little tavern type places, and their specialty is steamed crabs. There were 3 gals at another table eating them and making a lot of noise cracking them with their wooden mallets. So, I went and watched them. Two of them are military-one in the Army, and one in the Guard, and they were having a good time. When they heard we were having seafood, but no crabs, they ordered us two crabs in order to "experience them". We reciprocated with a pitcher of beer. We became instant friends but never exchanged names. One of them insisted on taking our picture for the blog.

Up close and personal!

They were good and we had fun!

FORT McHENRY

Fort McHenry kept Baltimore safe for many years. The Battle of Baltimore lasted for 25 hours and when it was over, a man on a ship watched the flag at the fort blowing in the wind. That man was Francis Scott Key and he was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. You can't see in the pictures, but the fort is in the shape of a star. Very neat!

ANOTHER MYSTERY

We found a large plaque on the wall of the Basilica-could he be related to brother-in-law, Dave Gibbons? (For those of you who don't know, his Dad's name is Jim.)