Seeing More in Baltimore: A Trip to a Neighboring City
Like I have explained before, I am thankful to have landed an internship in Arlington, Virginia, because I really enjoy the D.C. Metro Area. But last weekend, I took a break from hanging out in D.C. and journeyed north to Baltimore, Maryland, to visit some friends. Arlington has been great so far, don’t get me wrong, but I was ready for a little change of pace. Plus, I had never spent a lot of time in Baltimore before so I was excited to explore the city a little bit.
I jumped in my car as soon as I arrived back at my apartment complex after work on Friday. That transportation choice was a huge mistake. The traffic leaving the D.C. area was horrific. It easily turned my ideal one hour drive into a two hour trip. I was expecting some bad traffic, but nothing quite as bad as I experienced. If I ever head out on a Friday again, I will avoid driving at all costs.
Thankfully, I arrived at my friend’s place at a reasonable hour. After getting settled, we met up with some other friends in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. Federal Hill is a really young area with lots of bars and restaurants, so we grabbed a few drinks and had a good time out. I do admit that I appreciated the decrease in the cost of a night out in Baltimore, especially compared to D.C.!
I crashed on the couch at my friend’s place that evening, and the next day, we went to visit the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Apparently the Harbor is the most touristy destination in the city, so obviously if I was visiting the city I had to check it out. It was a beautiful day, albeit a little hot, but completely manageable. We walked around a bit and enjoyed the weather, and eventually we grabbed brunch at a restaurant called Miss Shirley’s. It was delicious. I got a plate called “breakfast kabobs” which was a bunch of grilled breakfast food on a stick. I realize that might seem weird, but I am glad I tried something different, because it was awesome.
After eating in the Harbor area, we walked to Fell’s Point, another Baltimore neighborhood. I don’t have a word for the Fell’s Point neighborhood other than describing it as really cool. The roads were made of cobblestone, the sidewalks were made of brick, and the streets were lined with artisan shops of every kind. We even passed a really interesting looking bar called “The Horse You Came In On,” which allegedly was the last bar Edgar Allan Poe went to before he died.
After a fun-filled and very touristy day, I headed back to my apartment in Arlington. The car ride back was thankfully not delayed at all. I guess it is much easier to travel into D.C. on a Saturday evening than it is to leave right after work on a Friday. Regardless, I had a great time visiting a new city!