One of the shorter stops on my family’s recent road trip was Baltimore,
Maryland, a city I’ve visited a few times. Come to think of it, none of
the places we went were locations I’d never been to before. My major
trip to Baltimore was about 10 years ago. When I was in middle school,
my dad had to go to Baltimore for a conference. Since it occurred during
the summer, since I was getting picked up from my grandparents’ in
nearby York anyway, and since it just seemed like a fun family vacation,
we all went with him. We were put up in a fancy hotel, and we spent
considerable time wandering around the Inner Harbor. I recall the lights
of the city reflecting in the night-time water; peddling around the bay
with my brother Benjamin in one of the little boats reserved for that
purpose; going to a crab shack located on a boat and witnessing Dad’s
disdain as he tried to crack the critter open; practically being knocked
over by a young woman jumping up and down and begging, with religious
fervor, for money to buy milk for her infant; and spending a few hours
at the Baltimore Aquarium (which young Nathan referred to as an
“equarium” in a car game on the ride home).
This time our trip
would only be for the day. We set off from my aunt’s house near
Washington, D. C. We made good time and got to Baltimore by 11:30 or so
and found a parking lot pretty quickly, right by the inner harbor. It
was a short walk to the aquarium, which we had already decided we wanted
to visit again. I had announced earlier that I wanted to ride the
paddleboats. I think that's their proper name, but pedalboats would be
more appropriate. They're what Fred Flintstone would ride in if he ever
traveled across the water. Anyway, we turned a corner and there were the
boats, and scattered amongst them were these glorious sea serpents,
slightly akin to the swan boats seen in Lothlorien. I wanted not only to
ride one but to own one. I mentioned it all day. Nobody else was
interested. I didn't think they would be, especially after we noticed
how polluted the water was. But it gave me a boost just to see them.
We had to wait in line to get tickets to the aquarium. While Mom did
that, the rest of us sat around and looked at our surroundings. We were
in the aquarium by noon. The first thing you see is a huge pool filled
with sharks, manta rays and sea turtles. It's a gorgeous sight. They all
look so graceful, especially the rays. We watched them swim for a while
before moving on to the rest of the exhibits. I like all animals, but I
don't get as excited about fish as mammals, especially when there are
huge crowds around small tanks, making it very hard to see. Still, there
were lots of fun fish to observe, especially the sea horses, and I
began thinking that a very fun job would be traveling around the country
and visiting a different zoo every day and writing a book about it.
That would be groovetacular. Dad and I were a bit less energetic than
the other three for some reason, but we still had a good time. I loved
the rainforest that we were able to walk through. It was perhaps my
favorite part. The animals were very close. A bird probably could have
landed on my head. There was also an expansive shark display and finally
the dolphin show, which Nathan taped. I was a little bummed we didn't
get there earlier and get in the splash zone, but we still had a good
view. Afterwards I went and saw them underwater. I bought postcards, but
then I was mildly annoyed because they were 50 cents each, and if I'd
known that I only would've gotten a couple. They were just animal
pictures that said "Baltimore Aquarium" on them, with no prices in
sight. I went and made a pressed penny for Mom too. They had 12
different designs; I picked the manta ray. I think they're very cool.
When we got out of the aquarium, we called my aunt Barb and her fiance
Chuck, who were just a couple blocks away. We met them halfway, and I
found a clownfish magnet from the aquarium sitting under a bench. Lucky
me! Mom wanted to eat at the same crab shack we’d patronized before.
Probably not to Dad's disappointment, the place had closed, but Chuck
took us to what he said was the best seafood in Baltimore. Philip's did
have very good food, as well as a band playing in the next room. It was a
little more expensive and the portions a little smaller than expected,
but my lobster and crab was quite tasty.
Our next stop was the
Cheesecake Factory, but we decided to do some shopping in between. I
picked up a bunch of postcards, including some nice Washington ones, and
I also got a deck of Washington playing cards, a pen with a Lincoln
bust on the top and his signature on the rest of the pen, and a
Chipmunk-sized Abraham Lincoln figurine. The purchase that tickled me
the most, however, was the whistle I bought at the stand where they sell
tickets for the DUCK tours. It's shaped like a duck bill and it quacks!
How great is that? I was good, though. I only used it a few times. Our
cheesecake was delicious. I got raspberry lemon. They were very large
pieces, too. It was still before 5 at this point I think, but everyone
was already talking about heading back. I would have been happy to stay
all evening, but we wanted to get a chance to visit with our relatives
in York a bit.
We headed towards the car, but first we watched
a free juggling show. This guy was pretty weird, and I wasn't all that
impressed with most of his antics. He did do some interesting tricks,
though, especially with swords and fire. I was sitting next to a guy who
was really enjoying the show. A few cute kids volunteered themselves as
assistants. It was a fun little diversion. Before we left, we had to
get our picture with a crab. They have crabs all around town with
different decorations, a community art project just like the fish and
frogs we have in Erie. These things were cool, but they were pretty
skinny and small. At least they were festive. The sun was right in our
eyes as Dad took the pictures, so I think there was a whole lot of
squinting going on, but a couple of them turned out really nice anyway.
We also got a great shot of our group (sans Dad, the photographer)
across the bay from the aquarium.
I can’t really comment too
much on the city at large, since my experience is pretty much limited to
the Inner Harbor. But it’s a fun place to spend the day. The aquarium
cost us $18 each, a price that included the dolphin show. We spent about
three hours there, which is about average; the tickets to the dolphin
show are for a particular time, and they basically figure it’s about
enough time for you to have gotten through the aquarium. Lunch and
cheesecake were fairly expensive; I think my meal was about $20 and the
cheesecake probably close to $10. Most of the shops in the malls along
the harbor boasted very reasonable prices, however. I think my postcards
were 6 for a dollar, and none of my other purchases broke the bank,
either. I think my duck whistle only set me back three dollars. Add to
that the “free” entertainment (donations are, of course, welcome) and
the beautiful boats, and there are plenty of worthwhile options
available. Since everything is so concentrated in one area, the Inner
Harbor is ideal for a day trip. Meanwhile, if you have a few more days
to spend, I’m sure there’s plenty more to love in Baltimore. Just watch
out overenthusiastic beggars.
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