Maryland port cities weekend

We've been Eric-starved for the past month because he has been working in a challenging ICU rotation. In Jacob's words, "Dad's either at the hospital or sleeping!" (It was not an exaggeration!) So we were thrilled to be able to see lots of him this weekend. We decided to see a little more of Maryland, too, and we spent time in Baltimore and Annapolis.

On Friday, Eric and I went on a date. A DATE! We ate at Phillips Seafood, which sits right on Baltimore's inner harbor, with windows facing the water. My (fabulous!) visiting teacher generously offered to tend the boys; we just brought Adam along and he was a peach. Afterwards we walked along the coast and enjoyed the electric night skyline, the bobbing anchored boats, and the friendly fellow night-walkers.

(Also, did you know that you can afford to dine at deliciously fancy restaurants by buying dining certificates at restaurant.com? Buy during the 80% off promotion periods, and a $25 dining certificate is only $2! It's true.)

We also watched our first Ravens game this weekend, which was a tragedy because apparently they were playing horribly. I didn't mind--Eric was there!

Today we went with my family down to charming Annapolis. After some GPS configuring,

a short drive,

and a short walk

or ride...

we saw the U.S. Naval Academy and museum

(I did not see this, but Eric documented the multitude of stalls in the USNA restrooms--he couldn't even fit them all in this shot! Wow.),

the State House

(including a tour and scavenger hunt!),

and the Annapolis harbor.

The brick streets, beautifully preserved buildings, and bright harbor scene make Annapolis an absolute charmer. Maryland is like everywhere I've ever been--the longer I'm here, the more I love it!