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Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:20 am

I'm gonna be spending 5 days in Md at the end of April with my wife. She has a conference to attend for work so my days are pretty much wide open. I'll be leaving Md early Saturday morning April 25 and heading to the Campbelltown, PA show to swap. I'll be driving the Bus loaded down with parts there and back. My wife will be driving her car so we don't have to take the Bus loaded to the roof with parts everywhere we go. Any cool VW related things to do down there around that time? We'll probably be getting there on Sunday the 19th and staying the week. I'll have Wed Thurs and Fri to try and figure out something to do with myself. We plan to stay in or near Baltimore, and my wife's conference is in Hunt Valley. How about it Maryland folks? What's there to do? I'll be going to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, been there once before and it was pretty cool. Definitely gonna go to the Aquarium. I couldn't care less about baseball so I'll be driving right by Camden Yards as though it were a Wal Mart.

Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:06 am

I'd be in the hotel room, jackin' off!

Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:25 am

eat crabs

ooh, and driving on the beltway in rush hour also sounds like it could provide hours of fun! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_695_(Maryland)

Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:44 am

cant you touchnicksthing in maryland?

Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:25 pm

From Hunt Valley you can take the "light rail" downtown so I would stay there as it is safe. Also there is some nice country just north (York Road) of Hunt Valley and west (big horse farms on Shawan and Tufton Roads) as well if you want to go for a drive. Also look for Oregon Ridge park if you want to go for a short hike. South of Hunt Valley off of York Road take Ashland Road (left) and there is a nice bike trail that is an old railroad bed (flat). The trail goes through some pretty country and along the Gunpowder River (good trout stream by the way). There is place close by that rents bikes if that is your thing.

Downtown stuff:

Fort McHenry
B&O Railroad Museum
The Inner Harbor
Baltimore Museum of Art/Walters Art Gallery
Civil War Museum
Fell's Point (restaurants and bars)
Canton (restaurants and bars)
Duck Boats
Water Taxi (a fun way to get around to Canton, Fells Point, Inner Harbor, etc.)
Aquarium
Science Center/Imax Theater
U.S.S. Constellation
The Torsk (a submarine)
Federal Hill

That ought to keep you busy!

Let me know if you want some more non-downtown things to do.

Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:20 pm

http://visitmaryland.org/Pages/Activities2.aspx?gclid=CKDjmLqo4pkCFQIyxwod5D0f3Q

Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:57 pm

We have the Great Blacks in Wax museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.

We also have one of the highest Murder rates in the nation with almost 1 a day!

The B&O railroad Museum is neat if you like machinery. So is the Museum of Industry on Key Highway on the southside of the harbor. You pass it as you go towards Fort McHenry.

The fort is somewhat interesting, but there really is NOTHING going on there most of the time.

The Aquarium is interesting, but it will cost you around $25 to get in. On busy days, the tickets are time stamped, so you can’t get in until your time slot. So if you are the type of person who likes to take their time looking at stuff, get your tickets early. Once you are in, you can stay until closing time.

If you are looking for a nice place to have dinner, the Oregon Grill on Shawan Rd just west of Hunt Valley outside the entrance to Oregon Ridge Park, will do the trick. Expect to dig deep, it ain’t cheap!

Here’s a link to a list that might keep you busy;
http://baltimore.org/attractions/

But if I had a few days to see things in the Baltimore area, I think I'd go see the airport and watch it get smaller and smaller from the window of the plane!

And I live here!

Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:51 pm

Walk around downtown wearing a Yankees ballcap.

Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:26 pm

If you like old racecars this place is worth the stop on the way to campbelltown. 8) http://www.emmr.org/schedule.htm

Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:46 pm

Check out Chevy Chase, MD.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:46 am

Lee. wrote: Check out Chevy Chase, MD.

You must be kidding - there's nothing there to see.

The 'National' aquarium is pretty cool. They recently revamped it and added a new exhibit. There's a dolphin show too, if you're so inclined.
If you wanna hit up some bars there's Fell's Point and you won't be too far from 'Little Italy' either for some great food.

Depending on where your hotel is I would agree about keeping your wits about you... there are some sketchy parts of town not to far from the beaten path.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:23 am

hi,

While I've visited often, I rarely stay for very long, at least not in the populated Baltimore region.
If you venture east out onto the peninsula it is quite nice. I like the ocean front and even the Bay Front areas except for Ocean City which I find tacky and a tad over whelming! Too much development in one location, it's ruined the beach front. Others like it though.

