My recent trip to Baltimore was one of the most satisfying, exhilarating trips I was able to experience in a long time. Ever since the pandemic, I stayed at home for the majority of the time other than for few hiking trips and going out with friends to local places. Two of my friends from college were currently working in the Baltimore/DC area, so I decided to plan a trip down there. I took the early morning Amtrak train, and since I still technically had work, I kept myself busy by working from my laptop and reading a book.

Day 1

Since my friend had work that Friday, I decided to explore Baltimore city solo. I woke up early since I had a work conference, but after my meeting, I walked to Charles Street to grab breakfast. I came across a Mediterranean brunch spot in North Charles Street and ordered chicken shawarma and Zaatar Pie which was seasoned with olive oil and a mix of middle eastern mix of herbs and spices. After brunch, I walked over to the Harbor place, and on the way, I often ran into little gems like local cafes and boutiques hidden away in each street way. The streets stood out since it was paved by red bricks among the different colored historic Baltimore row houses. Once I reached the Inner harbor, I headed to a nearby café to grab coffee and rest there since it was really sunny and crowded near the waterfront.

After finishing some remaining work at the cafe, I walked around the federal hill park and grabbed a good spot on the hill, accessing a good view of the Baltimore Harbor. I was able to see a panoramic view of cargo ships from one side and the Pride of Baltimore and sailing boats lined up on the other side. The park was quite busy with runners, people walking with their dogs, and children around the playground section. Since the park was to commemorate the patriots who fought in the War of Baltimore, there were monuments in the center of the park and a cannon placed near the edge of the hill. After spending a considerate amount of time in the park, I walked down to a nearby art museum, The American Visionary Art. In one section of the building, they showcased art pieces deriving from scrap and recycled materials. Meanwhile, the other side of the museum presented The Compassion Project, portraying spiritual leaders and religious figures like Dalai Lama, Mother Mary, and even a pregnant woman holding her womb to symbolize motifs like love, humility, peace, and compassion.

After the sun went down a little, I headed back to the Inner Harbor to have lunch. Thereafter, I walked down Pratt Street over to the Gallery Mall, but since there was still some innovation happening, only the first floor was open to the public. Although, I thought the concept was innovative with the elaborate indoor garden and fountain. Since my friend worked at the John Hopkins Hospital, I began walking over there to meet her. While I was walking, I came across the Bromo Seltzer tower. I tried to go inside, but apparently, they had closed it temporarily due to Covid. Since I was getting really tired, I decided to head back to the apartment and wait for my friend. Around the evening past dusk, we went to Fells Point Street for dinner. When we arrived at Fells Point, I loved the entire vibe of the place due to the live music band, hanging street lights, cobblestone pathways, and eclectic restaurants. We came across antique stores, hip pubs, and record stores while we were searching for food. We decided to grab pizzas and stop by a gelato spot nearby the restaurant before we head over to the waterfront. It was way more peaceful once we were away from the crowd and near the waterfront deck, and I personally like it more than the Inner Harbor since it was more local. There was a gentleman playing his trumpet in his own boat to entertain anyone passing by. Across the harbor, we were able to see the Pier Broadway Theatre lit up, and there were water taxis tied to the deck.

Day 2

We took the early morning Amtrak train to Washington Union Station, and from there, we took another metro to Basilica of the National Shrine to attend the morning mass. Every time I visit the DC metropolitan area with my family, we don’t leave without visiting the Basilica. Personally, I find the Romanesque art and interior intriguing. After the mass, we walked down to Monroe market that was only a few blocks away from the Basilica. Even though I have visited the Basilica several times in the past, I never came across this vibrant Marketplace that had everything from coffee shops, art galleries, sculptures, boutiques, and even a farmer’s market right in the middle. Since the marketplace was near the Catholic University and the residential complex, there were a lot of students walking around, and some were volunteering to sell food items to the public. For fashion and art enthusiasts like myself, the Monore Marketplace was literally a place to just wander around. Since it was a Saturday, there was a large crowd walking in and out of the market, and there was even a man playing the guitar in the far back of the street to entertain them. Before we were about to catch the next metro, we quickly stopped by a café to grab coffee and a quick bite.

After getting off at Woodly Park Station, we walked down Adams neighborhood, an upscale community that consists of different colored row houses, pre-war apartment buildings, and modern loft apartments. The entire neighborhood had a retro, vintage vibe yet a modern facelift. The neighborhood led us to Adams Morgan street, an independent streak full of bars and eclectic restaurants that offered diverse cuisines like Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Mexican, etc. Many of the restaurants had outdoor corridors, giving the street a more spirited and laid-back vibe. There was a nearby metro station, so we decided to catch the train to Hirshhorn Museum that featured international modern and contemporary art pieces. In honor of Martin Luther King, the lower floor had the installation of the immensely sized words to explore the power of big words that share the message of love and kindness.

There was a nearby park next to the museum. There was a line of food trucks aligned from one end of the park to the other end, and they were selling halal food, Mexican tacos, Dosas, etc. My friend grabbed a shaded spot in the park while I was waiting in line for our food. I never tried Indonesian food before, so I decided to try the Nasi Goreng from one of the food trucks. Since I was standing right outside the food truck, I was able to watch them cook my dish with shredded pieces of shrimp, chicken, green peas, and rice along with sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste. Afterward, I got ice cream from a local vendor before we headed towards City Center. We were not planning on doing any shopping, but we just wanted to see what the place had to offer. To be honest, I was not really enthralled by City Center because I visited the Oculus in New York which offered all the luxury branded stores as well. Although, I thought the fall leaves and stringed lights gave the place a good ambiance.

Since Chinatown was only a few blocks away from Center City, we decided to explore this small DC area until it was time to catch the metro back to Baltimore. As you come across this neighborhood of Downtown Washington, it welcomes you with the ionic Friendship Arch that is decorated with intricate designs, temple roofs, and painted tiles. It’s amazing to know this historic town was once home to thousands of Chinese immigrants. Sadly, due to the development of the federal government, the landlords during that time forced the people out of their homes, and the town population shrunk to smaller numbers. Currently, Chinatown is virtually devoid of anything related to the Chinese culture because the town is losing its residents, and the people who still live there belong to low-income housing developments.

Day 3

Since we had to cancel our hiking trip, we decided to explore the Walter Arts Museum and Hampden neighborhood. While we were walking over to the museum, we came across an abandoned mansion that was now painted with graffiti art. We spend a long time at the art museum since my friends were passionate about Renaissance art. To be honest, I was more fascinated by the Palazzo style architecture and jewelry work by Betty Cooke. From one of the security guards in that floor, we learned Cooke was trying to convey hidden messages to her clients through her pieces of jewelry. In addition to her jewelry business, Cooke developed a large fan base for her leather handbags and accessories. She even demonstrated her technique in making her leather designs which I thought was interesting because we as consumers never contemplate about the work that goes behind a product. Further on in the museum, we came across French landscape paintings and oil canvas paintings. I personally loved the painting that depicted biblical stories and Islamic art.

It was a little past afternoon when we took the city bus to Jones Falls Trail. We walked a portion of the trail, leading us to a rustic meadow mill and Woodberry neighborhood. There were stone cottages that used to be where the mill laborers once lived during the 18th and 19th century. Since we were farther up north and outside of Baltimore, it felt nice to be away from the city for a while and experience the countryside. We even came across a house where they had a vintage henry ford and Volkswagen Van that was popular in the counter culture movement. Once we arrived at Hampden street, we stopped by an Afghan juice bar and tried their doogh which was made with apple, mango, and yogurt. It felt very refreshing to drink after that long walk, and mine almost tasted like lassi due to the mango. Before it got very dark, we took the city bus to head back to the apartment.

I took a lot of initiatives to plan this trip since it was my first time traveling to Baltimore. I wasn’t familiar with the DC area, so I had to plan it out with my friends to figure out what’s the best way of route. One of my favorite part about this trip was our long mile walks and riding the metro in DC. To be honest, I had an easier time navigating around DC than Baltimore because the times for the metro bus were never reliable. That being said, I definitely agree that Baltimore is a real city with serious challenges since it has its bad areas and crimes. A lot of the times, we had to trust our instincts and be vigilant of our surroundings because some streets were unpredictable, and you could easily end up in danger if you took one wrong turn. However, that’s not all there is to this city because it is full of culture, art and passionate people.

On the day I arrived at this city, I was waiting for the bus at Baltimore Penn Station, but I felt unsafe since it was getting dark, and there were few guys watching me from the corner. I decided to order Lyft instead, and the driver was so friendly with me, sharing that he is a motivational speaker on podcast, celebrating 32 years of alcohol and drug addiction recovery. He confided that he worked a full time job for several years, and now that since he has enough savings, he intends to travel and help others. That being said, as much as much I find some part of the city to be broken and decayed, it’s also full of texture, grit, and resiliency. This trip was really worth remembering since it was something I haven’t done for myself in a while. It was challenging, took me out of my comfort zone, forced me to adapt and explore new surroundings, and laugh with friends.