Oh for your info

Mason LEGG is acually Legg Mason a stock broker company that has since been bought out by Smith Barney.

Most Marylanders are friendly people .

Boog=Boog Powell, an immensely popular former Oriole.

LEGG MASON is at the top of the one scrapper and still visible other places too, I googled it when I got back.

Yes, I know now- BOOG.

I forgot to mention before leaving the hotel Friday I went to print out my homebound boarding pass and found the FAB Business Room that had all kinds of access. It was filled with Yankees fans printing out tickets, but still I got my passes in 2 seconds.

Sorry for the above mistakes in typing and spelling. That last post I did edit the they're and several other mistakes and the edit feature did not work. I AM doing it right. And it works about 2/3rds of the time. Why does it not work some of the time???? Maybe there is time limit on it??

I should start the Water Taxi day with the fact that the weekend now has clearly arrived. Now the Inner Harbor is like DisneyWorld on Easter Week, just mobbed. I liked it much more when it was cooler on Wed. or Thurs. with not the walking on everybody logistics. Waiting for the original water taxi I actually sat/stood between steps and 2nd level not to be continually battered with walking people or strollers.

Nicely done, JJ5, and bravo for sticking it out and finding Nick's!

Enjoying all your details and take on things. Can't wait to go.
If we 'the evil SOX fans' get decent treatment, I'll consider it a plus.
Everyone general hates us - oh, well, I'll try to get a decent map prior to arrival.

Next time you visit Balmer, you should try the Blue Agave. It is swankier than your usual Mexican restaurant.

cybor, I had FABULOUS maps galore with restaurant locations, and google maps. But lots of areas were under construction, had digs going on for water/sewer or other large tract condo buildings going on or involved "path closed" walkway due to buildings boarded up that link the walkways. SO that means your map is wrong or sometimes you can see it, but you can't get there. LOL!

Well by Thursday night we had very late when returning- roamed enough within the Lord Baltimore to see that the walkway comes OUT OF THE LORD BALTIMORE, but at a higher level than the lobby or any of the reception or eating areas. And we finally find a way around the Mechanic Theatre (closed)-so from then on we aren't jumping over holes or hoses in the street. Or trying to get around prom night in the ballroom or anything. The walk anywhere becomes much easier.

Friday we ate the great L. Baltimore Grill Room breakfast (fresh tomatoes, two kinds of fresh mushrooms, green AND red peppers, fine gorgonzola over the whole fratata- I wish I had one right now) and then to Harborplace and the taxi. We took a lot of pictures this day, the others we only took a few.

We bought the all day deal ticket and Fridays the Water Taxi is open to 11pm at night. Red stamp on the hand to continue the on and off thing. We left after a very brief wait and took it to Fell's Point to get the transfer boat to Fort McHenry.

I loved the rides, and observed all the different waterfronts and especially right away (Laura Lippman's book "Sugar House" is sitting right here with the picture of this exact spot on the cover) noticed the Domino Sugar and right at that moment large barges downloading their product.

First I thought about the blue crab exhibit we saw at the Science and I thought about all the various stages and where they were, but second came to mind something totally different. And that was a thank you prayer to Potter Palmer, Montgomery Ward and some other robber baron bad guys for keeping a great majority of Lake Michigan in IL pristine to Industry, for themselves too, but for us- who so enjoy their legacy.

We transfered into a much smaller boat and packed in the last person to smashing and we were off again.

Fort McHenry was not serene. It was a beautiful 80 degree day and getting hotter by the minute and it was loaded with 7th & 8th graders who were mixed with very interested, bored/trying to play hide and seek in that particular boy jumps on girl kind of way, or trying to lose the chaperone or teacher and wondering far afield. It was funny. My SO goes off and done to every hole, and after going into many rooms, seeing the movie, and going out to the cannons and then down to the lowest water levels and then walking everywhere that was away from the Visitors' Center, I walked over to where they were starting to haul in the cannons etc. by trailer for the next day's Civil War enactment.

Then I went to sit in the courtyard of the "star" (it's a rather star shaped with battlements structure built around a courtyard) and sat and read for about a 1/2 hour while SO spec'ed out all the mechanics and plumbing and other living arrangements. It was very nice that during this period a group of about 12 kids (13 years old or close every one) stopped with their chaperone and sang the Star Spangled
Banner, very well, by the way, in front of the big flag flying over the fort.

