A trip down memory lane and beyond - Baltimore

(Image courtesy of Unsplash)

17th May 2021

By Elle Summers

I awoke on the coach, aching from the neck pain from having leant on my friend for the majority of the journey. We’d just entered the outskirts of Baltimore, and my first thought was what have we done? Having left the shining streets of Philly, we now found ourselves in a very run-down part of town, but luckily the coach continued for quite a way, and much to my happiness our next Airbnb was located in a more up-market location! This time we shared our apartment with the host, an experience I have yet to repeat, and so bumbling into his home was a tad awkward, but the room was nice and we had free range of the kitchen which was handy. We spent the first evening exploring the harbour side and walking around the streets trying to get our bearings.

Good morning Baltimore! Our first morning here was spent on the hunt for ice cream – like I’m sure I’ve already said, I’m a massive child! We then spent the first half of the day exploring the USS Constellation Ship that lives on the harbour side. Built between 1853 and 1855 this ship is the last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy. After wandering around above and below deck for a little while, we watched a demonstration of the canons, both someone talking through how they worked and then one on deck actually being fired!

(Image courtesy of Elle Summers)

From the harbour we decided to head to another amazing American landmark – Target! We travelled by electric scooter – before they were all the rage over here – which I found terrifying. I have since travelled on these scooters in the UK, and for me, it did not settle my nerves any more than the first time. At Target we filled up on all the essentials – Cheetos, Sour Patch Kids and Chips Ahoy. Ready and raring with our snacks, and because the weather had taken a turn for the worst, we got a cab, our destination – Fell’s Point. We’d booked on for a ghost tour for the evening, unfortunately, being under 21 we had to book the family friendly package as we were not old enough to drink. The walking tour was really good, the guide was highly knowledgeable, and the history was very interesting. Being easily scared, the tales of ghosts and hauntings did creep me out a little, whilst my friend remained unphased. After returning to our apartment, we fell asleep to the only musical appropriate for our stay – Hairspray.

(Image courtesy of Elle Summers)

Sunday morning marked our last day in Baltimore. We had to be up early to pack our stuff, yet the host was kind and let us leave our belongings so we could spend the remainder of our time exploring without the difficulty of dragging round a suitcase. This was really handy as we ended up back at the harbour exploring USS Torsk, a submarine. Being young at heart, we were very impressed that there were no signs telling us not to touch things or climb about in the submarine, especially as my friend had been told off the day before for climbing the rigging of the USS Constellation!

(Image courtesy of Elle Summers)

From here it was time to travel back to Newark as I would be flying out the next day – but my adventure did not stop there. Despite having to leave my friend to head back to school, my next stop was Toronto. The journey back up through the US was eventful, in that it meant a lot of hanging around for a coach, sprinting so as to not miss a train and a fair few cab rides at the other end to arrive at our apartment in Hillside before going back out for food. Despite only spending one night here, this was probably the nicest Airbnb we stayed in, as the décor was really cute.

The following morning consisted of travelling to the airport. Because nothing seemed to go smoothly for me where planes were involved during my time away, it was unsurprising that my whole flight had been cancelled! Luckily, I was able to book onto another, the only downside being I had to make a connecting flight in Ottawa – a concept my 19-year-old self did not necessarily feel overly comfortable with – but at least it would give me something to worry about for the first leg of my journey!

After sharing some food with my friend, he walked me to the air train to say goodbye. We waved each other off as the train pulled away. For now, my time in the USA had come to an interlude, I’d be back, and my friend and I had more adventures planned! But for now, it was goodbye America, hello Canada.