Baltimore and Washington- Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014
It seems like it is completely impossible to be at Fort McHenry "at the dawn's early light" this morning. The security around the fort means that you can't park near the fort and the shuttle bus from the Inner Harbor doesn't start running until 8:00. That's disappointing, but the NPS has pointed out several times that the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key wasn't actually raised until 9:00, so that's when they've scheduled events there. As a result, I slept in a bit longer than I would have.
I went down to the Inner Harbor again, with the intention of parking in the same garage I did yesterday. The fire department was stopping traffic as they put up a large flag across Pratt Street, the main road by the harbor, so I made a turn sooner and actually found a garage closer to the harbor than before. I found the people waiting for the buses. By the time we reached the fort, though there were already people there. I had assumed that the ceremony would be taking place on the outside of the fort, where the stage was still up from last night, but in fact it was inside the fort. The fort itself was already filled to it's capacity-- it's not a very big place, really. So I took a seat on one of the chairs that I couldn't get last night and joined the crowd gathering and sitting to watch the proceedings on the big TV screen. I did have a clear view of the flag pole above the ramparts, and that seemed very appropriate. From that spot outside, we heard the ranger addressing the public about the replica flag they were about to raise, and could see it gloriously unfurl in the bright sunlight. In addition to the impressive size, the lightness of the fabric makes it even more impressive in the sun.
The musicians of the fort played Yankee Doodle as the big flag was raised. Then a verse of the anthem was played and sung. Several speakers (including Colin Powell) read the full verses of the anthem. The introduction of keynote speaker Colin Powell seemed almost as long as his address. His speech was good, but covered much of the same ground that had been covered in other addresses this weekend. The crowd was then asked to sing along with all four verses of the anthem (which was the fourth rendition of the anthem in this ceremony alone, if you include the read version).
Rather than try to go into the fort, I went to the visitor's center. I hadn't seen the original draft of the anthem in Francis Scott Key's own hand. It was on loan from the Maryland Historical Society and on display in a big room where the audio visual program gives the history. As the program got to the part where the song is sung, I was reading the verse on Key's draft, the very words that are 200 years old today. (I noted that there was no wait at the gift shop this morning.) I got a peek at the parade of sailing ships passing in front of the fort, including the Pride of Baltimore II, which carried the official re-enactor portraying Francis Scott Key. (Remember, he had originally been watching for the flag from a British ship.) I then started to make my way back to the shuttle to get to my car. Along the way, I stopped at the tent run by the U.S. Postal Service and bought a pin of the Fort McHenry commemorative "Forever" stamp that had its first day of issue ceremony yesterday.
When I got back to the Inner Harbor, I still had one piece of unfinished business. I still had not gotten the commemorative coin. The tents were not open because it was still before 11:00. I waited near the Canada Parks booth again. A few skydivers were parachuting in above the city. As soon as the tent with the coins opened I presented my stamped passport. I thought for a minute that the guy there wasn't going to give me one. I had to sign a paper for it, but did finally get it. It will go in a shadow box along with the other bicentennial pins and coins I've collected over the past two years.
I got back to my car and headed south. I stopped at a McDonalds outside of Baltimore for lunch, and used the WiFi there to decide my next step. The original Star Spangled Banner flag is the centerpiece in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I've seen it before on a number of occassions, but it's the one big piece of the story that I haven't actually seen this weekend. It was so close, and the actual anniversary date. I would surely regret it if I didn't try to go visit it today.
Getting into Washington was actually pretty easy. The traffic wasn't bad, and after circling the block once, I found a place to parallel park right on Constitution Avenue, in front of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I walked down one block to the museum where the flag is on display. They had many signs and banners outside the building noting the flag was there. I called Julie to let her know where I was and to see what I might get the girls. Anna wanted a tie-die t-shirt, and I was looking right at a street vendor selling some as I was talking on the phone.
I expected to have to wait in a long line to see the flag, but in fact, there were no more people viewing it then usual. I spent a short time there (and broke the rules to take a quick video of it). Before leaving the museum, I figured I'd look for the other important 1814 artifact that I knew the Smithsonian has. There is a piece of charred timber that was part of the White House, apparently burned when the White House was burned by British soldiers in August, 1814. I asked several people where it was on display, but no one seemed to know where it was, in spite of the fact that I've seen it featured in their book, The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects. While I was looking around, a brass quintet from the Air Force started playing the anthem one more time. It might have been the nicest rendition of the song I've heard all weekend, and it rang off the walls of the main foyer, just outside where the flag rests.
