During a long weekend trip, DonDiego and I attended our first NFL game of the season---Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens. Although the Cardinals lost (again, duh!), it was a great trip. DonDiego is always very good at organizing our trips so we have interesting stops along the way.
Driving through Appalachia, our first stop was in West Virginia staying at the Charles Town Race & Casino hotel. It was wonderful. A bit pricey, but the room was very nicely done, very comfortable and our room window looked out onto the race track! During races (which they do at night) we could watch the races from our room. Of course, we also watched some races from the actual track area. It was cool to see the trainers warm up the horses and the jockeys ride them. The racetrack is situated so you can get very up-close-and-personal if you just exit the building.
We also played some Blackjack since the rules were very good. Unfortunately, the lowest table was $15 a hand, but we both doubled our money and walked away happy.
View from our 3rd floor room...the finish line at the racetrack
..
The next day, we toured Harper's Ferry (read your history book) which was just a few miles from the casino. The town also had a very cool old church on the hillside.
..
Then we entered Baltimore, staying at a hotel downtown right near the harbor and Raven's stadium. We enjoyed some good meals and interesting company. Our hotel was a short block from the Occupy Baltimore group...it wasn't bad until nighttime when they played bongo drums for hours and we could hear it in our room. lol. During our trip, we got hit with snow one night, so those Occupy people in little tents were very cold.
teechur & DonDiego at Magerk's bar (we also visited Hull Street Blues bar which had a great chicken Reuben sandwich)...DonDiego near the "Occupy Baltimore" group at the Harbor area
..
Lots of Ravens support along the streets downtown. We also visited Fort McHenry even though it was a miserable, wet, very cold day. Fort McHenry is where a battle was with Francis Scott Key on a ship watching and he was motivated to write the "Star Spangled Banner" when he saw the fort's huge flag being bombarded. Usually they put a huge flag up the same size as he saw, but since the day was very rainy, they only put up a regular sized flag....so that's what you see in my pic.
pumpkin in Baltimore...flag at Fort McHenry
..
Game Day! Most of the fans were very nice to us....considering that 99% of the people we saw at the game were in purple. We rarely saw anyone in Cardinal red. Well.....they were nice until it looked like the Cardinals might win and then some drunk fans were a bit rude to us....but that is the nature of going to a live game.
Walking to the Raven's stadium which is right next to Orioles stadium...the official Ravens Band plays before the game
..
Cardinale Larry Fitzgerald talking with coach Whisenhunt before the game...QB Kolb before the game...The game from our great seats--I love being so close to the action!
..
..
teechur and DonDiego at the game...scoreboard at halftime when it LOOKED like Cardinals might win. HA!
..
On Halloween day, we left Baltimore and visited Montecello (Thomas Jefferson's house) in Virginia. It was fun to tour inside (but no pics allowed inside). Thomas Jefferson was a very interesting, eclectic man of his time. That night we had some great brew and pizza on Halloween, enjoying seeing some small kids in costume at the restaurant.
Montecello
*edited to add picture of cool-looking church at Harper's Ferry.
Driving through Appalachia, our first stop was in West Virginia staying at the Charles Town Race & Casino hotel. It was wonderful. A bit pricey, but the room was very nicely done, very comfortable and our room window looked out onto the race track! During races (which they do at night) we could watch the races from our room. Of course, we also watched some races from the actual track area. It was cool to see the trainers warm up the horses and the jockeys ride them. The racetrack is situated so you can get very up-close-and-personal if you just exit the building.
We also played some Blackjack since the rules were very good. Unfortunately, the lowest table was $15 a hand, but we both doubled our money and walked away happy.
View from our 3rd floor room...the finish line at the racetrack
..The next day, we toured Harper's Ferry (read your history book) which was just a few miles from the casino. The town also had a very cool old church on the hillside.
..Then we entered Baltimore, staying at a hotel downtown right near the harbor and Raven's stadium. We enjoyed some good meals and interesting company. Our hotel was a short block from the Occupy Baltimore group...it wasn't bad until nighttime when they played bongo drums for hours and we could hear it in our room. lol. During our trip, we got hit with snow one night, so those Occupy people in little tents were very cold.
teechur & DonDiego at Magerk's bar (we also visited Hull Street Blues bar which had a great chicken Reuben sandwich)...DonDiego near the "Occupy Baltimore" group at the Harbor area
..Lots of Ravens support along the streets downtown. We also visited Fort McHenry even though it was a miserable, wet, very cold day. Fort McHenry is where a battle was with Francis Scott Key on a ship watching and he was motivated to write the "Star Spangled Banner" when he saw the fort's huge flag being bombarded. Usually they put a huge flag up the same size as he saw, but since the day was very rainy, they only put up a regular sized flag....so that's what you see in my pic.
pumpkin in Baltimore...flag at Fort McHenry
..Game Day! Most of the fans were very nice to us....considering that 99% of the people we saw at the game were in purple. We rarely saw anyone in Cardinal red. Well.....they were nice until it looked like the Cardinals might win and then some drunk fans were a bit rude to us....but that is the nature of going to a live game.
Walking to the Raven's stadium which is right next to Orioles stadium...the official Ravens Band plays before the game
..Cardinale Larry Fitzgerald talking with coach Whisenhunt before the game...QB Kolb before the game...The game from our great seats--I love being so close to the action!
....teechur and DonDiego at the game...scoreboard at halftime when it LOOKED like Cardinals might win. HA!
..On Halloween day, we left Baltimore and visited Montecello (Thomas Jefferson's house) in Virginia. It was fun to tour inside (but no pics allowed inside). Thomas Jefferson was a very interesting, eclectic man of his time. That night we had some great brew and pizza on Halloween, enjoying seeing some small kids in costume at the restaurant.
Montecello
*edited to add picture of cool-looking church at Harper's Ferry.
