Despite running into road
construction almost every ten miles, we enjoyed the trip to Maryland. We went
through the mountains and took our time, enjoying the scenery. We even made a
few side stops.
We spent a good part of
Sunday driving through the Allegheny mountains. I can’t begin to describe how
deliciously cool the mountain air felt as we drove the USS Dodge Ram with the
sun roof open and the windows down.
You really feel close to God
you drive through such beautiful scenery.
We spent Sunday night at a
Hampton Inn in Front Royal Virginia. Front Royal had quite a bit of action
during the Civil War. It was also the place where some of Mosby’s men were
captured and seven of them hung. What horrified me was that after the men were
hung, the townspeople took chunks of wood from the tree they were hung from, as
a souvenir. What a morbid thing to do. When we went through the Confederate
museum in Front Royal, we saw several of these chunks of display. And yes, I can
definitely tell you there was paranormal activity in that museum. Everywhere I
looked I saw the transparent faces of battle weary men staring back at me in
that museum. I try not to tell the hubster when I see spirits because I think
it freaks him out. But that’s another story for another time.
On Monday our relaxing trip
took on a more stressful aspect as we encountered bad weather and heavy traffic. The day started out peaceful enough. We spent
the majority of it tromping around the battlefield at Manassas VA. It was a
cloudy day, but the rain seemed to be holding off. That is until we got out in
the middle of the battlefield, with no tree's around, no shelter, no umbrella, no nothing. Then
the skies opened up and boy howdy did it pour…and pour…and pour. There was
nothing to do but walk in the torrential rains toward the visitor center—which
was half a mile away according to our drenched map.
I took our blow dryer in the
visitor center and did my best to dry is off with it, but we were pretty much
beyond repair at that point. And when the busload of 50 teenage girls arrived and all started pouring into the bathroom, we knew it was time to leave. After a full day at the battlefield we headed to DC and to the
part of the trip I dreaded. FedEx Field in Landover Maryland, home of the
Redskins—namely to the fan store at FedEx Field. 45 minutes and $100 later we
were back on the DC beltway in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. Eventually we
exited off the Beltway and made our way down Route 50 in Annapolis and along St Margaret’s
road to Cantler’s Seafood. Nom, nom, nom!
At Cantler’s we stuffed
ourselves with some of the finest and freshest softshell crabs you’ll ever eat.
Add in the corn on the cob, shrimp, scallops and rockfish and our pie holes
were working overtime. Stuffed, we left for the last leg of our journey that
day and crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into Maryland’s Eastern Shore aka
home.
Originally from the lower
shore of MD, we were headed to Ocean Pines MD and the hubster’s mothers house,
where we’d be spending the rest of the week. She lives two miles from the Atlantic
ocean and resort traffic can be a bear, so we didn’t reach her house until 10pm. A long day to be sure. But now we were ready for a week of fun at the shore!