Those beds are so small, just wooden planks and they slept 4 to a bunk set. If my SO got on 1 level (3 feet wide and meant for two men)-he would probably break the enter thing. These men had to be so small.

We talked to some people here, and would have loved to see the Civil War enactment but did not have Saturday to do so.

We left and took the boat back to Fell's Point. We were at McHenry a long time, and it was about 2:30 pm or so. We walked all over Fell's Point and he wasn't that hungry, but I was. So we decided to have a lunch/dinner combo and then do something late on Friday night that wasn't dinner but more snacky or drinks, so we went into a few places and then started walking and ended up at one of the rec's from here, John Steven. It had a special 4 pm - THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY thing starting. So it found us too.

We ended up talking to people here, and also had a 5 star waitress. We had Blue Moons, lb of steamers (shrimp) and he had scallops and I had a salad with a tiny sliced filet (steak) on it. All were delicious. My salad was basalmic/olive oil heaven and tender as butter steak- and the steamers were delectable too, of course.

SO ended up have a second Blue Moon (great summer hot weather beer the way she served it with the orange slice) and now it took a lift to get him going again. But watch out, because once he is going he doesn't stop, and I am going to run out of steam. It's HOT, and we have a lot more walking to do in this day.

We leave John Steven and explore Fell's Point stores a bit going back to the "boat". Guess what, we never get on the boat again. Looking and following the condo and real estate, and looking for "stuff" we know is there (Little Italy) etc. we just keep walking.

Here we find an absolutely brillant Baltimore native who is paying to park her car and knows EXACTLY where the Landmark is to go see a show and sit in the cooler temps for an hour or two. We follow her directions completely and end up at the Mariott (black marble bathrooms are super and the 4 foot by 12 foot flower arrangement that is taller than I am in the center of the lobby isn't too shabby either), Landmark, Roy's and that whole circular pivotal point.

He doesn't like any of the shows. So we keep on walking (I won't add it all up but I LOST a lb on this vacation)and we end up coming up behind the Barnes & Noble and across the Aquarium and back into the Harborplace ON FOOT.

Next- BOATS- Tall Ships and painting Chesapeake.

Not to pile on about Boog but since you are a baseball fan, I just want to point out that Boog hit 339 home runs (same as Dave Parker), which is still good for 82nd on the all-time list.

When we get back to Harborplace it is really just totally covered with people. He totally balks at the Aquarium, since we saw Milan (Italy) and Monterey, CA in the last few years, and he gave them super low marks against Shedd and Sea Worlds etc.- and also wants to do the Maritime thing. I decide I would rather sit or shop or whatever, so off he goes. He spends lots of time (2 hours or just under) doing these and I read by the tall ship- on a bench that is literally 2 feet from the side. There is a girl (to me, about 20 yrs old or so) pulling hoses in and we get into a conversation as they are preparing to touch of parts with paint. So I got to watch them taking down rigging and the lines to conduct lightening (learned a lot about how lightening strikes tall ships) and watched the numbers gofers get chewed out several times because they were careful enough with something (especially the camera equipment of some uppity supervisor/film-maker who introduced himself as an academic).

But anyway the 4 guys were awesome to watch flinging themselves on the lines and one chunky short guy was a real acrobat in how he could squeeze himself through spaces and then come out of holes to paint on the other side.

I didn't get a lot of my Laura Lippman read (Spider's Thread book- another good one) because of all the commotion I got to watch. SO went on all the boats (4) for entrance fee and probably really was a PIA- asking 100s of questions and going all the places that visitors aren't supposed to go, I'm sure.

After that we went and got a Ben & Jerry's. Good just then, but not anywhere near my MI small town Huckleberry home churned varieties of the same flavors. Marsellies makes even Oberweiss (IL) pale in comparison. I am too jaded on ice cream.

Here I should note, that I also checked out the Pier 5. This was the hotel I wanted to stay at and would have if they would have had the Friday night availability. I saved myself about $400 plus I am SO glad it didn't work out with Pier 5. Not that it was unlovely or anything was wrong with it, in itself. BUT I would have hated the location. To me it would be like staying in Times Square or in the middle of the Strip in Vegas. Something other people like, but I abhor. The entire area that day and beyond it to the street the opposite side of the Hard Rock (away from Harborplace) was like an E ride ticket line at Disney in the 1970's. Too many people, service people just fried, garbage cans overflowing etc. etc.- just too many people for the facilities.

And where I stayed was real city- in every way you can describe it.

