I went to Baltimore, Maryland for the National Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) Conference and really learned alot of great information. But I also saw some cool stuff in the city. I saw Camden Yards on the ride from the airport and wished I had pulled out my camera to take a picture for Scott. I stayed at a hotel across the street from Harborplace which is on the inner harbor in Baltimore. It’s a public space that surrounds the finger of water that is the end of the harbor. You can stroll next to the water, there are shops, restaurants, street performers, and ships available to tour as part of the Maritime Museum. I arrived at the hotel about 5 pm ET, got checked in, and immediately set out to find some dinner. I crossed the street and started walking around the harbor and was enthralled. It is a great spot! I felt the ocean breeze across my face, smelled the salty tang in the air, and just enjoyed being outside. I decided on dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe because it was housed in a great building, and I’m a sucker for cool architecture.
I was reading and watching music videos while I was eating and the waiter told me that since I like to read, I definitely needed to check out the Barnes & Noble next door because it was really big. So I took his advice and it was so awesome inside. It was left like a factory and had the industrial look. The escalator was see-through and had the cogs and chains so that it looked like a working factory. The building had lots of ambience and tons of books. I browsed all over, but resisted the urge to walk out with a bag full of books. I decided that I had brought extra for the long flights, I was traveling light with a small suitcase, and I could buy them back home. So I was strong.
I was at the conference with 3 other Utah ladies and they took me to Fell’s Point to see the awesome architecture and eat Maryland crab cakes. They were wonderful and the buildings were great. We rode a water taxi across the harbor and it was very fun. This is a picture of me on the water taxi with the USS Constellation behind me.
I made a stop at Ft. McHenry on the way to the airport and dragged my rolling suitcase all around the fort. I got some interesting looks, believe me. This is the fort where Francis Scott Key saw the flag flying after the bombardment during the War of 1812 and was inspired to write the words of our National Anthem. It’s shaped like a star and was quite interesting. I was unable to avoid buying a book on the War of 1812 at the gift shop, justifying the purchase with the knowledge that I am weak on that time period and need to learn more since I had finally been to Maryland and seen some of the historical areas.
It was a short, 3-day trip but a fun city. I was 30 miles from Washington, DC and that’s the closest I’ve gotten to the nation’s capital so far.
