Things to do in Baltimore

This isn't a city that sees a lot of tourism, but for being so close to Washington DC it is common for people to spend a night or two. Especially if you fly into BWI. If you find yourself in Baltimore, don't count this city out! There are many things to do, and this town has amazing food!

Where is it: Baltimore is approximately 40 miles north of Washington DC, which can take 1 - 1.5 hours driving depending on traffic.

Getting There: You can arrive to Baltimore in several ways, the airport, train, and driving. We have done it all three from different areas. The Baltimore airport (BWI) is very easy to figure out, and you can take an Uber from the airport to your hotel fairly easy as it isn't far out of the main part of town. We have also drove into Baltimore, and were able to find a garage to park our car in. Street parking isn't the friendliest as it is a city, but is possible if you have the patience to figure it out. There is also a great train that costs $8 which will take you from Union station in DC to Penn Station in Baltimore. 

Things to Do

Washington Monument (Mount Vernon Place): This monument might look vaguely look familiar to you, as it should! It was designed by Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington DC. The idea of this monument in Baltimore began in 1783, when people wanted a place to honor George Washington. After years of debate and collaboration, Robert Mills won the competition to build, and construction commenced in 1816. The building didn't take long, and visitors were coming barley a year later. What we see today is small gallery and exhibit at the bottom of the tower, which is free to the public. You can also choose to pay $6 to climb the steps for a view of the city. We didn't do the climb as we had a great view from our hotel, but did like the exhibit and learning more about the history of the Mount Vernon Place. 

 Walters Art Museum: Right next to Mount Vernon Place is this great museum, and with an added perk that it is free! Before you visit make sure you see what the exhibit is and that there is something that interests you. I love free museums because I'm not super knowledgeable on art, and tend to speed through looking at the exhibits, and not doing much reading. This is the perfect museum for doing just that! When we visited there was lovely Russian faberge that can even impress an art novice like myself!

Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum: I really wanted to visit this since I remember having to memorize Poe's poems in high school. This would be the perfect site for around Halloween as it can easily be spooky reciting the Raven in your head over and over again while visiting. The hours are limited, so make sure you plan ahead! You get to take a self-guided tour throughout the home to see where Poe's poems and short stories were created.

Edgar Allen Poe's Grave: Also approximately a half a mile away is Poe's grave. When he was originally buried, it was in an unmarked grave, but became overgrown. Family and friends had the grave moved and had a monument created to be placed in the graveyard where we can still see it today. 

Baltimore Farmers' Market: Every Sunday there is a farmers market right under the highway, which may seem like an odd place, but it is truly fantastic. It is the perfect mixture of fresh food, arts, and performances. If you are in town and close by, it is a great option and way to begin your day. Make sure you try the donuts with the multiple selections for toppings!

Inner Harbor: The gem of Baltimore! This area has everything from a walk near the marina, shopping, and fancy dining. It is a lively place to be any time during the day or night. I would suggest starting at one end and walking to the other. It is relatively flat and a great walk for people watching and wandering. You can stop at what interests you like the marina or National Aquarium (see full list below). I ended in Little Italy and enjoyed a delicious meal after my walk around the city!

• Tour by boat with Cruise on the Bay or Spirit Cruises
• Maryland Science Center
• National Aquarium
• Observation deck at World Trade Center
• Marina
• Fort McHenry 

Little Italy: You can smell the garlic and other amazing aromas a mile away! This part of town used to have multiple streets with family run Italian restaurants back in the day. Now due to the housing around the area, it has been narrowed down to one street, but still has amazing food. I don't think you can really go wrong at any of the restaurants in the area. Do a quick Yelp check before you go as the prices and fanciness of the places vary. We wanted affordable and amazing Italian food, so we went to Joe Benny's. 

Day trip to Washington DC: Maybe Baltimore isn't a stop as you make your way to Washington DC, but you would still like to visit the city. At first we thought that it would be a $70 Uber ride to get to the city, but we asked our hotel, and she mentioned that metro will take you directly to Union Station for $8. We went in and saw some sites, and the train runs so regularly, we were able to come back anytime.

Must Eat: 

• Joe Benny's: This is some of the best Italian I have ever had. My husband and I stumbled into Little Italy and the aroma immediately hit us. It was a busy night, and we didn't have reservations, but Joe Benny's was willing to take us in. Oh my goodness, this was some amazing Italian food, and we just kept ordering more and more food. It also had a family atmosphere and everyone was warm and welcoming. 
• Amicci: We wanted to come back to Little Italy and try another place. While I will suggest Joe Benny's for everyone, this is another great option. The portions are much bigger, and you will definitely leave with the full feeling of a great Italian meal. 
• Shake Shack: This might seem like an odd suggestion, and I don't normally suggest fast food. However, Baltimore was the first place I had Shake Shack, and it lived up to the hype. On top of that, the customer service was better than what we experience in some sit down places!

Where to Stay:

I have been suggesting the Hotel Indigo to anyone who asks about places to stay. See here for my post on my hotel stay! 

Hotel Indigo

On our stay in Washington DC, we were visiting family up in Baltimore and had to find a hotel. We wanted to stay close to family, but also wanted to be close to things to do while we weren't visiting everyone. The Hotel Indigo was the perfect location; it was in the Mount Vernon district, very close to Inner Harbor. We could take an Uber quickly and cheaply to my relatives and fun things to do in Inner Harbor, like Little Italy.

When we arrived, the staff was really friendly and explained to us where to park our car in the garage across the street. We actually arrived before check in and were just planning on hanging out in the bar, but the front desk attendant was so nice, she gave us an early check in with no problems.