So we walked back to Lord Baltimore. And I have to say it was slowly and over all the walkways. And we got some excellent pictures of us on them too, near sunset with BIRDLAND flags and scrappers all around.

And actually my last impressions of Baltimore were these and also very gritty. During our stay we were constantly, and I mean constantly surrounded by sirens and running fire equipment and ambulances of all kinds- even during the ballpark walks. But this last night was unbelieveable. We often saw 7 or 8 in full emergency mode going- all within one place or within 1 hour.

And another lasting impression and one I think of when I look down is the "Light train" - what we in Chicago used to call "streetcars". But our street cars were shorter and more bus like. The light trains are longer overall and segmented longer as well. But I see their worn slit tracks and it really, really brings back memories of Racine, Halsted, Wentworth, Ashland, Loomis, Damen etc.

I liked Baltimore. And I liked the food. Actually I would give it a better food choices mark than many, many other larger cities for seasoning / cost/ freshness/ style/ quantity as inputs- all around. Also the food is more to my taste absolutely than say it is in: SF, SD, LA, TX, most of the SW, KC, ST.L., all of WI, Denver, FL- those especially.

And I also was surprised to find it very, very different than D.C. Not just in style, but in lots of other logistics and especially within the "sign following and law obeying trackability quotient" of the populace.

In all, every one, of the areas, and some were VERY high end, that we walked, there was next to NO one but us (SO & I) in Baltimore that obeyed the man's picture on the walk/crosswalk signs. In D.C. it was like being in Germany (and I am not being snotty or sarcastic- because in Germany almost everybody obeys the signs or someone chides them to do so, as well- in the big city)as every walking person often walked in brisk unit from that countdown picture's appearance.

Not here. Crosswalking, running in front of the light train, driving on the apron or train track path, all kinds of sidewalk "stuff" that is illegal in Chicago (Chicago has the vendor stuff nearly obsolete and has for decades- not even news-stands are allowed unless your uncle has clout). Also there were all kinds of food stand or sales venues going on that where not in D.C. and in Chicago have been forbidden for decades as well. Like selling water outside the ballpark, or hot dogs out of carts (no running water etc. etc.)and in Nick's we saw a guy who was cooking also mix some fertilizer to feed the plants and it was keep in a shed thing right there.

Lots and lots and lots of things that were part and particle of individual and small business and/or of industrial cities' pasts are still in Baltimore. Not in many other USA cities at all anymore, more or less, homogenized out.

I like that Baltimore seemed so unregulated. GOOD!

We got pan-handled about 6 or 7 times, but it should be noted that the only place we saw the Sedgeway mounted cop and good will ambassador was at the Marriott end and on the high, high end pivot by the Landmark and on that end's piers. He talked to us about what we wanted to know (wish we would have meet him a lot earlier) and as we were walking further on, he made the begger on the pier leave.

But overall we were flabberghasted at the amount of work/construction that is happening.

Sorry for mistakes, I have no time to edit right now.

Conclusion next- flying home and seeing the sand dune on the way.

Glad you enjoyed it. You really covered a lot of ground during your visit. Enjoyed reading your report.

Great reports- I am a huge Fells Point, Blue Crab, laid back Baltimore guy. This is the one city where I expected very very little and was surprised. Baseball at Camden, blue crabs, boat ride to Fells Point, bars, pubs, crab cakes, I love it.

Terrific report. I've lived most of my life between Baltimore and Washington. You are right about the two of them - very different places within 50 miles of each other. Where Washington is worldly and exciting, Baltimore is unpretentious, down-to-earth, and a lot of fun. It's a great city.

Oh yes, and also in clothing too, Devonmcj, that too, reflects exactly what you just posted.

In all the time I was in Baltimore, only one time, on the first day we were there, did we see the suits in number. Not just Harborplace but anywhere near the hotels or near the big business or banking venue scrappers. And that was only mid-week on the Wednesday. That day we saw some elegant and dressy suits in the cafes or outside vendors in Harborplace. And many of them were speaking German- probably worked at one of the International companies right there.

But in D.C. the dress code was three rungs up, almost always.

Also I saw in Baltimore a quality I have seen nowhere else yet- besides Chicago, well, and maybe a tad bit in Berlin, Germany.

