Today we headed for Baltimore so that my daughter can compete for a spot on the USA Fencing Junior Olympic team. We awoke early and got out by 9a, stopping by NYBD for some bagels and omelets. It was in the upper 30s and a steady mist fell. Genetta drove us almost to the Virginia border. She may have driven us further but we weren’t sure if the learner’s permit allowed it.
In Virginia the rain turned to a nice light to moderate snow and about 35F. Meanwhile I learned that at home it had been snowing for quite some time though with little more than a dusting to a bit more on grassy surfaces. Still quite amazing, given that in the lead up to this trip my primary concern had been the potential for snow in Baltimore and not in North Carolina!
The rest of the way to Washington, D.C. was largely uneventful. The precipitation let up a bit and with the evaporative cooling no longer a factor the temperature rose into the low 40s. We took 95 / 495 around D.C. and stopped at a very special place (well, at least for me!) for lunch in College Park, Maryland about 2p.
Raleigh used to have this yummy chili place called Hard Times Cafe. I loved it, always getting the Texas Chili with cheddar cheese and onions. It was almost always my “birthday lunch” — the lunch choice I could make that nobody can veto. Sadly (and perhaps ironically) the Great Recession closed the place and the only locations left were those around D.C. where I assume the chain was founded.
Hard Times Cafe, College Park, Maryland
I had.. you guessed it… the Texas Chili. Michelle had the spicier Terlingua Red Chili and Genetta the Frito pie with Texas Chili. Addison had ribs. They all ate wings for an appetizer (I passed, don’t like dem bones!). It was excellent, and as good as I remembered. As we were eating the place started filling up with Maryland Terrapin fans, ACC traitors that they are!
Got back in the car and headed a short way down 95 to Baltimore. It was neat to see the (XLVII Superbowl Champion) Ravens’ stadium (purple seats and all) as well as Camden Yards where the Orioles play. Just a block or so away was our hotel, a Holiday Inn.
Looming over the hotel is a really cool looking tower. It has a large clock with, starting at 12, the letters OMOREZTLESBR. Genetta, Addison, and I were stumping over it while Michelle checked us in — turned out it was the Bromo Seltzer Tower, meant to be read from 10 to 2 then from 9 backwards to 3.
Baltimore's Bromo Seltzer Tower
We settled in our room in the adjacent building. While spacious and on the top floor the fridge doesn’t seem to work and it only had a large bed and a sleeper sofa rather than two large beds. We’ll make do, it’s not so bad. After messing around with reading, surfing, watching some TV and unwinding we headed out to the east towards the Inner Harbor.
It was beginning to get quite cold, about mid 30s, and steam was rising out of the manhole covers to great effect. Almost like we were in some Noir detective flick. The walk to the Inner Harbor wasn’t too long. There we found many restaurants, sadly many just ones we find in any other tourist area in America. They even had a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Still, the area was pretty neat, what we could see of it since it was dark. We saw a tall sails ship and the Chesapeake light boat as well as the really neat Aquarium (all closed due to the hour).
We just gave in and decided to eat at Hard Rock Cafe. The wait was an hour to an hour and a half (not worth it, not for that fare) and we decided to just go to an adjacent sandwich shop called “Potbelly’s.” I imagine it is a chain in these parts but it was new to us so we tried it out. Decent sandwiches and I had an “ok” coffee milkshake — it was a bit light on the coffee sadly. After eating we checked out their local Barnes & Noble (another darn chain) where the kids each bought a book.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Baltimore Convention Center, the location of the USA Fencing trials. We saw the check-in area as well as the main halls where the bouts take place. Exciting!
On return to our rooms we blogged and got ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a cold one (high of 35F) but we’re hoping to see some more of the Inner Harbor and maybe the Aquarium and try out some local fare.