What: Fort McHenry’s 70th Anniversary as a Historic Shrine
Where: Baltimore, Maryland
When: Tuesday, August 11; Summer Saturdays & Sundays
Why: While Fort McHenry was built in 1803, and shelled by the British in 1814, it wasn’t until 1939 that it was granted special status by the US National Park Service. Now the country’s only National Monument and Historic Shrine, it’s recognized as the home of the original star spangled banner—commissioned by the fort’s commander to taunt the British Navy—that Francis Scott Key saw “by the dawn’s early light.”
Touring the fort just southeast of Inner Harbor is worth a trip in its own right, but rangers also host a twice-daily “flag changing” in which they explain why the banner flying over the fort had 15 stripes instead of 13 and how to properly fold the flag. While this year’s anniversary falls on a Tuesday, weekend visitors this summer will also get a full 19th-century experience thanks to re-enactors doing living history and artillery demonstrations throughout the national park.
How to get there: Both Amtrak and BoltBus stop at Baltimore’s Penn Station, at 1515 N. Charles St. Check schedules and fares at amtrak.com and boltbus.com. To reach the fort, use the Baltimore Water Taxis—get more info at thewatertaxi.com—or take bus #1, which stops at the park main gate. (Fort McHenry, 2400 East Fort Avenue, Baltimore, nps.gov/fomc)
Photo: Courtesy of Toshio (Globetrotting)
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram