What we’re about
We are a touring club in the Washington, DC area focused on walks in and around historical, cultural, and scenic locales. Especially the towns and neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Alexandria, Lafayette Square, Georgetown, Annapolis, downtown Washington, et al. The excursions are led by a author-historian.
We add to the pleasure of a sociable outing the discovery of the cultural and historical aspects of the wayside along the routes, roads, and trails we tread. While benefiting from an invigorating hike or walk, time is taken for guests to share their knowledge of the architecture, human history, and natural history, of the area with the group.
Our current focus has been on the rich political and cultural history of the Capitol region.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Inaugural Tour, Bladensburg Maryland: Battlefield & Dueling Grounds, Sun, May 4!Bladensburg Waterfront Park, , Washington, DC
Inaugural Tour, Bladensburg Maryland: Battlefield and Dueling Grounds, May 4!
Just six miles from DC, the village of Bladensburg, Maryland is one of the most historic, and bloody, places in the capital region.
Join us for the First-Ever tour and talk about War of 1812 battle that happened there, a victory for British military which allowed it to enter and burn down Washington, D.C. And also a visit to the former dueling grounds nearby, where congressman, Navy commodores, Army officers, business rivals, and many others fought pistol duels--often to the death!
Starting from the scenic waterfront park, we'll walk a portion of the battlefield, where the dreaded veterans of the Napoleonic Wars took on a raw group of American militia, the U.S. Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, while observed by President James Madison and future President James Monroe. And discuss how the war came about, the events preceding the battle, and the battle itself.
We’ll stroll a mile and a half or so along the riverside park and through a local neighborhood to the legendary dueling grounds, now a compact public park. And learn how Commodore Stephen Decatur, and the son of Francis Scott Key, and a relative of Founding Father George Mason, among many others, met their doom, or proved their courage, with smoking pistols at just 10 paces apart! Then walk back to the riverfront park, and talk about the subsequent burning of the capital by the British, followed by the American victory at Baltimore. Alternatively, you can take an Uber back to the park.
MEET at: Bladensburg water park, at the Ropewalk Pavilion, by the river.
There is a large parking lot on the southeast portion of the park, just west of Kenilworth Ave. The park's general address is 4601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD 20710Pre-Register and Prepay via--
Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inaugural-tour-bladensburg-maryland-battlefield-and-dueling-grounds-tickets-1338988282999?aff=oddtdtcreator
You can also pay in cash, $22, at the tour's start.We’ll discover:
• The accidental battle
• The deadly duel between two of the Navy's top commanders
• The valor of the U.S. Marines, and the chivalry of the Royal Marines toward them.
• How the Star-Spangled Banner came out of the battle
• James Madison, the only President to direct troops in battle while serving as Commander-in-Chief
• Founding Father George Mason's nephew, and his deadly duel with a family member!
• The origins of the War of 1812: land lust and maritime kidnappings
• The duel over the trade embargo that preceded the war
• The House Speaker's comic duel
• The worst general in American history from the worst military family
• The only Congressman shot to death by another Congressman
• Abe Lincoln's duel, and Aaron Burr's
• The battles of Baltimore, Alexandria, and Fort Washington
• How two of Francis Scott Key's sons met horrific deaths
• The British rampage at the capital city
• War hero Andy Jackson's 25 duels
• Why a dueling ground in Bladensburg?
• And more!Your tour guide is a former “Tonight Show” and presidential writer and author of books on the hidden history of the White House, the Capitol Building, and Alexandria, Virginia:
https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
And:
https://www.amazon.com/OLD-TOWN-HORROR-Americas-Historic-ebook/dp/B0BX27RWYG
And:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-History-Capitol-Tumultuous-Congress-ebook/dp/B099JBSN9Q
And his newest book, a spy thriller set in Georgetown!:
https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalité-Lizzy-Thorne-Novel-ebook/dp/B0F4945MR5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0We’re highly rated on TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.htmlQuestions? Contact: 191.EP.JM.56@proton.me
Bring your walking shoes, and perhaps some water.
MEET at: Bladensburg water park. There is a large parking lot on the southeast portion of the park, just west of Kenilworth Ave. The park's general address is 4601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD 20710
Think history is boring? Not on our tours!
Restaurants available afterwards, at IHOP et al.
