Sundays: last minute travel opportunity before the week hits

A much needed day to recharge my internal ants-in-the-pants batteries and appease my ever-ravaging wanderlust...

 First stop: Dylan's for a quick lunch of crab dip. I was rather craving sushi....but nothing seemed to open in this small town until noon, much to my chagrin. Waiting 40 minutes for sushi to open did not sound like a good way to waste my time....nor was there a store nearby in which I'd like to waste my time either.

Good noms in East Berlin, but not likely to venture out here again... Adding it to the list of been-there-done-that places. Bartender was not the kindest.

From East Berlin, I ventured over to New Oxford. By this point, the heat was rising and thus I was roasting in my black skinnies, having been told by Weather.com that there were supposed to be slight drizzles.

Definitely wasn't complaining about the weather after the chilly days we had had at random this week and the few coming up.

This lovely antique store was a dealer's dream.... Not that I'm a dealer, but so many cool bits and bobs about! Found a wondrous book on WWII for my Fajer!
Most of the things, alas, were outside of meager price range at this point in my life....not quite raking in the dough. . . [yet]

Gettysburg has quickly become one of my favorite little towns to walk around... yes, there are corny little historic shops and many plaques nearby, pointing out that nearly everything is tied to the Civil War, but it's such a pretty town as well.

Being the granddaughter, niece, and daughter of war veterans, I find it important to pay homage to those soldiers who fought and died for their country, no matter what era.

Garryowen's Irish Pub did not disappoint. A "wee bit" of fish&chips, the smaller-portioned dish of the Irish and English favorite. Although I may be a bit of a snob because I had authentic fish&chips as my first experience with the delightful meal, this was done quite well.

And there was Carlsberg to boot.

A stop at an Irish pub is not complete with a Magners. . . . or two.

The one server suggested Crabbie's. Oh myyyy. Where can I find this near me?!? Perhaps Wegman's as that grocery store seems to be the king of grocery stores, if not only for their selection of beers, ales, and ciders. Don't judge.


And thus completed my nice little day trip before stopping to see my wild Tree.

Mini travels were juuust what my self-prescribing doctor ordered for those springtime blues.

History Buffs can be both impressive and annoying

My Fajer has bestowed upon me his love of history and its significance on the world, with particular interest in the Civil War and World War II. Coming from a partial military background, this comes as no surprise. My Granddad was one of the few to survive from the 32nd Airborne, my uncle went to Vietnam, and my Fajer went all over Europe as a surveyor with special knowledge that kept him from going into Berlin, a place we hope to visit together within the next two years. My Gramps served during WWII as well.

Genealogy has always been quite fascinating...do you know from whence you came? The tales of those who braved the ship to come to this crazy land?

Harper's Ferry was the first stop - and such a beautiful day for it. I was not quite sure what to expect, but it was just a field. That is what I came to...I'm not sure why I expected some grandiose display, but in looking back, I'm glad there was not. I've heard of places that lose their historical significance when combined with people trying to get a profit from it. Leave the spirits free to roam their land.

I'm sorry, that's not a ghost, but a blog on my iPhone 5's camera

Traveling off the beaten path, I found
a lovely place to journal down yonder

A brief pitstop for a restroom [HURRAY for America's free public toilets!] revealed a few more gems. Passings of Civil War brigades, where quarrels and squatters' quarters were had.

The Antietam Battlefields were vast. Naturally, there was a visitor's center and of course, one is supposed to pay to visit the battlefields. I may have perhaps overlooked this and scampered off, intimidated by tourists as I am...

Again, not ghosts...camera.

I also attempted to find the house from the Blair Witch Project movie, but alas, a local told me it does not actually exist...ugh. I did find a Topless Maid service in Towson, Maryland, though.

The Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware was hosting a special Downton Abbey Exhibit. Being a fan of the show, I knew I simply had to see it with my own eyes and appreciate the delicate work that went into each and every costume. So intricately researched, designed, and assembled...a few of my favorite pieces:

I don't want these adventures to end... It just goes to show one of all the things to explore, even closeby. Despite my longing for Europe, I'm content with exploring what these parts still have to offer.