Unless I get sent on some last minute assignment by work, this will be my last new state of the year. This wasn't quite the end of our trip, but close enough. After we left West Virginia we pulled into Cumberland, Maryland around 4:30 in the afternoon. While the Wife and My Little Helper went into the National Park, I walked down to the tracks to get my 23'd photo of the year. CSX was kind enough to leave a set of diesels where I could easily see them. It would have been nice if they had been a little bit further down on the tracks so I could get both of them in the sunlight, but who am I to complain.
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| Cumberland, Maryland |
After I got the photo, I walked back down to the National Park and took a walk around the museum there. My Little Helper and I had a good time pressing all the buttons and making all the noise makers make noise. We passed through the gift shop, got three stamps for our National Park Passport and then headed out to see the rest of the town.
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| Cumberland |
The merchants along Baltimore Street were getting ready for their annual "Midnight Madness" sale. The stores open from 6 p.m. to midnight a few weeks before Christmas as part of a night-long celebration. In addition to the sales, the street is decked out with Christmas decorations and there was a wagon giving children rides. Rather than take a ride, we opted to visit the
Tree House Toy Shop and buy a few things for My Little Helper's cousin and nephew. She wanted something for herself too, but we reminded her that Christmas was just a few weeks away and she would have to wait. Like the Chipmunks, she said she was having trouble waiting and wanted Christmas to hurry up and arrive. She then sang a verse from the Chipmunk song about wanting a hoola-hoop.
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| Balitmore Street, Cumberland, Maryland. |
After we bought our gifts and played with the small dog in the Toy Shop it was time to get back in the car and see how far we could get before it got too late. We managed Harrisburg and then made it home the next day. All in all it was a good trip and a good year. I am surprised I managed to get 20-plus states again this year. The first year I tried this, before I had the blog, I only managed 16. I have concluded having the blog has been an incentive to meet my goal. Now, however, I am not sure what to do next. I may do it one more year, or I may do something else. If you have any ideas or suggestions, just drop me an email. Thanks and I hope you have enjoyed this year's trip.
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