Baltimore!
Jun. 22nd, 2014 09:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogDanae and I had a pleasant drive out to Maryland. Uneventful, if long. It was after midnight I think when we arrived at our destination, the house of one of Danae's friends, about an hour outside Baltimore. Listening to Lynn Flewelling's "Stalking Darkness" had kept me well awake on the ride (I'm really enjoying these books), but I crashed quickly once I was on a soft, flat surface.
On Saturday, our hosts took us to visit the antique shopping area in downtown Fredrick.There was neat architecture, tasty chocolate, and an array of antiques to browse through. I enjoyed talking to one of our hosts, D, about conflicts between aesthetics and function in design. We have similar feelings!
This morning, I just dropped Danae off at her conference. I have the day mostly to myself, and I think I've already figured out the parking situation for our car. The area the hotel is in seemed a little sketchy last night, and I wish that I'd just brought one of my cameras instead of both because I'm going to want to have them with me all the time. But in the light of day, it's really not that bad, and I wouldn't leave a camera around regardless of the nature of a hotel and neighborhood.
I still need a shirt for my meetings at Penn State; Danae thinks the one I brought "isn't the end of the world," but that I could do better. I'm going to bike around to a few thrift stores here in Baltimore, and enjoy seeing the town while I do so. My meetings are on Tuesday, so I have today and tomorrow to explore. I'm finding a bunch of stuff that looks worthwhile. I just wish I had a GPS with me. I'm going to have to find my way around via written directions in a little notebook and a tourist map of the city. This may make those of you who know my navigational abilities nervous, but I think I can manage. Though I'm also going to look for a place where I can buy a more detailed map than this one that I picked up from the hotel check-in counter.
Baltimore is a very visually appealing city so far. Lots of hills and narrow streets that remind me of its age. The city was founded in 1729, and along with New York City is one of the oldest cities I've spent time in, and probably some of the oldest in the county. I'm excited about getting to know the place a little bit. Maybe my Chiapas related travel trauma is wearing off a bit. *grins*
On Saturday, our hosts took us to visit the antique shopping area in downtown Fredrick.There was neat architecture, tasty chocolate, and an array of antiques to browse through. I enjoyed talking to one of our hosts, D, about conflicts between aesthetics and function in design. We have similar feelings!
This morning, I just dropped Danae off at her conference. I have the day mostly to myself, and I think I've already figured out the parking situation for our car. The area the hotel is in seemed a little sketchy last night, and I wish that I'd just brought one of my cameras instead of both because I'm going to want to have them with me all the time. But in the light of day, it's really not that bad, and I wouldn't leave a camera around regardless of the nature of a hotel and neighborhood.
I still need a shirt for my meetings at Penn State; Danae thinks the one I brought "isn't the end of the world," but that I could do better. I'm going to bike around to a few thrift stores here in Baltimore, and enjoy seeing the town while I do so. My meetings are on Tuesday, so I have today and tomorrow to explore. I'm finding a bunch of stuff that looks worthwhile. I just wish I had a GPS with me. I'm going to have to find my way around via written directions in a little notebook and a tourist map of the city. This may make those of you who know my navigational abilities nervous, but I think I can manage. Though I'm also going to look for a place where I can buy a more detailed map than this one that I picked up from the hotel check-in counter.
Baltimore is a very visually appealing city so far. Lots of hills and narrow streets that remind me of its age. The city was founded in 1729, and along with New York City is one of the oldest cities I've spent time in, and probably some of the oldest in the county. I'm excited about getting to know the place a little bit. Maybe my Chiapas related travel trauma is wearing off a bit. *grins*
