Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, DC

Theodore Roosevelt Island is a national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington DC.  Congress designated this island as a memorial to President Theodore Roosevelt. 

In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed the Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into current Island. They conceived a "real forest" designed to mimic the natural forest.

When visit, once you parked your car right off the GW pike way, you will need to walk through a bridge to reach the Island.  On the bridge, you will have great views of Georgetown, northern Virginia and Potomac River.

The Island is mostly left in its wild except at the entrance where you see the statue of President Roosevelt.

On the trail, there is a place you can see Georgetown waterfront. The trail around the Island is very short.  You will only need about 20 minutes to get around it.

Christmas at Annapolis Maryland

Located on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Seven River, 25 miles south of Baltimore and 30 miles east of Washington DC, Annapolis is the capitol city of Maryland and home to the United States Naval Academy. Surrounded by the charming stores, restaurants, walkable streets and beautiful boats on Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is a picture-perfect place and popular tourist destination. Photos were taken while walking around downtown Annapolis and the Naval Academy campus. 

Note that United States Naval Academy and Maryland Statehouse are considered a National Landmarks.

Around Downtown Annapolis

Maryland Statehouse

Naval Academy Campus

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Fort McHenry is a pentagonal bastion fort in Baltimore, Maryland.  It is significant for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British from the Chesapeake Bay on September 13-14, 1814.

Right at the entrance you will see a huge statue of Orpheus, the hero of music and poetry on the lawn.  Across the lawn you come to a path in front of the Fort and right with water where the gees were enjoying themselves.  From there, you will also have a good view of Baltimore Harbor.

When walking on the walls of the Fort, you can be right there with the cannons that were used in the war.  

It was there when Francis Scott Key stood aboard the deck of an American ship on September 14, 1814 and witnessed Britain's twenty-five-hour bombardment of the Fort, and then the raising of the American flag.  This image inspired Key to write a song that later became "The Star-Spangled Banner"!