I went down to the Inner Harbor again, with the intention of parking in the same garage I did yesterday. The fire department was stopping traffic as they put up a large flag across Pratt Street, the main road by the harbor, so I made a turn sooner and actually found a garage closer to the harbor than before. I found the people waiting for the buses. By the time we reached the fort, though there were already people there. I had assumed that the ceremony would be taking place on the outside of the fort, where the stage was still up from last night, but in fact it was inside the fort. The fort itself was already filled to it's capacity-- it's not a very big place, really. So I took a seat on one of the chairs that I couldn't get last night and joined the crowd gathering and sitting to watch the proceedings on the big TV screen. I did have a clear view of the flag pole above the ramparts, and that seemed very appropriate. From that spot outside, we heard the ranger addressing the public about the replica flag they were about to raise, and could see it gloriously unfurl in the bright sunlight. In addition to the impressive size, the lightness of the fabric makes it even more impressive in the sun.
The musicians of the fort played Yankee Doodle as the big flag was raised. Then a verse of the anthem was played and sung. Several speakers (including Colin Powell) read the full verses of the anthem. The introduction of keynote speaker Colin Powell seemed almost as long as his address. His speech was good, but covered much of the same ground that had been covered in other addresses this weekend. The crowd was then asked to sing along with all four verses of the anthem (which was the fourth rendition of the anthem in this ceremony alone, if you include the read version).
Rather than try to go into the fort, I went to the visitor's center. I hadn't seen the original draft of the anthem in Francis Scott Key's own hand. It was on loan from the Maryland Historical Society and on display in a big room where the audio visual program gives the history. As the program got to the part where the song is sung, I was reading the verse on Key's draft, the very words that are 200 years old today. (I noted that there was no wait at the gift shop this morning.) I got a peek at the parade of sailing ships passing in front of the fort, including the Pride of Baltimore II, which carried the official re-enactor portraying Francis Scott Key. (Remember, he had originally been watching for the flag from a British ship.) I then started to make my way back to the shuttle to get to my car. Along the way, I stopped at the tent run by the U.S. Postal Service and bought a pin of the Fort McHenry commemorative "Forever" stamp that had its first day of issue ceremony yesterday.
When I got back to the Inner Harbor, I still had one piece of unfinished business. I still had not gotten the commemorative coin. The tents were not open because it was still before 11:00. I waited near the Canada Parks booth again. A few skydivers were parachuting in above the city. As soon as the tent with the coins opened I presented my stamped passport. I thought for a minute that the guy there wasn't going to give me one. I had to sign a paper for it, but did finally get it. It will go in a shadow box along with the other bicentennial pins and coins I've collected over the past two years.
I got back to my car and headed south. I stopped at a McDonalds outside of Baltimore for lunch, and used the WiFi there to decide my next step. The original Star Spangled Banner flag is the centerpiece in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I've seen it before on a number of occassions, but it's the one big piece of the story that I haven't actually seen this weekend. It was so close, and the actual anniversary date. I would surely regret it if I didn't try to go visit it today.
Getting into Washington was actually pretty easy. The traffic wasn't bad, and after circling the block once, I found a place to parallel park right on Constitution Avenue, in front of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I walked down one block to the museum where the flag is on display. They had many signs and banners outside the building noting the flag was there. I called Julie to let her know where I was and to see what I might get the girls. Anna wanted a tie-die t-shirt, and I was looking right at a street vendor selling some as I was talking on the phone.
I expected to have to wait in a long line to see the flag, but in fact, there were no more people viewing it then usual. I spent a short time there (and broke the rules to take a quick video of it). Before leaving the museum, I figured I'd look for the other important 1814 artifact that I knew the Smithsonian has. There is a piece of charred timber that was part of the White House, apparently burned when the White House was burned by British soldiers in August, 1814. I asked several people where it was on display, but no one seemed to know where it was, in spite of the fact that I've seen it featured in their book, The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects. While I was looking around, a brass quintet from the Air Force started playing the anthem one more time. It might have been the nicest rendition of the song I've heard all weekend, and it rang off the walls of the main foyer, just outside where the flag rests.
Before leaving the Smithsonian, I saw a group of young employees trying to get people to have their picture taken in front of a green screen. They can then put your picture in front of any of a number of things. I noticed that one of those things was the Star Spangled Banner itself. I also noticed that the picture would come dated today, Sept. 14, 2014. I sighed to myself and figured they must have seen me coming. "Just take my money," I thought. So I stood in my Fort McHenry t-shirt and posed. The guy taking the picture wanted to take another shot of me holding some little flags too, but I drew the line there. "Let's not be silly about it," I said. I ended up buying a $30 package deal.
I walked down one more block to see the White House. 200 years plus about 2 weeks ago, the British soldiers burned it in one of the most infamous moments in the war. I wanted to stop while the anniversary of that was still fresh, and took a selfie and a few other pictures there. For the three girls, I picked up some D.C. t-shirts from that vendor.
Then it was time to start making my way back home. It was about 2:30. I had done everything I wanted to do this weekend. Now it was a long drive back. I got to the rental car place near the Buffalo airport at about 10:45. Julie was along a few minutes later and my trip was done.
posted by Scott at
10:02 PM
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