We had requested a corner room when making the reservation, but we were amazed that we actually got it! Normally we put in this preference halfheartedly, but don't really expect to get what we asked for. The room, 701, was so bright, and had windows all around. There was a long hallway that made you feel like you were staying in a studio, rather than a cramped hotel room.

My husband and I always intensely check the cleanliness of the room before settling in, after getting "burnt" a couple of times. We looked around and were impressed that the room was recently renovated and very clean. We didn't have to request different pillows or anything, and quickly unpacked.

The room had so much space that we were able to find a place for our three suitcases, two backpacks, laptops, and other items we like to have out. There was a great cabinet where we could put our suit and dress for the wedding we were in town for as well. I do wish that the room had a dresser so I could have unpacked and not live out of my suitcase, but loved the extra space in the room due to there not being one.

We stayed for four nights and slept comfortably every night. You do have city noise occasionally, but it wasn't disturbing as we were on a higher floor and slept soundly each night. Even my brother, who plays music loudly, was in the room next to us, and we couldn't hear him at all.

When we were checking out we requested a late checkout since our flight wasn't leaving until the evening and my husband had to work remotely. The front desk attendant happily helped us with that request, and we didn't have to find a place where my husband could work and store all of our luggage during the day. When checkout time did come around, my husband was able to finish the day in the hotel's office center and the hotel stored our luggage.

We were so happy that we will be staying back at Hotel Indigo whenever we need to visit family in Baltimore, and we will be assured that we will have a great experience. We have stayed at many hotels, some claiming to be high-end, and we have been very disappointed. Hotel Indigo was not only not like this, but supremely exceeded our expectations! If you would like to book a stay, visit Hotel Indigo's website!

East Midtown Walking Tour

This is a part of Manhattan that I believe is frequently missed. It isn't far off the beaten path and can give you another perspective of this massive city.

Start at the Grand Central. It is a great metro stop and just outside east midtown that you can walk in...

Grand Central: Used today as the center for commuter transit and a large railroad terminal, it is hard to believe that this bustling place was built in 1871. The station was designed by John B. Snook; however, financed by the man with the more familiar name of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Many renovations and additions were done shortly after to further the reach of the Grand Central Station. The station started to eliminate congestion and serviced many railways making it a united front. Famous films that feature this great site is The Avengers, Cloverfield, and the Spiderman series. Of course famous TV series have also featured this site like Gossip Girl and Quantico. 

Cross Lexington Ave on E 42nd st to the Chrysler Building...

Chrysler Building: One of the most famous and beautiful buildings in NYC by day and night, but of course this is one opinion; pick your favorite! This art deco skyscraper was part of the race to build the tallest building in the 1930s. It was indeed the tallest building for 11 months until it was passed by the Empire State Building, approximately 10 blocks away.  The Chrysler building was built on the rate of four floors a week (the building is currently 77 floors), and remarkably, no worked died during the construction of this building. 

Continue down 42nd and you will pass one of your first consulates, the Consulate General of Brazil on your right...

Consulates: You will pass many consulates while walking in East Midtown, and it is helpful to know what they are. A consulate is the representation of a government of one state on another's territory. In this case you are looking at the consulate of Brazil, which is a representation of Brazil's government on US land. The consulates are the ones responsible for it's own citizens travelling or presiding in the host county (aka this is where you go when you lose your passport). Consulates differ from an embassy, as an embassy is a collection of diplomats who are there to promote it's home country's economy, culture, and government. The purpose is to be a liaison between the two countries. 

Keep going down E 42nd, and you will run into the...

United Nations: There is a tour of this site if you are interested. Tickets are $22 for adults, and can be purchased on the official visitor centre website. If touring the site, please make sure you review the security requirements. Defining the UN can be difficult as it is located in the United States; however, it is international territory. Thinking of the Vatican City in Rome helps me wrap my head around this idea. The UN has its own firefighters and police; however, they do have agreements with the United States. The UN is not allowed to take people seeking refuge from the United States, nor assist people being extradited by the US government. 

Walk along and look at the flags. If you start to name the ones you are familiar with, then you will find a pattern. The flags are in alphabetical order starting at E 45th and finishing at E43rd. You will notice a couple of detours from the order at E 43rd, one of which is the Palestinian flag. New flags are added to the end of the alphabetical order as they are accepted into the UN. Palestine was accepted as a non-Member Observer State status in 2012, and therefore the flag was raised.

If you brought a snack or need a break this is a great place to people watch. Notice any important people crossing the street with a car protecting them in the crosswalk? Just get a feeling for all the people who have visited this site and the movements that have been born here. Think of all the political speeches made to address the union by famous (not necessarily popular) leaders. 

Walk down 1st Ave and turn right on E 51st. Walk down the stairs and over the pedestrian walk way to the look out. 

Peter Detmold Park & Lookout: Cross over the dog park, and take in the view of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island. During the 19th century, the island was home to several notorious and controversial hospitals. Some of the structures still stand today and are being reused as residential or other purposes building. However, you will be able to see the abandoned Small Pox Hospital from the viewpoint. This was a hospital built in 1856 and would hold up to 100 patients, but fell into disrepair. Luckily it was designated a NYC Landmark and is undergoing a $4.5 million (probably will be more) project and will then be open to the public. 

If desired head back to 2nd Ave and walk to E 60th St and catch the Roosevelt Island Tram for a scenic ride of the city. You will need a Metro card and standard fares apply. You can either take some time to explore Roosevelt Island or turn back to East Midtown...

If you have more energy, click here for the more New York walking tours!