Mini-Van Mom: Photo Journey

Daughter took a photography class in school last year. This year, she will be taking AP Photo. She had a series of photographs that had to be taken this summer, from pictures taken from a moving car to timed light exposures at night, she had about 14 separate assignments in all.

Throughout the month of July, we would take off somewhere on a Friday afternoon and go on a photo safari. I would sit and enjoy the location, while she crawled around on the ground, squatted, and almost fell into a water fountain at one point, searching for just the right angle, and just the right shot.

All of her pictures belong to her, so I'm not going to share them here. Copyright online can be a tricky thing. Just because I label the image as belonging to her doesn't mean that someone won't lift her image and claim it for their own.

And so, I bring to you: our photo safari, 2014

Old Towne Alexandria

Located on the Potomac Waterfront, Old Towne Alexandria is a beautiful city that dates back to Colonial Times. George Washington's Home, Mount Vernon, is located not that far down the river from here. The Torpedo Factory is a huge draw for many people. This abandoned torpedo factory was turned into a hub of artists studios back in the 1970's. If you are looking for art, this is the place to go and see! (Remember that statement I made about copyright? This is why I couldn't take any pictures within the Torpedo Factory to share. Artists are VERY picky about such things!)


We found this little cowboy boot sitting on a tree stump in the park down by the river.


Beautiful, tree lined cobblestone streets. I always have loved Old Towne.

National Harbor

National Harbor is relatively new on the scene in DC. Considering the age of the town, and the fact that National Harbor is less than 10 years old, it's still in it's infancy. Home to some great views of DC, National Harbor is located on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, just off of the Capital Beltway.

We spent a lot of time walking around the Harbor, explored the Gaylord Hotel, wandered in and out of little shops, and she took a lot of pictures. We saw a bridal party taking pictures, and we watched someone in a full Captain America costume attempt to paddle board on the edge of the Potomac. We had a fantastic dinner next to the river, and then headed back home once traffic died down.


The view from National Harbor to the Woodrow Wilson bridge.

Annapolis

The State Capital of Maryland, located on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. I love Annapolis with a passion. Home to the Naval Academy and St. John's College, Annapolis is an intriguing mix of military town, college town, and legislative capital all wrapped up into a Colonial City... Did I mention I love Annapolis? The state legislative buildings are beautiful - and worth a tour to see. The art work in those buildings easily rivals that of the National Capital Building. I actually think the State House in Annapolis is a more beautiful building, to be honest. Down by the docks in Annapolis, you have wonderful stores, shopping, the city dock, and people - all kinds of people, young and old- roaming around. I spent a lot of time sitting on the dock, people watching while daughter attempted to get the "right" pictures.

We're up by the State House here, looking down to the water. You can just barely see the Bay down at the bottom of the hill.


A view from the city dock.

Had to share this... daughter's first ever attempt at a selfie. 17 years old and never taken a selfie before... Can you tell? That's her hair that you see against one of the pilings on the dock.

Boonesboro

Out west of Frederick, in Maryland, there is a charming little town called Boonesboro. Why should you even know about this little town? Well, it is the home of the bookstore owned by Nora Roberts. If you call ahead, she'll sign books for you and leave them at the counter for you. She hosts book signings by authors, and writers workshops for teens and adults. The bookstore itself is a wonderful little place, full of her own books, books by other romance authors, best sellers, local authors, and books of local interest. If you didn't know, Boonesboro is located in the center of a lot of Civil War activity (it's not that far from Antietam/Sharpsburg).

Not only does the Roberts family own the bookstore, they also own the hotel across the street from the bookstore. Each of the rooms within the hotel is named after a famous literary couple.. Darcy and Elizabeth, Westley and Buttercup... and each room is decorated in a style that reflects the era of their story.

We stopped to eat lunch at a marvelous little cafe - Kristi's Bakery and Cafe. So much food, so reasonably priced, and they were so willing to go out of their way to meet the needs of the food allergies in our family. I can't begin to speak highly enough of this fantastic, fabulous hometown restaurant.