Super cool spot. It was a cloudy and gloomy day when we walked by so it made this place feel eerie…read more The grounds and graves all looked well kept.

Located in a former church, now an event space, the grave is front and center. It has a short time…read moreline of Poe's life and brief introduction about the famous author. It is easily accessible and near the University of Maryland campus.

**As of February 2018** This place is not easily accessible anymore. First off, you cannot LEGALLY…read morepark under the railroad tracks/bridge area. It is clearly marked "No Standing Fire Lane". You can get a ticket or probably towed. There is no other parking for miles. We drove to the Patapsco State Park Avalon Entrance ($4 entry fee), then to "Lost Lake", where there is a trail called Grist Mill Trail. This trail will take you 2.5 miles into the park where it eventually meets Ilchester Rd (right near the hidden staircase to the ruins). After walking 2.5 miles there, we ran into construction signs and a closure near the Bloede's Dam. Because of the closure blocking the rest of the trail, the only way to get across is to travel down the steep woods and walk across the railroad bridge (cross at your own risk- there are active trains passing through that could kill you) to the other side where the ruins are. There is a scenic overlook in the trails near the Dam where you can get a better idea of how steep the woods are to get to the road. Other options may include crossing at the suspension walking bridge (called the Grist Mill Walking Bridge) which is about a mile from the ruins. I haven't seen anyone go this route, but the hiking is more difficult on the other side of the suspension bridge. It appears until the Dam construction is over, this place is going to continue to be very difficult to get to (unless you want to risk getting ticketed or towed). I hope once the construction clears up I will have another opportunity to see this place!

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Baltimore Review 4/Many: I explored this historical neighborhood and monument with a few others…read morewhile traveling around Baltimore recently. The surrounding area is lush and green, with many large, beautiful churches, monuments, and other sights. We were originally going to this neighborhood to stop at The Walters Art Museum, but since it was closed for another hour, we walked around here instead. The George Washington Monument is fine. It's free to enter for most of it, and there are some statues inside as well as some information. We weren't exactly in the mood to pay $6 to walk up 227 stairs, as it was way too hot outside, but others were doing that, so that was their choice. In short, a nice neighborhood to relax in, especially during fall or spring when it's not so hot or cold outside. It's mostly free and well-designed with an excellent museum, so it's hard not to like it.

Definitely a cool bit of history in Monument City!…read more The Washington Monument is the first major monument dedicated to this country's first president. Inside the building, there is a little area with interactive screens explaining the history of the monument in Baltimore city. This is free to peruse. For a modest price, you can reserve a time to go up the tower portion of the monument. It is clearly old, with stone steps spiraling up clockwise until reaching an observation spot at the top. It is tight and you may have to wait in the odd window well while someone else goes up or down past you. There are four windows each labeled "North," "South," "East," and "West" with different vistas of the city. My kids are rather enjoyed it; even Child #3 climbed up over half the steps on his own at just shy of 2 years old. The surrounding area of "Mount Vernon Place" is covered with nice areas for sitting, looking at statues of contemporaries of George Washington (e.g. the Marquis de Lafayette). Highly recommend coming out during Flower Fest in early May!

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.

This place has a nice view of the harbor and city. For about $8, you get the chance of going up to…read morethe top floor and getting a 360 degree view. No one interacted with us at top so we roamed freely. Overall it was great and informative.

Definitely one of the first places to visit if you're in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore. We…read morestopped by as our first stop when staying in the neighborhood, since the vantage point provides perspectives and ideas of all the other places to visit afterwards. The harbor views are beautiful and vast, and the signage within the observation area talk about all the neighborhoods and give a history of Baltimore. There's even a small section dedicated to honor the memories of Marylanders lost in the 9/11 attack. Pricing is very reasonable at just $8 per person, and the elevator ride to the top is quick.

After defending Baltimore from King George III's attack in 1814, and the writing of the national…read moreanthem here, Fort McHenry has celebrated Defenders' Day ever-since 1815. This year, on the first day of several remembrance events, we made it back to watch National Park Service rangers and the fifes & drum corps of the Fort McHenry Guard salute our more recent 911. They formed a lively yet somber parade, gathering many of us to join-in, marching through Locust Point. In addition to re-enactors, I think some of the costumed-throng were Baltimore-locals :-)

