Wednesday, June 26, 2013

81) Fort Mchenry

            

Fort Mchenry is one if those places I have been meaning to take the girls for a long time. I remember going there as a kid and thinking it was very cool, so I thought the girls would probably like it. We finally got to visit a few weeks ago, on one of those nice spring days. We got there not too long after the park had opened, in the spring and summer they are opened daily from 9am-6pm. The park is open all year long and the park and fort have slightly different hours so check the website first if you are planning a visit. Fort Mchenry is very easy to get to and super close to downtown. Located on the south side of Federal Hill, The Park is located at the end of Fort Ave. We parked in the lot near the entrance (you can also take the water taxi) and entered through the visitors entrance, there is a $7 admission fee for anyone 15 or older, so kids are free. After entering the park, you can either walk around the park itself or take the path up to check out the fort. We started out by walking  up towards the fort. As we were walking towards the fort I pointed it out to the girls up ahead. The Bee stopped in her tracks and turned to me and very seriously declared "that is not a fort", I was a little confused. When I asked why she said "there are no blankets and chairs." To which, of course, I couldn't help but laugh a little. Guess I didn't explain exactly what kind of fort we were going to see. Once I clarified that this was a different kind of fort then the kind we normally make in our living room, the girls were ready and set to explore.


The buildings of the fort were of little interest to the girls, although they are filled with historical information and relics and would probably be of interest to older kids. The did however love the star shaped walkways that surround the fort. The large brick walls were once used to defend the fort. Today the offer a great place to walk and enjoy the views of both the fort and the water. The girls also loved the large cannons throughout the fort.


The girls had a great time running, exploring, checking out flowers, looking at all the boats, investigating the cannons. After walking and exploring for a while we headed home but on future trips I would like to bring a picnic, the park surrounding the fort is a great spot for a picnic lunch. On our way out we walked down by the water  all the way down to the water taxi stand which would also be a fun way to get to the park one day.  Overall a great place to visit and someplace we will definitely be heading out to again soon!





No comments:

Post a Comment