Back From The Road, Pt 1

I returned yesterday from the trip to NJ for dad’s 80th birthday. There will be several posts from the trip and I will write a few of them this evening as we watch the USC Gamecocks try to clinch the title…..Go Cocks!

The trip started on Thursday as I made my way back to Emmitsburg, MD, home to Mt. St. Mary’s University and the National Fire Academy

The Pangborn Campanelle. Mary watches over the valley as the bells sing the time to the entire valley

As always, I visit the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the academy. This visit was special as I wanted to get a few, special photos for an article I am writing.

Visitors come from all around the world to spend a few minutes at this memorial

As the sun set over Mary’s Mountain, there was only one place left to visit….The Ott House, for crab soup and crab cakes, washed down with a glass or two of some Sam Adams Summer Ale. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I calculated that my first visit there was in 1976, just a few years after the pub opened. Bobby Ott & his sister Susan (along with a great staff) have been turning out consistently excellent food for locals, college students and the never ending stream of firefighters that have come to Emmitsburg to train. The bar area is covered with thousands of patches from fire departments from all around the world…it is a sight to see.

As the night came to a close, I got to bed early because Friday was going to be a very busy day.

Ask just about any fire officer in the Country and they will tell you about The Ott House