Baltimore as promised

So 3 days (well almost 3 days) seemed like enough time in Baltimore, but I am learning more and more that no matter how much time is planned in a new city it is never enough time. I'm not even going to lie, I spent my first night just wandering about the inner harbour and planning my next couple of days. So much to do and see (I say that a lot don't I) and I ended up doing very little of the things I had planned. You may all remember that I made a short visit to Balitimore in February with Tara to check out the aquarium. It was way too cold that day to wander around too much but that certainly was not the case during this most recent trip. The inner harbour is a wonderful place to grab a meal, do a little shopping, see some street entertainment and enjoy the sights and sounds of summer.

The Inner Harbour

Okay so this guy is not in the Inner Harbour but a few blocks from my hotel. I can't remember his story but I will get it next time. I don't think he is going anywhere

The next day I tried to pack in as much as I could. My first stop was at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. What a great place this is. I wish I was able to take pictures so that I could share a little more of the experience. Really it is like every other museum I have been to but tells a story of US history that is not always told. Of course the east coast is very rich in black history and this museum was a great place to start to explore it. It has exhibits that include "Building Maryland, Buliding America" all about the role african americans played in making America what it is today, and "Things Hold, Lines Connect" tracing the music and dance and art and literature and everything through the years, from Africa, to slavery, to Motown and even Tupac. It really is a great place. I recommend it to anyone who makes a trip to Baltimore.

I then made my way back to the innner harbour where I hopped aboard the Ride the Duck tour.

Some of you may have seen these vehicles on the streets of other major cities but I have never taken one. Basically these tours take on a tour of Baltimore on the streets and then we tour the inner harbour by water...all in the same vehicle. Always a great way to see the sights and get some inside stories on the city from those who live there.

Enough Said

The Old Powerplant, from the water

Mount Vernon United Church (you will see it again)

This lighthouse use to be floating out in the Atlantic somewhere but is no longer being used, so they moved it to the Inner Harbour and turned in into a playhouse for kids.

A random building (had to throw one in....took a lot of pictures)

I then made my way over to Oriole Park at Camden Yard.

This is of course the home of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles. While the park is not actually that old (built in 1992) it was built to have an old time feel, although I am not old enough to really get most of it (plus I have not been in enough ballparks). It also has some great history. The factory wall is still the original factory that has been there, they just built a new stadium inside it.

Bet your lawn isn't this green

The Yard. There are plaques with names and dates all down this walk-way where every home run that has cleared the stands has hit. Only one ball has ever hit the wall and it was hit by Ken Griffey Jr. in the home run derby of the allstar game.

And hey did you know that Babe Ruth was actually born in Baltimore? It's true. Although he gained all his fame as a Boston Red Sox and then as a Yankee after the Red Sox owner sold him and 15 other players to the Yankees, he was actually a native Baltimorean. In fact, if it had not been torn down to build a ball field, the house that Babe Ruth was born in would stand somewhere out in centre field just a few metres behind second base. Anyway, I of course caught a game that night however I will put pictures in another posting.

Me on the tour

And me at the game

Sunday morning I headed out to see a few more things before I headed back to Connecticut. I headed to the Washington Monument.

I know what you are thinking, isn't that in Washington? I didn't head to THE Washington monument but it was a Washington monument just the same. I am learning that every city seems to have one. I marched myself up all 228 steps to the top of the monument so that I could get a view of the city. (All those minutes spent on the stairmaster really paid off).

A few of those 228 stairs

Looking up at the Washington Monument

Looking down at Mount Vernon United Church from the top of the Monument

From there I headed to the Baltimore Basilica.

This happens to be America's First Catholic Cathedral. Once again I know what you are thinking, how does someone as unreligious as I end up at a Basilica? Really it is very easy. The history and the arcitecture drew me in. It happened to be designed by the same arcitect who designed the US Capitol and was designed to be an "American Cathedral" as opposed to a "European Cathedral. It was completed in 1821 and the complete restoration started in 2004 was just completed last year. It really is an amazing place. The lady that gave the tour was very good as well. I think I was the only non-catholic on the tour but learned a lot about the religion and the church in general. (I know what to look for when I visit other catholic churchs in the future). The highlight of the tour though was when we headed into the basement. A few years ago you would not have been able to get in there because it had filled in with sand due to a screw up in the original construction (they read the plans wrong). Now though you can visit the chapel that is in the undercroft. You also get to see some of the archtectural details that keep the church standing.

I don't know why but security guards always want to pose for pictures (remember the guys back at the Harrisburg Capitol)

Hanging out in the undercroft

My last stop on the way out a town was a quick stop. One of my alltime favourite cop dramas was filmed in Baltimore and I had to stop at the set. That show was of course Homicide: Life on the Street. Anyone who watches Law and Order: SVU will know Detective Munch who's chacater actually orginated from Homicide. This building sits on a very busy street in Baltimore where in the summer there are a lot of outdoor markets and festivals and that kind of thing. Apparently more than a few people have walked up to the door and tried to find the police...only to realize that it is not really a police station.

Yeah I guess they do look pretty real.

I then headed back to the Turnpike....the New Jersey Turnpike that is because I was heading back to Connecticut so that I could continue my trip in Boston. Although this seemed simple it did not turn out to be that way. I guess I just wasn't paying close enough attention because when I should have been following the NJ Turnpike signs I was following the I-95 signs (because that is what I did on the way down) and ended up in Philadelphia. But it was just a little side trip (I still love Philly) because it was the traffic trying to get across the Geogre Washington Bridge in New York that actually added 3 hours to my drive. It's ok though becuase it is all about the journey right? Well ok I understand about road rage because if I sat in that traffic everyday I'd shoot someone too. Here are a couple more random pictures before I go though.

Okay, so I just thought this was funny. Maybe it's just me.

"Believe" is the theme of the city created by several groups including the Baltimore Police Association. I never got the full story but I think it has something to do with beating the drugs and the gangs and the violence that crible the city. You see it everywhere but especially in some of the less "touristy areas". Just for reference, around 75% of african american men in Baltimore DO NOT graduate from high school, which is an unreal statistic

Anyway, that was Baltimore...now on to Boston.

Julie