The high points of Baltimore have been mentioned, it's a city that has been / is experiencing a rebirth. There was the day that you did NOT stop in Baltimore for any reason, just stay on I 95 and get out of the area but that has changed a lot.
If you've never seen DC and you don't come East often, it's only a short trip south. Would be worth the trip if for no other reason than to see the National Mall and all its Monuments. You could spend days in DC there is so much to see but that is another trip all its own.

Have fun, stay safe.

Dave

Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:57 am

Stay out of Prince George's County - if a crack dealer's stray bullet doesn't get you the police will.

Watch out for the crater-like pot holes and Maryland drivers!

Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:20 am

djkeev wrote:

The high points of Baltimore have been mentioned, it's a city that has been / is experiencing a rebirth.

Hey dave, I think that rebirth was a miscarrige.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:59 am

drscope wrote: djkeev wrote:

The high points of Baltimore have been mentioned, it's a city that has been / is experiencing a rebirth.

Hey dave, I think that rebirth was a miscarrige.

Yes, but compared to the late 60's and early 70's Baltimore today is a lovely place! I remember once in the early 70's I NEEDED gas badly so I got off, I regretted it and the memories of some neighborhood of Baltimore I was lost in still haunts me today!
That was back in the days before the "new" I95 tunnel and everyone went through the "old" tunnel. I just passed through there a week ago (that's pretty much Baltimore, passing through on the way to somewhere good) and on the way home, for fun (pitiful little life I have if doing this is fun) took the old tunnel and found it to be deserted! everyone seems to stay on I95 thinking that is the best choice, as I did when I went through headed south a few days earlier. I will always take the old route from now on.

Hey, you've got Duff and the Ace of Cakes, what more does a city really need??

Dave

Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:51 pm

atmellovw wrote: From Hunt Valley you can take the "light rail" downtown so I would stay there as it is safe. Also there is some nice country just north (York Road) of Hunt Valley and west (big horse farms on Shawan and Tufton Roads) as well if you want to go for a drive. Also look for Oregon Ridge park if you want to go for a short hike. South of Hunt Valley off of York Road take Ashland Road (left) and there is a nice bike trail that is an old railroad bed (flat). The trail goes through some pretty country and along the Gunpowder River (good trout stream by the way). There is place close by that rents bikes if that is your thing.

Downtown stuff:

Fort McHenry
B&O Railroad Museum
The Inner Harbor
Baltimore Museum of Art/Walters Art Gallery
Civil War Museum
Fell's Point (restaurants and bars)
Canton (restaurants and bars)
Duck Boats
Water Taxi (a fun way to get around to Canton, Fells Point, Inner Harbor, etc.)
Aquarium
Science Center/Imax Theater
U.S.S. Constellation
The Torsk (a submarine)
Federal Hill

That ought to keep you busy!

Let me know if you want some more non-downtown things to do.

pretty much sums it up! If you go to Canton, be sure to try Nacho Mama's for good Mexican food. I used to live a few blocks from there. Also if you go to the Little Italy section, try Amicci's. It was very good. The various markets across the inner harbor area are good too if they are still there i.e Cross Street, Lexington,etc.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:29 pm

Awesome, thanks for all of your help guys. If I live through the week, I'll see you at Campbelltown on the 25th. :P

Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:33 pm

How could I have forgotten about Little Italy? I used to like Sabatino's after a night out on the town. Oh yeah, just south of Hunt Valley on York Road there is a place called Andy Nelsons, really good BBQ.

Isn't Campbelltown near Hershey? If so, Indian Echo Taverns is pretty cool.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:34 pm

also, if you are into that kind of stuff, edgar allan poe has his grave in Baltimore too. And if you go up by the museum area go to the Paper Moon diner. I think that is the area i remember it being in...

you may get called "Hon" while down there too!

Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:36 am

We have family in/near Baltimore, so go there time to time..
though I much prefer the roads & scenery on the MD/DE side. the roads & countryside on the NW side are really nice horse country.. and driving.

There is the Hard Rock Cafe near the Aquarium, and the USS Constellation

you can also take a DUK Tour of the harbor

for get away from people, there's the Chesapeake Bay region, nice drives
and Elk Neck State park just an hour north of Baltimore on the MD/DE border and the headwater of the Bay