Fort McHenry

view of the Chesapeake Bay where the British navy attacked

Over the weekend Ben and I unleashed our inner touristy history-buff selves (well my inner self, Ben's normal self) and went to the other side of the harbor to visit Fort McHenry, (now a national monument) where the Americans successfully defended the city against the British warships during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.  Francis Scott Key was a prisoner on a ship in the bay and was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner after his experiences on that night.

It is impossible not to have the national anthem stuck in your head as you wander around this place! (which gets kind of annoying if you personally had to play it 59384 times in high school marching band)

The fort is star-shaped and has multiple levels, all made of brick and grass embankments with random arched doorways leading down into the ammunition storage rooms and other technically-termed places; it kind of feels like a labyrinth when you walk around.  You can definitely envision the uniformed soldiers marching through their drills.

It was definitely a fun mini-trip for a sunny afternoon. I recommend stopping by if you're in the city!