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine…read more Location: 2400 E Fort Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230 Hours: daily 9AM - 5PM (summer schedule) Restrooms : inside the building Accessibility: strollers and wheelchairs accessible, limited path trails around the fort. Parking : parking lot free in front of the building No pets allowed within the historic site. Information: nps.gov Fort McHenry National Monument, an iconic fort located in Baltimore, MD, is the only Historic Shrine in the US, well known as the birthplace of US National Anthem. Fort McHenry is the first site to receive a presidential proclimation requiring that the site fly a flag 24/7, 365 days a year. Flag change programs occur daily. In the morning, the park raises a larger replica of a historic flag, and in the evening, it is replaced with an all-weather flag that flies overnight above the fort. Check the flag change schedule on nps.gov for more information. We were fortunate to be there during the flag retreat demonstration, and it was an amazing experience. A musical performance took place beforehand, adding to the ceremony's atmosphere. After the flag was lowered, visitors were invited to help fold the large flag into the traditional triangular shape. It was a memorable and meaningful way to take part in the park's daily tradition. *Flag changes are weather dependent. If there is precipitation, or of if the wind is below 5 mph/above 10 mph, the large garrison flag (30x42 feet) and storm flag (17x25 feet) cannot be flown.  To visit the park: it's free to explore the 42-acres of park areas from walking trails to have picnic or scenic walks. There's a fee to enter the fort area, tickets cost $15 for age 16 and up, and free for age 15 and younger. The ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days! Check out nps.gov for more information. It's a beautiful historic site and seeing everything in live version, it is an amazing in-person experience! #fortmchenry #fortmchenrynationalmonument #fortmchenryhistoricshrine #baltimoremd #preservefootprints

Historic waterfront neighborhood [Baltimore MD]…read more Did some research while looking for places to visit in Baltimore and bookmarked this neighborhood. Fell's Point is located along the north shore of the Baltimore Harbor and just less than 10 miles from our hotel... we made our way here on MLK Day. Surprisingly, not all the businesses were closed on a holiday. We arrived around 10:30a and found parking. There are a few options for parking including metered parking and convenient lots and garages. We found an open spot on Thames Street. Fell's Point is beautiful as it was once a bustling shipbuilding port. We walked the snowy sidewalks and enjoyed the views of the wharf. Fell's Point is a historic waterfront and one of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore. It has served as the home to jazz singer Billie Holiday and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. I loved the cobblestone streets with many waterfront restaurants and bars and the local cute boutiques shops. We had brunch at Barcocina and did some window shopping at the cozy shops. We also shared a pastry purchased from Pitango Bakery Cafe located right there at the waterfront. Review #3664

** 5 Year Review Update **…read more Fells Point continues to be great for the most part. Quality restaurants and boutiques, gorge water views, some of the coolest folks you'd ever meet. Some establishments have left, some have joined. The crowds stay heavy. Sadly lately, the crime has increased making it sometimes difficult to enjoy. Parking is gawd awful, but worth the hustle. I pray this area improves as Baltimore City deserves this.

Last Saturday, we visited the largest, permanent, model railroad display in the mid-Atlantic, owned…read moreby the Baltimore Society for Model Engineers. The Society was founded in March 1932 and is the oldest exclusively model railroad club in the United States. They maintain 2,500 square feet of model railroad displays of steam and diesel freight and passenger trains and trolleys, plus so much more. It was fun to see all the parts of the display - it really gives you a glimpse into the history of railroading. It is not easy to find, as the doorway is tucked into the left front center of the building and the society is located on the third floor with no elevator. The display is normally open on the second Sunday of each month, except May.

These gentlemen have been around 81 amazing years. Great family environment with extremely…read moreknowledgable guys working. Displays are very detailed and even showcase popular Baltimore landmarks.

We stopped by the Italian festival on Saturday afternoon to see what was happening after driving…read moreby! So glad that we stopped in, there was so much to take in! The live music and dancing was so fun, there were even hula hoops all around! We tried fresh pizza slices, salads and the best calamari I've ever had with a lemonade and Italian iced tea to wash it all down. As someone who is not Italian, it was super cool to stop in and enjoy pieces of Italian culture and support an awesome Baltimore community! We will definitely be back next year!

Italian Festival in lil' Italy in Baltimore provides a wonderful experience for us who are not…read moreliving in Baltimore and want to get out of bubble of the usual, mundane things. It has free parking, free entertainment, visit to a National Historic landmark (1881 ornate Italian style church), a lot of great vendors and amazing foods. The "gladiators" pass you by on your way to watch a game of bocce ball. People are friendly as this is a block party festival that gives you a feeling that you are one big family. Very easy to start conversation and harder to end it. I learned today that the meat is not what makes calzone but the dough that hosts the meat inside. The meet was good but the dough was memorable. Speaking about the dough - how about delicious sweet fried dough for $3 that is impossible to finish by one person - even if you are a true Italian. I was advised by two elderly Italian ladies, "take real sugar because the powder sugar is too messy, and have sugar on both sides." I am sorry that I did not try meatballs but I can testify that calzone and pizza were the first class and worth the trip. I am very tempted to repeat the experience on a similar event - August 19 and 20, 2017 - this time just a saint will be different (St Gabriel in August).

This park is so relaxing and there is something for everyone. Great place to go for an evening…read morewalk. Jogging, bike ride and much more. Great kids area with pool and playground activities. A great dog park area for large and small dogs. Went to one of the concerts in the park and it was a very nice event.

A perfect park on a perfect spring day! The husband and I were in town to watch the Giants play…read moreagainst the Orioles and it was a beautiful Saturday. We stopped by for brunch at a place nearby and did the approx. 3 mile route around the park. There was a kite festival and there were a bunch of families and friends flying kites and enjoying the day. People were picnicking and playing music- really enjoying the spring day. If you have not been to this park, I highly recommend. It's a great place to spend the weekend.