dad visits

last weekend, my dad was in dc for business. we drove up to baltimore on friday afternoon, which took us 4+ hours because of all the traffic on the capital beltway. funny, we've been to the dc area (and beyond) several times, but have yet to set foot in dc.

we stayed with my aunt catherine and uncle bill in their baltimore brownstone. it is amazing. the windows, mirrors, floors, gilding, fireplaces... wow.

we were only there friday night and saturday morning, so catherine and bill took us on a little tour of baltimore. we went to fort mchenry (the location of the flag about which the star spangled banner was written), to the harbor to see bill's sailboat, and to the american visionary art museum.

i really liked the museum because it wasn't fussy. it was colorful and silly and imaginative and happy. they had a whole room full of works by legitimate, institutionalized crazy people. i've never seen anything like it.

we also had our pictures taken with this beautiful delivery van.

before you think we should be making art for the crazy people gallery, look UP to the sign on the left side of the building. it's charm city cakes!

the shop is only a few minutes from catherine and bill's house, so we drove past to take pictures for cait. they were actually loading cakes when we were there, so we saw a few of those and could see into the shop through the open door. i've only seen the show a few times, but it was cool to see where they work.

that afternoon, we drove 3+ hours back to charlottesville so dad could see the town. we walked up to todd's school, the to the rotunda and around the lawn. dad took us out for steak on the downtown mall, then we drove him to richmond so he could fly home.

phew, what a weekend! we're so glad we got to see dad, catherine, and bill.