And that is a more "serious" friendliness that rather doesn't get the "joke" or connection for a couple of seconds with a "stranger"-it's just a slower communication and more serious retort than you expect. I have a very strong feeling that it comes from a little lack of a sense of humor upon themselves or something. Chicagoans really have this. And I could be totally wrong. But they often don't find the same thing funny coming from a stranger- that's close to what I mean. Many cities, like NYC, it's just a blank stare. This is different. It is attention and response but just VERY similar to Chicago's. In many more cities, like D.C. for example, it is an exact and professional quick type answer, self-assured and business like- rather than the former response I tried to describe.

And I loved it. It's the city most like a Chicago neighborhood of bungalows. Especially West, S, or SW sides. It is NOT like prime downtown/lakeview Chicago or Northside prime Chicago of today, at all.

The last morning we went to L.Baltimore Grill for a fritata again, and I had the Vegetarian and it was FAB. Then we checked out and we had our last ride to the airport,
and that was EXCITING in both good and bad ways- an experience. We went to the cabbie line and got in the first one we were directed to.

MISTAKE. My SO realized it within about 2 blocks, and it took me about 5 blocks more. The car was falling apart and nearly every warning light on the dash was lit.

Then he/cabbie starts (here I should put in a link to the Fodors cell phone rude thread) screaming non-stop in some African language to a pal. (Not a dispatcher or anyone like that, as English words were thrown in and it was about transporting TV's and packages and getting *&(&* stuff etc.) Then he pulls into a gas station and leaves the door open and runs away. (To a bathroom, I thought- the way he did it.)

We started to leave. He comes after us and begs us to get back in as we are only about a mile from the airport. (Please, Mr. Sir- that's exactly what he said) And we DID. It was stupid with the car the way it was, but it was even worse walking- that we noticed as soon as we hit the edge of the street.

So my SO tells him to go directly to the airport. We get there without losing anything.

I am absolutely sure that the car/cab had no shocks and was the worse car I have ever been in during my life for safety, so far. We should have been more discerning and careful.

We got some Orbyck's and went through all the rigamarole for security and took off on time. And I saw the entire lakefront (MICHIGAN) through IN sector, coming in and could clearly see the 3 separate dunes and people just walking up Warren Dunes. The Dunes look just awesome from the air. I want to see Silver Lake and the giants in MI now from a small plane.

We went over water, a very unusual path. And landed on time and got our luggage immediately, so different than from skiing and Tahoe when all my stuff went to Alaska instead of home in Dec.

We picked up Sydney on the way home and he was SO happy- he sat like a corsage on my chest for the period of time I was home on Sunday. Saturday night he never shut up.

So we came back to 2 inch buds at the most, but now it is just as it was in Baltimore, plantwise. The crabs and magnolia are open here now and tulips are just starting to color.

This is strongly, strongly suggested for a baseball trip. Of 20 or so I have done, it is absolutely in the top 5.

You sure were lucky with the weather. We were visiting Baltimore with friends 2nd week in April last year, and were expecting spring weather. It was absolutely freezing, and snow was falling the day we went to Inner Harbor. We were decked out in down jackets, scarves, gloves and beanies, all lent to us by our friends.

We don't have weather like that in Nelson New Zealand. We had a great time in Baltimore though, enjoyed seeing all the row houses. Didn't make it to a ball game though much to our son's disgust. He is a diehard Orioles fan even though he lives in Wellington New Zealand. His love of baseball began when his sister spent a year in Columbus Maryland going to high school.

nelsonian, it is so funny, because we brought heavy winter coats to Baltimore and it was snowing 2 days before we left Chicago.

And I brought only a small suitcase, so coming home I had to put my coat into his much larger suitcase. Luckily we didn't need either (his bulky one was in there too) at this end either. I had enough layers to wear on the plane and outside here in Chicago.

We are used to changes of weather quickly happening also. But we were NOT prepared to waste time shopping and had the wrong clothes with us for the very first time on a vacation. But this one was just too short to waste a minute of it in a store.

That's why I love layers. This time I was peeled down to the bottom one though. It happened again here today, about 30 or more full degree F changes within a couple of hours.

JJ, I really enjoyed your trip report. I have lived here my entire life, and while I like it here just fine, it's hard for me to think about Baltimore as a place that someone would enjoy visiting. One thing I have said many times, though, is that few cities that I've been to make such great use of the waterfont - not just in the Inner Harbor, but all around the harbor from Fells Point to Fort McHenry. Much of it has to do with the fact that the waterfront, even downtown, was 100% industrial up until the 1960's. And since manufacturing activities have moved outside the city, we had all that unused waterfront land lying around with nothing to do. And there's still quite a bit of it, though some of it is so contaminated it can't be developed.