It began as a chance to see a few football games but became much more.

Years ago, I set a goal: to attend a home game of every team in the four major North American professional sports leagues. This month, I resolved to knock off a few more during a vacation along the East Coast. I chose November 2 through 11 because the Philadelphia Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Washington Commanders each scheduled home games during that time, which gave me something to do on Sunday, Thursday, and Sunday. But I was also able to attend home games by the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Capitals during my vacation, knocking off five more stadiums/arenas from my list.

The journey began in southern New Jersey outside Philadelphia. I stayed at the home of my cousin Carol. Although only a thirty-minute drive from downtown Philadelphia, woods surround their home, where deer and wild turkeys frequently pass through their yard.

We landed Saturday morning, and I met my friend Tom for coffee. Tom and I went to high school and college together, but we had not seen one another in decades, so it was a treat to catch up.

After an obligatory Philly cheesesteak and crab fries, my cousin Linda (Carol's sister) and I attended a 76ers game. The Sixers are struggling this year, as their two best players were out with injuries, so it was no surprise that the visiting Memphis Grizzlies dominated the second half to defeat the home team.

The following day was Sunday, and the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. The heavily favored Eagles dominated most of the game, but a few costly third-quarter mistakes allowed Jacksonville to get back in the game and make it interesting before Philadelphia prevailed. The highlight came when Saquon Barkley of the Eagles leaped backward over a defender to extend his run.

Monday morning, I met my friend and former co-worker Dave Voyles for breakfast at Reading Terminal Market - an old building in downtown Philadelphia with dozens of stands, shops, and cafes.

Tuesday was our final full day in Pennsylvania, so we visited the Liberty Bell and took a guided tour of the nearby Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

During my stay in the Philadelphia area, I spent a lot of time with Linda and Carol, as well as their husbands.  Their mother – my Aunt Tommie came to lunch one day. This was a rare treat, as I had not seen her in over twenty years. A sushi dinner at the home of Carol’s daughter Sam allowed me to meet Sam’s husband and twin sons. I had not seen Sam since she was a little girl celebrating her first Communion.

Wednesday, we drove to Baltimore. Cities on the East Coast are much closer together than in the Midwest, so the drive was less than two hours. Although the hotel I chose was nice, I was startled by the neighborhood. Numerous homeless people and boarded storefronts projected an image of decay. In the evening, I met my old friend Kendall Miller for dinner in the Fells Point area near the Patapsco River. We ventured to a post-dinner to drink local beer and swap stories of old adventures.

I met my cousins Julie and Jackie for a crab cake lunch on Thursday before touring Fort McHenry on Baltimore Harbor. Francis Scott Key awoke aboard a British ship and saw the American flag still flying above this fort after an all-night assault during the War of 1812. The sight inspired him to write the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner," which became our National Anthem. I had the thrill of raising this flag above the fort before we left for the evening.

Julie scored Ravens tickets from her company in the second row. Jackie's husband Jon joined us before the game, and we watched a thrilling match as the Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, despite a brilliant performance by Cincy's Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.

I had not seen a home game of the Washington Capitals, so I drove to the District of Columbia Friday morning and watched the Caps fall to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins in the evening. Before the game, we visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. One section detailed Adolf Hitler's rise to power, which included indoctrinating youth into his racist programs. I saw some middle school boys wearing MAGA hats at the exhibit. I am sure the irony was lost entirely on their parents.

Saturday, we spent visiting museums along the mall. A plan to visit the Spy Museum fell through, as the earliest timed ticket available was hours later. We managed to spend at least an hour in the following museums:

• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National Museum of African Art
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Sunday, the Commanders faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Landover, MD. The game went down the wire (Pittsburgh came from behind to win 28-27), which kept the sold-out crowd in the stadium until the end of the game. This sudden exodus made traffic difficult as I returned to downtown DC.

I arrived at Folger Theater in southeast Washington just in time to see a production of Romeo + Juliet. This was my first time seeing my son's close friend Cole Taylor, who played Romeo. He was terrific in the role, the play was excellent, and I had a chance to congratulate Cole after the show.

Flying home Monday morning, I reflected on how much I had packed into a single vacation:

• 9 days
  
• 3 major metropolitan areas
  
• 3 NFL games
  
• 1 NBA game
  
• 1 NHL game
  
• 9 museums and historical sites
  
• 9 extended family members (none of whom I had seen in years)
  
• 5 old friends
• 1 play
• Lots of regional cuisines!
  
• Lots of walking

It took me days to catch up on sleep and missed emails, but it was worth it! A chance to visit family and friends, to visit new places, to learn something, to work toward completing a bucket list, and to have fun will always be worth it!