Aerial View of Fort McHenry

By Eileen Ogintz

Tribune Media Services

The flag was just what the major ordered.

It was gigantic — 42-by-30-feet — so big that the flag maker couldn’t even lay it out in her house. Each star was two feet wide!

This was during the War of 1812 and Major George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md., had commissioned local flag maker Mary Young Pickersgill to sew a flag “so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance.”

Pickersgill worked night and day with the help of her teenage daughter, two teenage nieces and a free African-American apprentice to finish the job in just six weeks. It had 15 stars and 15 stripes, one for each state. She delivered the flag and a smaller “storm flag” to Fort McHenry in the summer of 1813.

She, of course, didn’t know how important her flag would become — the original Star Spangled Banner — all because of a strange confluence of circumstances.

A little more than a year after Pickersgill delivered her flag, Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer and amateur poet, was sent to help negotiate the freedom of a doctor being held by the British outside Baltimore harbor.

Lucky for us, Key wasn’t allowed to leave after he got the British to agree to set Dr. William Beanes free, he’d apparently heard too much about the British plan to attack Baltimore.

As a result, Key watched the epic overnight battle for control of Fort McHenry from the deck of a U.S. truce ship. The Americans were far outnumbered, the weather was horrible, but their luck held: the wooden British ships — their crews fearful of getting too close to the canon fire — were too far away for their rockets to do much damage to the fort. The British ultimately retreated.

When dawn broke and Key saw that gigantic American flag flying over the fort, he was inspired to write down the first words of what would become “The Star-Spangled Banner”: O! Say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars … were so gallantly streaming!

Maryland Historical Society Living History

Today, you can see the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History where it is one of the most popular exhibits. You’ll learn how it was a keepsake in Major Armistead’s family for generations, with snippets cut off and given away as gifts. It didn’t come to the Smithsonian until 1907. (Learn about the painstaking conservation effort undertaken in the 1990s to protect and preserve the flag.)

There is an entire website devoted to the Star-Spangled Banner, complete with interactive games and the opportunity to share your thoughts about what the flag means to you.

But I think learning about the flag should start in Baltimore with a visit to Fort McHenry (walk among the canons and peer into barracks that look as they might have during the Battle of Baltimore).

Visit the home of Mary Pickersgill where the kids can dress up in period costumes and act out their own story of the Battle of Baltimore in the Discovery Gallery of the adjacent Jean and Lillian Hofmeister Museum Building, make their own flag or even write to soldiers serving overseas today. Schedule your visit when you can meet “Mary Pickersgill and her family” and learn what life was like in the early 19th century.

See Key’s original manuscript at the Maryland Historical Society. (There is a Star-Spangled Baltimore Pass that provides discounted admission to these sites.) Also, check out the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.

Key finished writing his poem on Sept. 16, 1814 and gave it to his brother-in-law who then gave it to the local newspaper. People sang what was then “In Defense of Fort McHenry,” to the melody of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a British drinking song.

A few weeks later, a local song publisher changed the name and published it as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but it took until the Civil War before the flag became the enduring symbol of the United States. Did you know the Star-Spangled Banner wasn’t even officially decreed the country’s national anthem until 1931?

While you’re in Baltimore, stop in at Babe Ruth’s birthplace and learn the connection between the Star-Spangled Banner and baseball. (The song was first played in September 1918 during the seventh-inning Stretch at Cubs Park in Chicago in the first game of the World Series. It was an homage to all those fighting in World War I.)

Who says history is boring? This summer, wherever you go, inject a little history in your vacation travels. Baltimore is a good place to start as the city commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, a tribute to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad and the continuing 150th anniversary of the Civil War. There’s even a new kids’ book about the Battle of Baltimore, “Calvert the Raven in the Battle of Baltimore,” written and illustrated by local author J. Scott Fuqua. Fuqua said he was inspired to write the book “to make history exciting for kids.”

(The Four Seasons in Baltimore, which has a great location overlooking Baltimore’s fabulous Inner Harbor and is known to be welcoming to kids, has a deal to book a second room at half price. You’ll also find lots of deals in Washington, D.C., like at the Fairmont, with its third-night-free deal, healthy kids’ menu and its partnership with the Smithsonian — a portion of whole wheat Maryland Mac and Cheese supports the Smithsonian.)

Army Captain Jeremy Mahoney, just back East from serving in Hawaii, has been taking his kids to these historic sites for years, including Fort McHenry. “I love history and I want them to know it,” he explained. “If you don’t know history, you’ll make the same mistakes again.”

(If you are going to Washington DC, check out Eileen’s new Kid’s Guide to Washington DC from Globe Pequot Press and for more summer ideas, The Taking the Kids Very Best Family Summer Vacation Ideas. You can also follow TakingtheKids on Twitter and Facebook.)

