Nashville
I visited Nashville on my cross-country road trip. This part of the trip was with my dad. We were so lucky that our cousins live here and showed us around!
Nashville, TN has much to offer in its downtown area, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and the famous Broadway street filled with bars/restaurants and live music. Vanderbilt University is also downtown, across the street from Centennial Park. At this park is an identical building to the Parthenon in Greece. A little farther outside of downtown is Brentwood Tennessee where you can spot Dolly Parton’s house.
Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is a town full of family attractions at the base of the Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee. My dad and I stayed here overnight during my cross-country road trip.
Best Places to Live in Baltimore City
Locust Point is great neighborhood for upper 20s - 30 year-olds. It's a more calm, relaxed atmosphere with Latrobe Park for walking around. It is on a peninsula surrounded by water which makes it one of the safest parts of the city. The very end of the peninsula is Fort McHenry, which is another park you can walk or run around.
Inner Harbor
Every year the Baltimore Inner Harbor is the home to an authentic German Christmas Market. It is worth a visit as it is filled with vendors who sell authentic German food, hot drinks, and holiday gifts. Open now through Christmas Eve! Click on link to learn more, and for parking information.
Rocks State Park
The King and Queens Chair Loop trail at Rocks State Park is consistently one of the top hikes in Maryland. From the view at the top, I can understand why!
Federal Hill
The view from here is spectacular. You can see the entire Baltimore skyline from above the inner harbor. Then take a brief stroll on Montgomery Street to see the gorgeous historic homes in Federal Hill.
Canton
In 1785, Captain John O'Donnell settled in Baltimore along the water in the inner harbor, currently known as Canton. German, Irish and Polish communities lived in the town, and large industrial companies made their way here in the 19th century. Now, Canton is known for Canton Square on O'Donnell Street, Waterfront Park, and Patterson Park.
Locust Point
The Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is where our national anthem was born during the War of 1812. It currently features a museum as well as a park. The museum has a short video inside that is very much worth watching and makes you feel "Proud to be an American." Then you can explore the Fort. Afterwards, walk the 1-mile path around the Fort for one of my favorite strolls in Baltimore.
Old Ellicott City
Ellicott City was established in the 1700s as a small milling town. More recently, it has been the home to many small shops built into small row homes along the hilly main street. In 2016 and 2018, it was devastated by floods and took the lives of two people. Now, it has been reestablished and is thriving once again.
Harbor East/Harbor Point
In the Harbor East region, there is a lot of high-end shopping along the water and on western part of Aliceanna Street. One of which is the Under Armour Brand House.
Pretty Boy Reservoir
Lindsey, Ryan, and I hiked along the Patapsco River at Pretty Boy Reservoir, which feeds to the Inner Harbor. The parking lot we went to is north of Timonium right off of I-83, at the end of a beautiful neighborhood. Follow the country road through the green bridge to a small parking lot and you will find a trail that leads you along the river to an enormous dam at the end!
Jones Falls Trail
The Jones Falls Trail is a 9.1-mile paved trail for hikers and bikers. The southernmost trail head begins at the inner harbor, and heads north paralleling I-83 (The Jones Falls Expressway), through Druid Hill Park, around the Maryland Zoo, through Woodberry, Cold Spring Park, then landing at the northernmost point at the Cylburn Arboretum. We ran a portion of the trail from the Maryland Zoo to the Cylburn Arboretum, which spanned more than 7 miles there-and-back.
Baltimore's Waterfront Promenade
The Baltimore Waterfront Promenade is a beautiful eight-mile paved trail built in the 1960s that goes through Canton, Fells Point, Harbor East, Inner Harbor, and Federal Hill. You can extend this to Locust Point and Fort McHenry if you so desire. This promenade is what started this blog; the sights took our breath away and really made me question why people are afraid of visiting this strikingly-beautiful city. This promenade makes for a great running path for those who run long-distances.
Lohr's Orchard
Lohr's Orchard is a family-owned-and-operated farm in Aberdeen, MD. I visited in the fall and highly enjoyed their apple cider slushies. They also have a pumpkin patch that features a hay ride. There is also much to offer during the other seasons; check their website for more details.
Top 5 Things to Do in Baltimore
After living in Baltimore for six years, here is a list that I compiled of what you cannot miss in Baltimore.
Boordy Vineyard
Boordy Vineyard has been a winery in Harford County since 1945. Its more current ownership started in 1980, and currently is full of open spaces to sit, relax, and enjoy a variety of wines. They typically have live music or other entertaining events.
Baltimore Water Taxi
The most dramatic sightseeing in Baltimore can be done on the Baltimore Water Taxi. Before I went to Australia, I heard from a friend that I needed to take the Manly Ferry in downtown Sydney. We did that ride and it sure was spectacular, just like they said. This taxi ride is comparable to my experience in Sydney, as it truly took my breath away.
Hampden
Hampden is for sure a quirky neighborhood north of the Inner Harbor. It centers around The Avenue, or 36th street, with lots of shops and restaurants. It is known for the Miracle on 34th street where one block of row homes goes all out with their Christmas decorations and is a sight you must see!