East

The hardest thing for me, as for many people who write, is to sit down and get going.
We arrived back in Cincinnati last Wednesday night, Oct 27, after a 13 day sojourn along the East Coast and passing thru the land in between.
I am going to recap some of our adventures, and as usual put a little emphasis on "Eating Out"

The purpose of our trip was a family wedding in Baltimore, visits with three Grandchildren at their eastern colleges, or in the vicinity, and a visit with a cousin and good friend in the NYC area. We accomplished this all with the help of our 1999 Honda CRV, some current, approved, credit cards and too much clothing, but who knew the weather would be so beautiful and so warm.

The drive to Baltimore went smoothly till we hit the Baltimore County line. Friday night traffic on the East coast make our local traffic look like we're still in the horse and buggy age. It took us almost 2 hours to get across the city to our hotel at the "inner harbor". Baltimore has done a wonderful job of development of that harbor area.
After unloading we joined a number of the "out of town wedding guest" at the "Pratt Street Ale House", about 4 blocks from our hotel. The Ale House is a fairly large establishment which looks as though it dates back one or more centuries. It has a large open area on the street, Friday night, and I am told most others, filled with 20 and 30 year olds. There specialty is Ale and there are over a dozen on tap. We had a private room on the third floor with a buffet table loaded with dips, bar foods, pasta's, shrimp and crudities. Eating and drinking to fast sent me home early.
The next day, Saturday Oct 16, Marilyn and I took the train into Washington to meet Marilyn's nephew and his family for lunch and the Norman Rockwell exhibit( wonderful) at the National Portrait Gallery. That evening, back in Baltimore, was a "welcoming party" for all the families and again "out of town guests", at "McCormick & Schmick's", part of the national seafood chain, in the Inner Harbor.
Food was again buffet style but this time I showed better sense and concentrated of the crab cakes (acceptable) and a few sides. All went well.
Sunday morning we joined a cousin's daughter and her twin boy for brunch at "Miss Shirley's Cafe" again in the Inner Harbor area, on Pratt street. After a half hour wait, for a table, we were seated, outside( beautiful day) and presented with the largest Breakfast menu I have ever seen.
I had a glass of fresh squeezed Orange Juice and then a delightful plate of Crab Benedict. The poached eggs were placed on fried green tomato slices which rested on a bed of lump crab meat, fresh sweet corn and diced tomato's. All was covered with a delightful light Hollandaise sauce. The service lacked, but the food didn't.
That afternoon we boarded buses for the 45 minute trip to a Manor House and grounds between Baltimore and Washington, the wedding site. Beautiful and stately house and grounds and a lovely personal ceremony. After the wedding there were drinks and passed Hors d'oeuvre's on the terrace, loaded tables of col appetizers in an anti room and full seated dinner, served family style, is a covered garden room. Only the main course came on an individually served plate with is appropriate side( I had Short rib with potato). The wedding cake was cut and another room stocked with deserts, so no one went hungry.
We left the festivities around 9:30 PM in preparation of our departure next more for Poughkeepsie, NY. There the report will continue.