Maryland

Year of First Visit -- 1998
Point of Entry --- BWI

Partly because of its size and partly because of how long I've lived there, I've seen a higher percentage of the State of Maryland than any other.



Living in inner-city Baltimore's Pigtown neighborhood, I've gotten to know it and much of the rest of the city, both the tourist and "nice" areas and the parts they don't feature in the travel brochures, very well.



Like locals, we've taken lots of opportunities to "Go Downey Ocean" to visit Ocean City and explore the Eastern Shore. From Kent County to the Virginia line, from Assateague Island to the Bay Bridge I've covered the Eastern Shore.



Of course, out west I've visited Antietam battlefield and Catoctin Mountain along with Cumberland, Frederick, Hagerstown, and points in between. (The only county in Maryland I haven't visited (yet!) is Garrett.)



Naturally, calling Central Maryland home for so long had brought memories from Port Deposit to College Station, with lots of time at Camden Yards and Ft. McHenry. I've biked the C&O Trail, climbed the engines at the B&O Railroad Museum, explored the old Hampton and Mount Clair plantations, and paddled a dragon boat at the Inner Harbor. I even got to be at the very last event at the US Airways Arena before they tore it down.



I have so many memories of great places to visit. But, most of my Maryland memories are tied to daily living. Maryland is in the backdrop for the very ordinary memories of raising kids, working hard on the job, life's delights, and life's tragedies. Maryland has graciously hosted us for all.



And though I know which areas of the state say "BUHL-duh-mor" and which say "BAWL-mer" and can accurately ask, "Ow bout dem O's?" I'm still not local enough to do crab cakes.



Maryland, you've hosted so much of my life. You've provided a great context for my memories of regular life right along side innumerable memories of places and events that only you could give.

Thanks, Hon!

Maine

Year of First Visit -- 2011
Point of Entry -- I-95 near Portsmouth

It was in Maine that my kids discovered that they liked Chinese food. Not lobster, mind you, not sea food, but Chinese food.



On the first evening we were in Maine we strolled the streets of Bar Harbor, seeing the sites as we wound down from our travels and looked for a place to eat. The menu of a Chinese restaurant caught our eyes. My wife and I immediately scrolled through it looking for "American Fare" for our kids so as not to start the vacation with over-dramatized facial contortions of pain and disgust. The kids, however, set aside their normal response to this particular ethnic cuisine and announced a different plan.

"We want Chinese food tonight!" was their mutual exclamation. And by the end of the meal they both wanted to come back the next night, too.



In between we climbed mountains (Cadillac by car, Bubble by foot), sailed along the coast, hiked wooded and coastal trails, and otherwise thoroughly enjoyed Acadia National Park.

We were surprised with the hotel's delightfully warm outdoor pool despite the chilly, damp air. The kids were equally surprised at how icy cold the sea water was on the beach at sunset.



And though we didn't go back for Chinese food the next night, we did indulge in it one more time before leaving Maine for Canada.

Louisiana

Year of First Visit -- 1993
Point of Entry -- I-10 near Beaumont

We needed a chance to get out of town for a few hours one Saturday afternoon not long after moving to Texas so we decided to go exploring. 90 miles later we found ourselves near the Louisiana line and decided to venture across it just to say that we'd been there.

We stayed on I-10 until we saw an exit for the town of Iowa. Since Iowa was the state we'd left to move to Texas we decided to turn around there and head back toward home.

The only other time I was in Louisiana was on the drive when we moved from Houston to Baltimore. We'd left our house in the late afternoon once the movers had cleared out the house and headed east. We spent the night in Lake Charles and hit the road early the next morning.

Kentucky

Year of First Visit – 1977
Point of Entry – Near Paducah

I’ve only had Kentucky in small doses. I’ve “gone into Paducah” a couple time with family who live on the Illinois side of the river. I also had a most beautiful drive one afternoon between Cincinnati and Louisville.

I hope someday to get back in the Bluegrass State. Actually, the correct word is “under” as Mammoth Cave National Park is on my “A-List” of places to visit.