A few days in DC! Day one!

This was a really cool place to visit. I felt so grateful for the men who fought for our first freedoms many years ago. They were out number 5 to 1. 

"O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light," a large red, white and blue banner? "Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming!" over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort by 1,000 dedicated Americans inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."

 Our little family in front of the Flag. We got to see the real flag back in Oct in the Smithsonian. It is awesome if you ever get to see it. It is 42 feet by 30 feet.

 These guys were pretty good drummers. It was real fun to hear them play all the different drum calls.

We went to see old down town Baltimore. it was really fun to see the old buildings and in the Chesapeake Bay was a ship called the USS Constellation. 

FUNNY STORY! I have to blog about this because it was so funny. These 3 soldiers were touring the boat and wanted to get in these hammocks. They were trying so hard to get in them and stay on them and then take a picture of their selves with a cell phone. Pretty soon I asked them if they needed help with the picture. SURE they said. Their camera wouldn't take it so finally we took one with our camera and told them we would email it to them. We didn't have a pin so Mark gave them his business card and told them to email him at work and we would get them the picture. When mark go to work on Wednesday they had already requested the picture. LOL!

 Constellation convoyed American merchantmen at the outset (June through August 1798), before sailing for the West Indies to protect United States' commerce in those waters. We love history and boats so for us this was a treat. 

Family picture with the sun in our eyes but we got one. Thanks guys