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Baltimore is, well, more!
Weekending
By Margo Oxendine, Staff Writer
 | | The USS Constellation, a floating museum, commands this view of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. This shot was taken from the Water Taxi, which ferries visitors and residents from one end of the harbor to the other. (Recorder photo by Margo Oxendine) |
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BALTIMORE - Welcome to "Weekending," where we'll hop off someplace different and fun and then tell you all about it. Our weekend trip might include things you'd never do, or never think of doing; things you'd love to do, and places you just might like to visit.
Take Baltimore, for instance. It is my favorite of the U.S. cities I've visited - big enough to offer a panoply of places and experiences, small enough not to be intimidating.
First off, Baltimoreans are, on the whole, the friendliest strangers I've encountered. And the food is simply delightful. Forget the seashore, with its long wait for a table and the dear prices you'll pay once you're seated: If you like crab, get yourself to Baltimore, hon.
What's a "hon"? Well, that's any Baltimore lady or gentleman; it's even you, whenever you're there. "You want fries with that, hon?" "Can I help you, hon?" "That shirt looks fabulous, hon!"
 | | Fifithe pink poodle holds court in one of the three exhibit spaces at the American Visionary Art Museum. Fifi, an entry in Baltimore's Kinetic Sculpture Race, is flanked by an incredible "art car" composed of bits and bottles of blue glass, seashells, small ceramic swans, firewood, and a Chinese urn. Floating above Fifiis "Repent," a hot air balloon with a Biblical theme. (Recorder photo by Margo Oxendine) |
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"Hon" is the classic Baltimore endearment, used with friends, loved ones, and strangers. It grows on you. You'll find you're using it yourself by your second day in the thriving, exciting city.
Getting there: Do yourself a favor: Drive to Richmond, hop on any one of many Amtrak trains heading north to suit your schedule, sit back, relax, and leave the Beltway driving to other poor fools. Baltimore is a city for walking. Take a cab from Penn Station to your hotel, and then put on your walking shoes. Traveling by train is more relaxing than driving, and what you save on city parking will more than compensate for Amtrak and cabs.
Where to stay? Absolutely, you want to stay in a hotel near the Inner Harbor. There are countless possibilities; go online and pick one with a location and price that suits you. A couple of suggestions: Henderson's Wharf, steps from the water in Fells Point; the Admiral Fell Inn, right in the middle of the hippest, most fun part of town; or the towering Marriott on the harbor, with breathtaking views of the city and the bay.
Getting around: Walking, as mentioned, is all you'll really need to do. If your feet get tired of traipsing on sidewalks and cobblestone streets, hail a cab for a quick lift. Here's the best part: Need to get from one end of the harbor to the other? Hop on the water taxi! Just $8 buys unlimited rides all day, until 11 p.m. It's the cheapest cruise you'll ever enjoy.
Festivals, anyone? Chances are, if you're in Baltimore on a weekend, you'll find a fun festival. Favorites are the "Hon Fest," which highlights towering beehive hairdos and polyester frocks; the Lighted Boats Parade in early December; the Fells Point Festival; the Kinetic Sculpture Race in May (this is a "must see" - oddball, quirky, moveable "sculptures" of dogs and cars and whatnots that roll through the streets of Fells Point, then roll into the water and float across to the harbor). To find a festival, visit baltimore.org and let your imagination wander.
What to do? Have you ever thought about flying through the air on a trapeze? Well, you can learn to do that very thing in just an hour or two in Baltimore! The trapeze school is right by the harbor, next to the science museum. Hang ten - fingers, that is! Find out more at www.trapezeschool.com.
What to see? The short answer is, whatever suits you! Take in a Baltimore Orioles game at historic Camden Yards. Visit the Baltimore Aquarium, astounding not only for its aquatic life, but also its architecture. Tramp around Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key observed that starspangled banner. The city is rife with museums. A few include the requisite Baltimore Museum of Art; the Baltimore Civil War Museum, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad; the National Museum of Dentistry; Port Discovery - great for kids; and the Fire Museum of Maryland.
Far and away, my favorite is the American Visionary Art Museum. It is nothing short of incredibly fabulous. There are three basic buildings, each full of fascinating exhibits and sculptures and, well, things. The first "thing" visitors notice is the world's largest whirligig outdoors, with a backdrop of a façade with millions of tiny mirrors and glass. If you've ever hankered to take a gander at a 40-foot tall pink poodle named Fifi, this is where you'll find her. She's located very near a 20-foot tall statue of the statuesque "Divine," featured in many of Baltimore's own John Waters's films. It is truly impossible for even a professional writer to adequately describe the curiosities of the AVAM; visit it online at avam.org. And when you go, make sure you include time (and money!) to visit the museum gift shop. If you've got quirky friends, this is the place to stock up on gifts for them.
Where to shop: Shop anywhere and often. After my first trip to Baltimore, I learned to always bring an extra piece of luggage. You'll find a plethora of home décor showplaces, antique and consignment shops, unique little stores with handcrafted jewelry and fashions, and an abundance of art galleries, with everything from the affordable "must have" souvenirs and cards, to pieces so fabulous you don't dare ask the price. My personal favorite is photographer/ digital artist Robert McClintock's gallery in Fells Point. He specializes in all things Baltimorean, and dogs. If you can't afford to bring home his framed "Dogs I Have Known" piece, buy it on a card instead. View his work at robertmcclintock.com.
Something notable: Ladies, why has no one thought of this before? Le Petit Shoe et Chocolat in the Hampden neighborhood (where the Hon was born!) specializes in shoes and chocolate. Need I say more? If shopping makes you hungry, a few doors down from Le Petit Shoe on 36th Street is where you'll find Café Hon - "down-home," and one of Rachael Ray's favorites.
What and where to eat: Believe me when I tell you, I have never had a bad, or even mediocre, meal in Baltimore. There are really too many choices on every corner, and down every street. Indian, Thai, Cuban, Chinese, French, Ethiopian, Italian, Greek - go ahead, pick a country and enjoy their authentic menus. American diner food. Sushi and tapas. Sumptuous brunches. Elegant cuisine. And crab, crab, crab - soft-shelled crabs, lump crabmeat, crabcakes, crab omelettes, crab foo yung, Crab Imperial. My favorite crab cakes are in Fells Point at Duda's and the Dead End. Both are cozy, friendly little bars some might call a "hole in the wall," until, that is, you get hooked on the great food and friendly wait staff.
You want fries with that, hon?
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