Yummy Dinner with Friends

img_0176Middle River, Maryland

We met some friends, from years ago, Bruce & Kathy and their daughter Sheri and we went to a fun restaurant, Carson’s Creekside Restaurant & Lounge, it was delicious!  For appetizers we had their Succulent Steamed Shrimp and…img_0181…Seafood Pizza with jumbo shrimp, crabmeat, tomato, mixed cheeses & white sauce, DELISH!!

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For my entree I had Mahi-Mahi with broccoli & asparagus yummy, too!

I highly recommend Carson’s Creekside if you are in Middle River or the Baltimore area!!

http://www.carsonscreekside.com

Hard Head Creek

img_0161aMiddle River, Maryland

We went to dinner with some friends who we have known for over 35 years, it was so good to see them!  Our dinner at Caron’s Creekside Restaurant was delicious and it was so fun to be together with them.  Before we ate I went out on the dock and took photos of Hard Head Creek, the boats and and the beautiful scenery!

Bowling Green

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Mount Vernon, Virginia

There was a little mound on what is called the Bowling Green in front of Mount Vernon, it was the perfect place for me to sit and RELAX, taking in everything I had seen and felt!

 

Swallowtail

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Mount Vernon, Virginia

I love the gardens at Mount Vernon and I love butterflies, so it was a perfect day of both!

Sunflowers

img_7992Mount Vernon, Virginia

Harvest time is close with these Sunflowers full of sunflower seeds.  I love the color and look of sunflowers!  Did you know that Sunflowers follow the sun?  Their petals are designed to absorb as much sun as possible and they swivel to reach the best sunlight.  In Italy they are called Girasole which literally means turn the sun, meaning they turn and follow the sun.  FUN!!

Potomac River

img_0140abMount Vernon, Virginia

What a view, Mount Vernon and the Potomac River, perfect place to sit and RELAX!

Washington Estate

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Mount Vernon, Virginia

It was a hot day of over 90 degrees with high humidity, so I needed to sit and RELAX and this was the perfect spot where sunrays were coming thru the trees.

Tomb of Washington

img_7982Mount Vernon, Virginia

The grounds at Mount Vernon are very peaceful, I found they were a wonderful place to sit and RELAX and take it all in!

George & Martha Washington

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Mount Vernon, Virginia

Above the tomb of George & Martha Washington are these words: ‘Within this Enclosure Rest the remains of Gen. George Washington’. Behind the gate are two marble sarcophagi, one inscribed ‘Washington’, the other ‘Martha, Consort of Washington’.

Home of George & Martha

img_0104-70Mount Vernon, Virginia

Mount Vernon was the home of George & Martha Washington.  President Washington lived there until his death in 1799.   During his days as General, Martha would spend time with her husband during the winters, the months when there was no fighting because of the harsh winters and then she would return to Mount Vernon.  She lived at Mount Vernon until her death in 1802.

Mount Vernon

img_7978Mount Vernon, Virginia

George Washington inherited Mount Vernon in 1754 and it became a refuge for him during the wars he battled and throughout his Presidency.  I find a beautiful spirit of peace whenever I walk thru the estate so, once again I walked his walk ways, gardens and fields, feeling the past so near yet so far away.

Mountain?

img_7970Baltimore, Maryland

We were driving along the freeway as the sun was setting over Baltimore.  I grabbed my camera and took this photo with the setting sun behind a mountain, or is it?  I showed it to our son, Benjamin and he knew right away what it was, because he knows there are no mountains in Baltimore.  What is it?  Well, it is a type of mountain, a mountain of salt ready for the winter.

Cheesesteak Sandwich My Style

IMG_7699acPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

A cheesesteak sandwich is made from thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese in a long roll. The cheesesteak is one of the favorite foods of Philadelphia. It can be found in most parts of the United States and is called a “Philadelphia” or “Philly Cheesesteak”. Now, when you are a vegetarian or vegan, this sandwich doesn’t work…however, I was delighted to find veggie cheesesteak sandwiches around Philadelphia and they were delicious!  On this one they added mushrooms to the spinach, onions, green peppers & marinara sauce.  The other day I had one with portobello mushrooms on it.  Just take off the cheese and it’s vegan, yummy!

Tomb of Benjamin Franklin

img_0098-70Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Across the top of Benjamin Franklin’s tomb people drop penny’s for good luck and in remembrance of his sage advice; ‘A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED’. His tomb is very simple, just as he requested, with his wife buried next to him. Near by on a wall are some words that the young Benjamin Franklin wrote, never intending them to be used;

The Body of B. Franklin, Printer, ~ Like the Cover of an old Book, ~ Its contents torn out,  ~ And stript of its Lettering & Guilding, ~ Lies here, Food for Worms. ~ But the Work shall not be lost, ~ For it will, as he believed ~ appear once more ~ In a new & more perfect Edition ~ Corrected and improved ~ By the Author.

Independence Hall

img_0081Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

One of the nice things about Philadelphia is that all or most of the historical things are within walking distance, so after a great walk & seeing some really cool places, it was time for a sit, so I put my feet out and RELAXED!  As I did this I thought of freedom and my gratitude to all those who went before and gave so much!!  In 1776 Benjamin Franklin said, when referring to being unanimous in signing The Declaration of Independence, ‘we must hang together, or we will be pretty sure to hang separately.’

Liberty Bell

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I always enjoy going to the Liberty Bell when we are in Philadelphia, is symbolizes America’s Independence.  It was made in 1752 and was originally placed in the steeple of what we now know as Independence Hall which you can see in the background, and was cast with the lettering “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”.  It first  cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia and the crack grew over the years.  In the 1830s, the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionists, who called it the “Liberty Bell.”

76

img_0073-40Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Even the horses remind us of where we are, REMEMBERING 1776, a year that changed the world!

Independence Hall

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We went on a tour of Independence Hall with a very enthusiastic tour guide.  I learned some new facts and was reminded of some old ones, namely, that Independence Hall is where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted, so in other words, it is where the United States of America was born.  It was completed in 1753 and was the Capital of the United States off and on from 1776 – 1800.  It is now a part of Independence National Historical Park and is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Bumble Bee & Flowers

IMG_7704Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

While visiting the Benjamin Franklin Museum, we went outside where they have a structure that shows where Benjamin’s house once stood. There in the area that would have been the courtyard are some beautiful flowers. As I was taking photos of them, a Bumble Bee came by and enjoyed the different and very colorful flowers.

Remembering Benjamin

img_7967-70Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

These structures were put up to help us see where Benjamin Franklin’s house once stood as well as his printing shop.  Below where I am sitting is the Benjamin Franklin Museum.
I had to sit and RELAX for a while, to take it all in, as I realized what a giant of a man he was!