The Wandering Disciple

Baltimore, Maryland: The largest independent city in the United States, the city of Baltimore was a major part of early American history. From the days of the colonies through the immigration era and beyond, Baltimore was in the middle of the action. The good times also led to bad times as the city has also seen its share of violence between wars and riots. The city began its life as the Port of Baltimore under orders of the Maryland General Assembly in 1706. The town was official founded in 1729 and named after Lord Baltimore and later incorporated in 1745. Much of the colonies early economy came from the shipping of tobacco and sugar. Baltimore briefly became the capitol of the United States during the Revolutionary War. After fleeing the British in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress held session in the Henry Fite House from December of 1776 through February 1777. War came knocking on Baltimore’s door again during the War of 1812. The British attacked Baltimore on the nig...

Baltimore, Maryland: We left early in the morning on the trip to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. When we arrived at the airport, we learned that our flight was overbooked and we were moved to a later flight, resulting in a 3 hour stay in Baltimore. This was not too bad since we had yet to eat breakfast. My parents had not left the airport property, so I called them and they came back to the terminal to pick us up and we headed to breakfast. We had breakfast at the Bob Evans by the airport then decided to do a driving tour of Baltimore since we still had some time left before the flight. Our brief driving tour took us pass the ballparks at Camden Yards, Baltimore Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore. After the hour long tour, we headed back to the airport, said our good-byes and boarded our flight. The second leg of our flight from Atlanta to Sarasota was an adventure. The fun began while we were sitting in the plane at the terminal, awaiting to push away from the gate....

Millsboro, Delaware: Day five of the vacation was a day of rest and relaxation following the hectic past few days. This proved to be the double edged sword. We got the well needed rest but the down town proved to be detrimental as the personality conflicts set in. I love my family to death, but too long together and its time for a break. Plus to make things worse, they were in the process of moving and the living environment wasn’t the greatest. So to avoid a conflict that would start Family World War III, we made the decision to wrap up the trip a few days early and head back home. Delta Airlines was accommodating in changing our flight schedule and we would fly out of BWI in the morning. We spend the evening around town and went into the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk following dinner. After browsing the shops, we went back to the house to get some sleep before the early morning drive to Baltimore.

Hershey, Pennsylvania: Much of the history of Hershey is contributed to one man, Milton Hershey, and his livelihood of chocolate. You do not have to go far to see the influence of the chocolate world on the city, from the smell of chocolate to the Hershey Kiss street lights, the image of the Hershey empire is all over the city. Hershey’s Chocolate World was created to tell visitors the story behind the chocolate bar and show the process of creating the world’s perfect treat. As the popularity of the chocolate empire increased, the corporation was no longer able to accommodate the large number of people who wanted to take the factory tour and see the inside workings of the factory. So to answer the demand, they designed a ride-through attraction that showed the making of the chocolate bar. In 1973, Hershey’s Chocolate World opened to the public. The highlight of the attraction is the Hershey’s Great American Chocolate Tour. Here guests embark on a ride vehicle that takes them on a 10 m...

Hershey, Pennsylvania: Hershey is known around the world for their famous chocolate bar but each year thousand of people flock to the sweetest place on Earth not just for sweets but for thrills. With over 60 rides and attractions, Hersheypark is one of the country’s premiere theme parks. Milton Hershey, the founder of the Hershey Chocolate Factory, envisioned a park for the working family of the factory. In 1903, Hershey picked out a site along Spring Creek to locate the park. Work began and in 1907 the park was opened to the public. The early park was much different then today’s theme park. The original park focused more on leisure and relaxation. When the park opened, it had a bandstand and pavilion as well as great places to picnic. In 1908 a merry-go-round was added as well as a 1,500 seat amphitheater. The expansion continued into 1909 with the addition of a tennis court and bowling alley. By 1912, the park began to transform into a theme park. A scenic railroad and carousel were...

Hershey, Pennsylvania: The morning began with breakfast at my favorite restaurant in Pennsylvania, Shady Maple. It is one of the largest smorgasbords and features multiple carving stations, omelet stations and just about anything you could ever want to eat for breakfast. Plus with today being my birthday, the meal was free. After breakfast we took the drive to Hershey to enjoy Hersheypark. This was my first trip back to the park since 1996. The park has continued to grow and add rides since I left. The theme parks in Florida need to take a page from Hersheypark, you don’t have to charge $80 to make money. Hersheypark charges around half that price and still manages to stay ahead of the changing times by adding attractions. Plus they have way more thrills and attractions in their park then any of the Florida parks. We made our way through the park with my dad and I riding every roller coaster in the park. A feat that probably wasn’t the smartest after all the food we ate for ...

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: In the quiet Amish countryside sits the Netherlands Inn and Spa. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, the inn provides the opportunity to kick back and relax in quaint, county accommodations. The Inn was opened in 1973 and designed to resemble to country inns of the 18th century. The five buildings of the complex are named after notable people of Strasburg history. Building one is named after George Hoffman, the builder of the first home in Strasburg in 1733. Building two is named after Francis Asbury who began the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1795. Building three is named after one of the original grantees of land in Strasburg, Martin Kendig. Building four is named Musselman House and because the name is very common in the region, it is not sure which prominent towns member the building is named after. Finally building five is named after Senator John Carpenter who was the director of the Strasburg Philosophical Society. The hotel features ...