When I registered for the Coastal Delaware marathon a few
months ago, I knew nothing about Delaware… including where exactly to find it
on the map! Which is why when my best
friend since kindergarten informed me that she lived only an hour from the Delaware
border near Baltimore, I was psyched. I
decided to make a long weekend of it, and to explore the mid-Atlantic states
while I was there.
After landing in Philadelphia at an ungodly hour on Friday
morning (I had to leave my house in Massachusetts at 3:15 am), I picked up the
rental car and drove down to Washington DC for some quick sight-seeing. My friend was getting out of work at 1 pm, so
I had some time to self-entertain in the morning. Totally winging it, I parked near the Capitol
building and followed the signs to the National Mall. I had visions of a leisurely walk by the
monuments… until I realized that I was embarking on a 5-mile adventure. Who knew all those famous sights were so far
apart?! Oops… planning fail!
Exactly as far away as it looks! |
So my leisurely walk turned into a bit of a
power walk around the National Mall… from the Capitol building, past the
Smithsonian, over to the Washington Memorial, past the White House, along the
Reflecting Pool and to the Lincoln Memorial.
Several miles later, I was sweating profusely in the humid 70-degree DC
sun. So much for taking it easy before
the marathon! I can’t complain though… it
was beautiful and inspiring and totally cool for a spur-of-the-moment
adventure.
Not bad for a one-hour sprint around the city! |
Finally back to the Capitol building area (after forgetting
where I had parked my rental car, and what my rental car looked like), I headed
west to the small town in Maryland where my best friend had moved after
attending veterinary school. We’ve known
each other since kindergarten, and although we don’t have the opportunity to
see each other much anymore, every time we meet up, it is like we were never
apart. Along the drive, I was mesmerized
by the green, lush rolling hills of farmland and fields of horses and cows
grazing near red-painted barns. It was
beautiful.
This field makes me want to frolic! |
My friend could tell I was easily entertained by the farms
and cows (which incidentally, as a vet, she saw every day) so offered to take
me on a scenic drive of the area. We
drove up into the mountains of western Maryland to the nearby national parks,
and then across the border to Pennsylvania, which was only about ten miles
north. Who knew all these mid-Atlantic
states were actually so close together?!
Apparently my geography is not so good!
Barns, fields and cows are my favorite! |
We ended up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and by accident
happened along the Gettysburg Memorial self-guided auto tour, which sounded
like a fun adventure. It ends up there
is quite a bit to see in Gettysburg, throughout 20+ miles of beautiful
countryside and various memorials where battles were fought. The auto tour took us through the Gettysburg
national park, using an online visitors’ guide to point out the historical
significance of the battlefields and memorials we passed.
Field and mountains - sensing a theme?! |
We got out several times to climb observation
towers, where you could see the rolling farmland below for miles around. It was pretty incredible to think about the
scene of 93,000 soldiers covering that same terrain during the battle. It was also pretty fascinating to see the
memorials dedicated to the different battalions from all over the United States
that fought in Gettysburg – as far north
as Maine and as south as Florida. I
couldn’t imagine riding on horseback from Florida to Pennsylvania! I also loved the miles of rolling country roads through the park - so much so that I am thinking the Gettysburg Marathon may be the latest addition to my race wish-list!
That evening, my friend took me to Frederick, Maryland – a small
nearby city with a cute downtown area of restaurants and shopping. It was quite a contrast to the totally rural
farmland just a few miles away, and I loved the quaint storefronts and outdoor seating
at each restaurant. After dinner, we
took a walk along the canal in Frederick, where they have live bands and
activities in the summer. I have to say,
I fell in love with Maryland on this trip… both the gorgeous, peaceful rural
scenery and the charm of the small southern towns. I could totally see myself there one day!
And a covered bridge... my day was complete! |
Wow! Those are great pictures! I love the red barn. And the covered bridge. Friday was a great day for walking around D.C. and you really did walk a lot. I think I know my local geography so I'm trying to figure out how Frederick is close to coastal Delaware - I guess I'll find out in your next post?
ReplyDeleteUmm first hint... it's not really that close at all! Geography fail! Check out part two :-) Thanks for reading!
DeleteYou experienced a lot of sightseeing in a short amount of time! The pictures are beautiful. A covered bridge is a perfect end to the day. I know you enjoyed spending time with an old friend as well. I'm looking forward to part #2. Thanks for linking with us Michelle.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting! Part two is up :-) What a whirlwind adventure... I need a vacation from my vacation now!
DeleteAwesome pictures and yes my favorite is the Red barn one! There was so much to see here I'm glad you had a great time. Thank you for linking up with us Michelle.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading and hosting the link-up as always :-)
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