© 2013 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

Local and visiting kid in Beach Buddies program on Abacos

DAY 5 — Got your conch shell?  12-year-old Jenna Williams says no kids should leave the Bahamas without one.   “They should get a straw basket that’s made here too,” she said.

Kids visiting the Bahamas should go snorkeling and fishing while they’re here, added 14- year-old Joshua Wong.

“And they shouldn’t be afraid of the fish,” said his younger brother Gabriel,11

Make sure to eat conch fritters, conch salad added Mackennlee Ferguson, 8. “It’s really fun to live here,” she added.

These kids all live in the Bahamas on the Abacos Islands and spend the time they’re not in school or playing sports at the beach.  In fact, Gabriel wouldn’t even share his tip for building great sand castles.

They’re ready to be Bahama Buddies to children staying at the Abacos Beach Resort—a program designed to help visiting kids connect with local kids through beach and cultural activities.  The idea, says resort spokesman Jules McCafferty, is to enable visiting kids to go home with a sense of the culture and customs of the Bahamas —and maybe a new friend, as well as a tan.  The resort charges visiting parents $30 for the three-hour supervised program—a bargain—when you consider the activities are included.

“It’s fun to meet people from other places,” said Jenna Williams.

That’s also the idea behind the Bahamas People to People Program. Visitors are paired with locals of similar interests who might take them to church, running in Nassau, on a boat ride or a kayak in Grand Bahama Island or to dinner at their home.  There is no charge.

We joined the Taylors for dinner in the Abacos Islands.

“I want visitors to see beyond the typical tourist experience,” says Matthew  Taylor, a taxi driver who with his wife Kenya, son Kyro,13, and daughter Malaysia,7, hosted us for a delicious Bahamian meal—fried fish, coleslaw, baked macaroni and cheese and peas and rice. We had a homemade coconut tart for desert.

Meeting locals in the beach to beach programs in the Bahamas

They’ve met families from  around the world through this program

One of the young guys in our group showed Kyro the latest apps on his Iphone;   We talked about school uniforms—everyone wears them here and the upcoming big Independence Day Celebration in July.  The Bahamas is celebrating  its 40^th anniversary of Independence with celebrations throughout the islands.

They tell us a typical Friday night here at the end of a work week means a  community  fish fry  with “down home” food and a chance for the kids and the grown ups to kick back and see their friends.  “We look forward to it,” says Kenya.

Everyone dresses up for church on Sundays.  “It’s a fashion show,” Kyro says.

It could be a dinner anywhere. The women talk about the difficulty juggling kids and work and diets; the men watch basketball on TV.  Malaysia giggles a lot and her older brother tries to act grown up, though we know he’d probably rather be with his friends.

We’re sorry to see the evening end and hug goodbye.  I feel like we’ve made new friends.

That’s the idea, of course.

Lighthouse symbolizes Abacos

DAY FOUR — I’m standing in ankle-deep water with a piece of fish between my toes.

No, I’m not crazy.  I’m waiting for a stingray to come– and snatch it.  That takes just a few seconds!   

Did I mention the water is some of the clearest I’ve ever seen?  That we’ve just finished a lunch of just-caught fish on a deserted beach?  Talk about catch-of-the day!

Talk about paradise.  Welcome to the Abacos Islands  in the Bahamas —a chain of some 120 tiny islands, home to just 14,000 people and a mecca for boaters, fisherman, snorkelers and divers.

Today we’re at  Munjack Cay about 40 miles by boat from the town of Marsh Harbor with Lincoln and Marcus Jones who have brought us and some other guests here to cook the fish we’ve just caught.  

“I always catch fish,” says Marcus, adding that when kids are part of the group, he stays next to them and lets them reel in the fish.  If this were lobster season, we’d be eating lobsters too.  Sometimes, they make conch salad too.

They fry up the fish,  and potatoes in a huge cast iron skillet that Marcus Jones says “is older than me!” and poor Goombay Smash—a juice and rum concoction that was invented in the Abaco Islands.

“This is where I learned to swim,” says 28 year old Marcus Jones, gesturing at the deserted beach, the palm trees, the stingrays and nurse sharks swimming around.

About those sharks swimming right at the beach—Jones laughs and calls them his “pets,” because he and his dad feed them.    

Lunch on tiny cay gives new meaning to catch of the day

Clarence Thacker has been coming here for more than 30 years and is back with his wife, son and daughter and a couple of their friends.  “This is one of our favorite family holidays,” says Celeste Thacker, a 24 year old law student. “The snorkeling is beautiful and everyone is so friendly.

But what her mom Jo likes most of all is unfettered family time where everyone turns off their electronic devices.  “I tell people it’s not fancy, it’s fun.”  It’s a chance to enjoy each other in a beautiful place.”

