In 2007 a movie-musical came out called Hairspray. The film is set in
Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The opening song of the musical is Good Morning Baltimore. I went to see it with my friends and I fell
madly in love. I had a download copy I watched over and over, then the DVD came
out which included these amazing BTS features and I’d watch the entire thing,
movie, commentary, behind the scenes, over and over. I’d listen to the
soundtrack constantly. Good Morning Baltimore
was my ‘jam’, the song that would get me up and going. In 2008 I went
backpacking in Europe and while in London, I saw the stage musical of Hairspray
at the Shaftsbury Theatre three times. In 2010 while in the USA, I couldn’t fit
Baltimore into my itinerary and I always regretted it, and so in 2012 when I
was planning my trip, I knew unequivocally that I had to go to Baltimore.
Just because of a musical.
It turns out that Baltimore is one of the greatest hidden gems, a
packet of surprises. Not only did I fulfil a bucket list item (dance down the
streets of Baltimore in the morning singing Good
Morning Baltimore) but I had a really enjoyable time in general.
Getting to Baltimore
Baltimore is an ideal destination if you’re doing the north east corner of the USA. So, if you’re visiting hitting up DC, NYC, Boston, Philly – there’s no reason to not include Baltimore! You are best off using Bolt Bus to get to Baltimore, as the other bus companies (Megabus, Chinatown buses, etc) go to a park and ride location of a mall about an hour on the bus out of the city centre – as the hostel highlights in their ‘directions’ instructions. If you’re flying into or out of Baltimore, BWI Airport is cheaply accessed by light rail. I would recommend coming into Baltimore on Bolt Bus, and if you need to use Megabus (to get directly to DC or Philly because Bolt Bus don’t do Baltimore – DC/Philly; you have to go back up to NYC) then go from Baltimore to your next destination – you will then have had the chance to get used to the transport, figure out what bus to get to the White Marsh park and ride and won’t have to worry about this when you first arrive in Baltimore. OR lash out and use Amtrak to go onto your next destination.
I used Bolt Bus from New York City to Baltimore. They were having major problems on the NYC end, with all of their buses running over an hour late. As a result, hundreds of people were milling around one tight cross street – this is how Bolt Bus operates, with a pick up location of ‘the corner of 34th Street and 7th Ave’ or the like. There was no representative from Bolt Bus doing any crowd control. When a bus arrived, everyone would move from their spot along the block to the bus, this crowded mosh pit of people trying to hear what bus it was – and what time. If it was 11:30 and you were waiting for the 11:30am bus to Washington, the bus that was arriving was probably the 10am bus to Baltimore. After the horrific start, it was a reasonable journey, decent wi-fi on board and no further delays.
Getting around Baltimore
Baltimore has what is called the Charm
City Circulator – four different bus routes which run throughout the city
from early in the morning until late at night. It is used by both locals and
tourists. The best part about it? It’s free! The second best thing about it –
it goes to just about every tourist attraction or destination you could possibly
want to go to in Baltimore. There are free pamphlets outlining the routes which
you can pick up on the buses, or access online. I was so incredibly impressed
with this service, with the politeness of the staff, the cleanliness of the
buses and the efficiency of the service. My whole time I used this service, the
only trip I made that wasn’t with the CCC was when I left, having to get to the
airport – where I was able to get to by the light rail, just a few blocks from
my hostel. If you are looking to go somewhere that isn’t served by the CCC, it
is probably served by one of the regular paid buses or the light rail.
 |
| Free Public Transport can't get much better than the CCC! |
Accommodation
Hostelling International has a hostel in Baltimore. It is really well
located – you can walk to the majority of the important sites, and if you’re
not up for walking then it is situated just a few blocks away from the Charm
City Circulator. It is cheap in comparison to other hostels, and other HI
Hostels in the USA. It’s a smaller hostel, just the five dorm rooms, but
nonetheless has a really lovely spacious living room, dining area, a TV room
downstairs, and a picnic area. The hostel could be full and every guest could
be present and not in their room and still have somewhere to sit, with spare space.
They have an activities board pointing out any cool events going on in
Baltimore and run some dinners and things themselves. The bedding was cute, you
were given a towel, there were plenty of bathrooms.
History & Attractions
If you’re the kind of tourists you likes to go to museums, memorials and attractions then Baltimore has its fair share of offerings, including a few that are entirely or partly free. Do a Google search for the specifics, but whether history, art or the wacky be your preferred, Baltimore has it. They have appropriate statues, monuments, a Holocaust memorial, a war memorial – your typical things that you’d expect in a historic US city. A lot of these are in the Mt. Vernon area, the ‘cultural’ district but a few are downtown and by the harbour as well.
The most entertaining district is undoubtedly the harbour area – with fun
interactive and modern art pieces, interesting architecture, pirate ships, live
music (I’m told a fixture over summer on weekends) and of course restaurants
both chain and local, and a variety of shopping options. It also boasts an
aquarium and a Ripleys Believe it or Not. There are patches of grass here and
there and it’s a lovely area to just wander around and see what you stumble
across. I spent a lot of time exploring this area, on my own, also with my
friend Ayesha who trekked hours from Virginia to visit and bring a delicious
picnic lunch. Baltimore was where I spent the Fourth of July, with fireworks
and music featuring in the harbour area to celebrate.
 |
| Baltimore Harbour |
 |
| Fort McHenry |
Be a Local
One of my most enjoyable experiences in Baltimore was on my final afternoon. Baltimore has free music in the Mt. Vernon Park on the first Thursday of each month throughout summer. From the conversations around me, it was a very local vibe – it wasn’t something I saw advertised around town, I only knew because the hostel had it on the activities board. People bring blankets, coolers, fold up chairs, and lay back and enjoy the early evening setting sun while listening to musicians - mostly local acts but some international. There are food and drink vendors – including beer – and overall it was just a really lovely, relaxing few hours.
 |
| Mt. Vernon Park, Washington Monument, Music, Sun, Food, Beer - doesn't get better! |
Final Reflection
Baltimore was a very balanced experience. I don’t walk away thinking ‘wow, best city ever!’ but overall, it ticks all of the boxes that a traveller could require and given its location and its place as being a Southwest Airways hub, it may make a lot of sense for a budget traveller to stop off for a few days. Don’t just pass through – in the four nights I was at the hostel, so many people arrived in the late afternoon and left the next morning. Take at least another day, if not two more, to embrace all that this gem of a city has to offer. It isn’t often in the USA that you can stay in a reasonably priced, cute, clean hostel and get around on free public transport and be immersed among such historical and cultural significance. And don’t forget to put Good Morning Baltimore on your iPod before leaving home – trust me, it’s a liberating experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment