More Trip Recounting

Above is Adam in the Metro station near our hotel.

We woke up in our hotel room Friday morning with aching calves. I have no idea how far we had walked in total over 12 hours the previous day but according to how my legs felt, it was a lot.

We didn't have to leave the DC area until about 3:30pm so after packing up and storing our stuff in the car trunk, Adam and I checked out and jumped back on the Metro to go down to the Smithsonian. We got there shortly after it opened and spent the day exploring the American History Museum.

When it was at last time to say good-bye to DC we headed for the Hunt Valley Inn outside of Baltimore for the annual Shore Leave convention. Adam has joined me for the last few years when I've attended this convention and once again we had a great time and enjoyed sharing several memorable experiences.

Friday evening was the usual presentation by the editors at Pocket Books about what's new and upcoming from the Star Trek fiction line. As usual my note taking skill couldn't keep up with all the information that was being presented but I taped it so I had all the material I would need for articles and columns over the next few months.

Another Friday night feature at Shore Leave is an event called "Meet the Pros". Basicly all the authors in attendence line a large hallway outside the two main convention rooms, each at a table and you wander around chatting and getting books signed. Adam and both got a few things signed and by then it was late so Adam headed off to bed and I hit the bar to track down some friends and get caught up on their news.

Saturday we attended a number of panels devoted to the books, or various subjects that interested us. There is always so much to choose from at Shore Leave. Among the guests this year were Conner Trinneer from Enterprise and Jamie Bamber from Battlestar Galactica (he's even cuter in person). There were a number of other SciFi guests too, including several of the actors from Stargate, a show I've never gotten into to, but they were guests I've seen and meet at other conventions with the excepetion of Tony Todd who played Klaa in Star Trek V.

One of the great things about Shore Leave is that it's an old-fashioned fan run con, not a money making venture so autographs with the guests are included in your registration fee, which this year did go up a bit to $55. To me however, it's a great value, I always feel like I've gotten more than my monies worth.

Saturday evening was the famous costume Masquerade. My favorites were the gigantic Borg Assimilated Tribble and the SW VII: The Purple Menace which was a little sketch that featured a jedi knight in a light saber dual in which he vanquishes Barney the dinosaur.

The Masquerade half-time show was provided by the Boogie Nights, a group of very talented performers who were recently joined by Keith R.A. DeCandido, an author I know. I have a whole new respect for Keith now after having seen him on stage in a jester's costume whaling away on his bong go drums.

Sunday we attended more panels and picked up a few things from the dealers room that Adam wanted for his weapon collection. He saves all year to blow some money at Shore Leave.

One of the highlights of Shore Leave each year is Mystery Trekkie Theater, which is where Bob Greenberger, Peter David and Michael Jan Friedman lampoon a trek episode to the delight of a very large audience. This year they did a take off on the TOS episode "A Private Little War" which was a riot.

They always begin with a little sketch, this years was a radio style little piece entitled The Fairy Home Companion. I kid you not there were grown men prancing around in fairy wings and antenea. When Corin Nemec(Stargate SG-1) emerged vamping it up for all he was worth, the crowd roared.

After the con ended Sunday evening Adam and we out for a nice crab dinner (how could you go to Baltimore and enjoy some blue crab?) and then we took in a showing of Pirates of the Carribean before collapsing.

Our flight home Monday wasn't until late afternoon so we payed a short visit to the harbor area in Baltimore before heading for the airport and flying home.

All in all a wonderful trip!