They tool around all week in a rented boat fishing and snorkeling; at night they play cards.  Sounds like my kind of vacation!

We talk about visiting Hopetown the next day where the famous Abacos light house is—nicknamed the “candy lighthouse” because of its red and white stripes. It’s one of the few still operating—and with no electricity.  When you see it, we’re told, you know that represents the Abacos.  We also learn there is a lot of history here—after the American Revolution, many colonists loyal to Britain came here to live rather than remain in the new United States and families in quaint Hopetown with the pastel-colored cottages can trace their lineage back to those days.

But the real draw, of course, is the water. “I’ve snorkeled all over the world and the water is the best here,” says Clarence Thacker.  Best of all, there’s no one else here—and in this chain of islands, it’s easy to find many places just like this. 

Lunch never tasted so good.

I bet the sting rays and the sharks thought so too.

First Lady Michelle Obama runs at an activity station during a “Let’s Move! London” event at Winfield House in London

By Eileen Ogintz

Tribune Media Services

Ready to let the kids lead the way on vacation?

First Lady Michelle Obama suggests that’s one way to get everyone more active on vacation this summer. The first lady told Taking the Kids exclusively, “The key to getting kids moving is to find something they enjoy, and join in!” For the First Family, that includes biking.

Every traveling parent, including the First Parents, of course, knows that if the kids are happy on vacation, everyone will be happy. But these days, with concerns about childhood obesity and fitness, none of us wants our kids to spend vacation sitting around eating fries, playing video games or texting, even if that’s what makes them happy.

Us either. In fact, American travelers ranked getting healthier as their top goal this year, according to research from the new Portrait of American Travelers from MMGY Global/Harrison Group.

At the same time, kids surveyed by the U.S. Travel Association said that what they like most on vacation is doing things with their families that they can’t do at home, things they’ll talk about all year. Why not make some of those activities ones that get you all moving, suggests the first lady. “I’d encourage families to pick activities — no matter where you’re visiting — that involve getting active, whether it’s walking, biking or anything else you find fun,” she said.

Mrs. Obama has made combating childhood obesity and encouraging families, including her own, to eat healthier and get more active one of her signature White House initiatives by way of her Let’s Move! campaign.

The fact that her daughters, Sasha and Malia, weren’t eating enough vegetables was the impetus for the famous White House garden — the largest ever planted at the president’s residence. The garden has even encouraged families around the country to plant their own. Last summer, Mrs. Obama told Taking the Kids that one way to encourage kids to eat healthier on vacation is to visit farmer’s markets. “Get them involved in buying the food your family eats … at a farmer’s market you can let them pick out any three vegetables they want, and then plan dinner around those,” she said. (Here are more tips from the first lady on eating healthier on vacation visit from my column last summer.)

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a “Let’s Move!” and “Sesame Street” public service announcement taping with Big Bird in the White House Kitchen

This year, as Memorial Day approaches, signaling the start of the summer family travel season, I was glad that the first lady took the time out of her busy schedule to respond again to questions from TakingtheKids about how we can all vacation healthier. I’m sure you’ll find that she has some pretty useful tips.

Q. How can families be more active on vacation this summer, whether they’re touring a city like Washington, D.C., or heading to the beach?

A: One of my favorite activities in the summer is biking. Barack and I love to bike with the girls when we can, and it’s a great way to explore a new place. And many cities now have affordable ways of renting bikes for a few hours or a few days. Going on a long walk is also a great way to explore a new city or new neighborhoods. You can also choose a vacation spot that will get you active without even thinking about it, like visiting one of our nation’s many beautiful national parks (www.nps.gov).

Q. How can you encourage kids to move on vacation, if they’d rather play video games or text?

A. We are our kids’ first and best role models, so if we’re getting active and enjoying it, they will too. Also, set limits on screen time during vacation. If they aren’t moving, they should be reading.

Q. We know the Junior Ranger program that engages and enables kids to get a kids-eye-view of the national parks has incorporated some Let’s Move! activities in the national parks. Why should families include a national park in their vacation plans?

A. Our national parks are so beautiful and offer an amazing diversity of experiences. And Junior Rangers makes it extra fun for kids to visit national parks, which are already such a great places for families to get active and spend time together. From hiking to biking to swimming and canoeing, our country’s national parks offer a wide variety of family-friendly activities.

And if you’re a military family, you can also get free passes to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

(The Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger program encourages kids and their families to engage in outdoor activity that will get hearts pumping and bodies moving during a visit to national parks. Kids who complete at least one physical activity in pursuit of their Junior Ranger badge receive a sticker that designates them as a Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger.)

Q. Do you have a favorite national park your family has visited?

A. We are blessed to live in a country that has so many unique national parks and each one has so much to offer. We have gorgeous, awe-inspiring parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, which I actually went to for the very first time as first lady. It was amazing.

But the thing I love to remind people is you don’t have to go far to find a national park. There are national parks all around the country — some maybe even in your own backyard — that are there for families to enjoy year-round.

Q. We all think vacation is a time to kick back, relax and indulge, especially when it comes to food. How can we do that and still eat healthier on vacation?

A. It’s OK to indulge. I do it myself. The key is balance. I’ve always told my girls that if you’re eating healthy 90 percent of the time, then you don’t have to worry about watching what you eat on special occasions. I would also say that vacations are a great time to try something that you haven’t before and expand your kids’ food horizons. Maybe a local dish with ingredients from the town you’re staying in, such as locally grown fruits or vegetables, or the “catch of the day.”

As for me, I’ll have some homemade ice cream for dessert — after that bike ride.

© 2013 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

–Wrap It Up! – Customize an authentic Crayola crayon label and wrap it around the color of your choice to create your very own crayon.

–Crayon Factory – Learn how iconic Crayola crayons are made in a live theatre show featuring our resident Crayonologist and his animated crayon character friends!

–Marker Mania – Make custom multi-color markers from scratch.Color Playground – Burn off excess energy in this Crayola-inspired indoor playground!

–Art Alive! – Make your art come to life on huge projected surfaces!

Learn a little Bahamian culture with Junkanoo parade at grand Bahama resort where we stayed

DAY 3 — The next time you can’t get the kids away from the computer, the smart phone or the TV , hand them some strips of crepe paper, some cardboard, some wire and challenge them to make a costume.

 That’s what thousands of Bahamians—kids as well as adults—do every year for the Junkanoo Festivals that traditionally are held on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and on New Years Day.

 “This engages thousands of young Bahamians. They just have to hear one drumbeat and you have their full attention,” said Arlene Nash, the Nassau grandmother who has made it her mission to do just that, starting the Educulture Bahamas Junkanoo Mini-Museum and Resource Centre in her childhood home in Nassau .

What began with programs for school kids in the Bahamas in 2000, now attracts cruise ship passengers and other visitors for workshops in Junkanoo costume making.  And what amazing costumes they are, put together with thousands and thousands of strips of brightly colored crepe paper adorned with feathers and gold and silver buttons.   You might make a head dress or a wall hanging to take home.

As soon as one festival is done, the group—that may include hundreds of people—start working on their theme and their costume design for the next as there are competitions.  Young Bahamians, said Nash, earn thousands of dollars gluing the paper onto the costumes.  While the groups rehearse weekly—dancers, drummers, horns, typically working in “shacks” that might be simple back yard cottages around the island. 

The Junkanoo Festival began, she said more than 300 years ago after Africans were enslaved and brought to the Bahamian Islands.  They were given 3 days off a year—around Christmas—and made the most of that time off by staging a festival to recreate those from their home land with costumes, bells and drums.

They used what they could scrounge for costumes—sponge, rags or newspapers, for example. Nash said using those newspapers might have been “passive resistance” on the slaves’ part as they were forbidden from learning to read or write.  She has those historic costumes in the museum as well as more recent ones.  They used rags—she has some of those costumes in her museum as well as recent ones—a Transformer character, Big Bird.   Last year, Nash was a hail storm in baby blue and white.

These costumes can weigh 80 pounds but the marchers who number in the thousands—as do the onlookers –don’t care.  The parade starts at midnight and lasts into mid day the next day   “We’re still dancing at mid day,” she said.  “It just captivates you every year.”

There are Junkanoo Festivals on other Bahamian Islands as well but none as big as in Nassau where there is also a junior Junkanoo Festival in which local schools compete and parade.  Even preschoolers take part.  At the Grand Lucayan Resort on Grand Bahama Island, we literally had walked into the Junkanoo Parade that goes on every week with bell ringers, drums and of course, the fantastic costumes.

Families are  central to Bahamian life and culture and that’s true at the Junkanoo Festivals as well as off-the-tourist track restaurants like Bahama Grill run by a local family and frequented by locals who come  for the BBQ chicken and ribs accompanied by peas and rice.

Our guide Romeo Farrington says it’s important for tourists to see more than Nassau’s famous Straw Market or Atlantis’s water slides. “Too many people never leave the resort while they are here,” he says.

They are missing a lot—even the chance to be hosted by locals via the People-To-People experience that is completely free. 

In Nassau with Arlene Nash

“We have a fabulous time telling stories with the costumes, the dance and the music,” said Arlene Nash, adding that Bahamians want to share that with visitors.   “You can tell a story and reinvent yourself each year.”

And what can be more fun than that.