Two Lane Adventure with Wings

We traveled to Tampa Airport very early on Friday morning. After a quick two hour and twenty minute flight we landed at Baltimore Washington Airport. We picked up our rental car (book mark the location) and headed north on MD 100 to US 1 to Ammendale to Powder Mill Road arriving at our hotel. Don't forget, need to bookmark the location in our GPS. Too early to check in, let's explore! Montgomery County's Historic Sites includes the 1946 Canada Dry Bottling Plant. With its Art Deco-style, yellow brick, glazed tile, glass block rotunda, curved corners, strip windows, and distinctive signage, the Canada Dry Bottling Plant is a unique feature of downtown Silver Spring. It is the focal point of Silver Spring's historic industrial corridor, known as the East-West Highway. It also includes the Laurel Armory, a landmark since 1928. Its original purpose was to serve as a home for the Hq Co., 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry. The Armory also housed the local branch of the U.S.O. The Armory is now the Anderson & Murphy Community Center since it was purchased by the City for use by the Parks & Recreation Department. We drove around the University of Maryland College Park campus. It is pretty interesting, because the University of Maryland specialize in providing career-relevant online higher education opportunities. They are dedicated to the online higher education of military personnel, veterans and their families with a presence on military installations in more than 25 countries. They are the leading provider of education services to the U.S military. Although we can not attend, our second son, is graduating from the University of Maryland in Lakewood, Washington on Friday May 2nd with a BS in IT and Computer Science. We are so proud of him for all he has accomplished in the military and in getting his degree. The Anacostia Watershed helps to preserve the abundance of the Anacostia River. It is breathtaking, as it threads through the heart of Washington, DC. You can watch birds on Kingman Island or dock at the National Arboretum and roam the forest, paddle to Nationals stadium and catch a baseball game or tie-up at Yards Park. Upstream you’ll find forests, wetlands, and wildlife that seem amazingly removed from the city. The reason for our quick trip to Maryland, was to see our middle son, graduate from the National Labor College. It was a great day for this family to gather together and celebrate his accomplishments. The convocation included a keynote address by Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO. However, it was a sad day for the college. Despite historic backing from the nation's largest labor unions, the National Labor College graduated it's last class. The college, in suburban Maryland, has a decades-long history at the heart of the American labor movement. The college has operated on a 47-acre campus in Silver Springs, called the George Meany Center for Labor Studies. The Labor College is closing on its own terms and can be proud of it's accomplishments of helping union members, leaders and their families obtain their degrees. Following the graduation we enjoyed a reception and time with our family that traveled from New York, New Jersey and Florida. The family fun lasted well into the evening. The very early morning, 2:30 am, came to soon! Use the GPS to get back to the rental car facility, bus to the airport and a two hour plane ride back to Florida. Next two lane adventure ... Lake Okeechobee!