Weekend Getaway

Last weekend was a three day affair (Happy Labor Day), for which I didn't make any concrete plans. Nevertheless it turned out for the best; as usual more the result of spontaneous and utterly random inclinations than anything resembling a carefully calculated plan. Friday night the usual suspects and I went out for sheesha and drinks, and as the night drew to a close the essential question was posed: "What shall we do this weekend?". After a flurry of suggestions and anecdotes, it was decided that we would go to Annapolis (not sure who posed the question, most likely me) for two reasons: A) none of us had been to Annapolis and B) what's in Annapolis anyway? Thus our plan was set in motion; we were to meet at 10:30am the next morning to allow for a full day of whatever there is to do in Annapolis.

3pm the next day, we had not yet left DC (surprised? I'm not.), but after finally getting all our affairs in order we departed, due East, for the Maryland shore. We arrived that evening, finding a small town bustling with tourists. It was Maryland's take on Williamsburg; all the same buildings were there, just rearranged every so slightly and of course there were the ever present naval cadets (in lieu of our colonial patriots and "indentured servants"). We made a quick run through town and had dinner a 6pm. After which we made one last walk around town and jumped back into the car for the return trip home. However as we took our seats there was a short pause, then another simple and innocuous question arose:"....Philadelphia?"...silence as the it hung in the air...eye contact...then smiles. The engine came to life as we made a mad dash for Pennsylvania (to the tune of Tupac's "fuck all ya...").

We arrived to Philly at 9pm, booked a room with a view, and then went out to explore the city. Oddly enough, the city was almost entirely deserted that weekend; and to add to the surreal-ness of it all we encountered the most fantastic and unusual architecture I had seen on the East coast. Anyway, I'll let the pictures put in their thousand words, however suffice to say the randomness was just as enjoyable as the sights and sounds themselves:

(half in color (Fuji Pro), the other half I shot in B&W, will appear on my next post):