Baltimore Inner Harbor

We wanted to get away for a few days, so this past weekend we decided to spend two nights in Baltimore, Maryland.  We always enjoyed taking day-trips with the kids to the Inner Harbor, but haven’t been there for a number of years, so this was a good opportunity to get back, enjoy the harbor, and take some pictures.

The main selling point for the Inner Harbor is that there is plenty to do for every member of the family.  If you’re into shopping you can browse the shops at Harborplace right on the water, or take in the Gallery Mall just across the street.  When it’s time to eat, there are no shortage of dining spots.  The main cuisine of the area is seafood at restaurants like Phillips, McCormick & Schmick’s, and the Rusty Scupper, but you can find any type of food at any price level within walking distance, since every restaurant chain is represented.

Harborplace

Gallery Mall

Phillips Seafood (Express)

There are also many activities to keep the whole family occupied.  The main attraction of the Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium.  We spent most of the day on Saturday exploring the many exhibits – I’ll concentrate on the aquarium in my next blog entry.

National Aquarium

In addition to the aquarium, there are many other things to do:  visit the Maryland Science Center; tour the Civil War era USS Constellation tall ship as well as other ships and a submarine; plus tour the harbor area on various types of vessels and dining cruises.  If you’re into baseball and football, the Orioles and Ravens stadiums are just a couple of blocks from the Inner Harbor.

USS Constellation

Seadog Harbor Cruiser

Since our anniversary was last weekend, we wanted to stay at a nice hotel, so we stayed at the Intercontinental, directly across the street from the harbor.  The hotel was very elegant, the rooms large, and the breakfasts were very well prepared.  On Saturday night we dined at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood restaurant.  The seafood was outstanding.

Intercontinental Hotel

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

Reading Terminal Market - Philadelphia, PA

The Reading Terminal Market, established in 1892 at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia (or center city, if you’re from the area), is the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. Through its long and interesting history, it has seen times both good and bad, but has emerged in the 21st century as one of the greatest public markets in the country.  The Reading Terminal Market occupies the ground floor and basement levels of the Reading Terminal's former train shed, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Long after the demise of the Reading Railroad and the transformation of the old train shed into a majestic hall as part of the Convention Center, the Reading Terminal Market is more popular and prosperous than ever. 

 The Reading Terminal Market is a must-see attraction for both tourists and locals.  Over 80 merchants offer fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, ice cream, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods. Every space in the market is rented out; three of the vendors are descendants of original market merchants.  When I worked in center city for two years, the market was my favorite place for lunch.  The market currently houses 32 restaurants of every type imaginable – for example, various Deli’s, Thai cuisine, Pennsylvania Dutch, BBQ, Middle East, Vegetarian, Greek, Chinese, Seafood, and of course Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies.   The only problems were deciding what to eat and finding a place to sit since it was a very popular place at lunch time.  My favorite stands for sandwiches now are DiNic's Roast Pork and Beef, and The Original Turkey for delicious roast turkey sandwiches.

Along with the many eating establishments, there are also five produce markets, six butchers, five seafood stands, six bakeries, and 13 Pennsylvania Dutch vendors.  If you live in the area, you can also pick up delicious meats, vegetables, and desserts for dinner.  The Market East commuter rail terminal is adjacent to the market so, if the timing is right, you can pick up your groceries and be home in the suburbs in less than an hour.  We can’t visit the market without picking up cannolis at Termini Brothers Bakery to take home on the train.

If you have a chance, please check out my ImageKind Galleries and Flickr Collections.  I also have two new shops - Zazzle Gifts and Zazzle Prints & Posters.