If you’ve been following me for long, you know I have a goal to visit all fifty states. I had a work trip to D.C. last month, so I decided to go a couple of days early and hit Maryland and Delaware. I stayed two nights in Baltimore and had the best time exploring the city and some of its cute neighborhoods. If it’s on your list, here’s a quick travel guide to Baltimore, Maryland.
Where I Stayed
I booked the most adorable boutique hotel (Hotel Indigo Baltimore) using points and couldn’t have been happier. It was located downtown less than a mile from the Inner Harbor which is a sort of touristy waterfront area.
If you’re the kind of traveler that wants to be in the heart of it all, try for a hotel in Inner Harbor or Fells Point. For me, I like to stay out of that a bit and explore other neighborhoods, so this worked perfectly.
The hotel was v. Instagrammable – because that matters – but I also felt comfortable as a solo female traveler staying there. Plus, even without the points, the price point was completely reasonable.
Where I Ate
Okay, let’s face it. Because I was only in town for 48 hours, I didn’t have a ton of activities on my list. I did take a nice walk through the city and down along the water, but that was the extent of my tourism. But, I had some amazing meals.
The Food Market, Hampden
The Food Market is not, in fact, a market, but from what I heard, it used to be. It’s in an adorable little neighborhood north of downtown called Hampden and was less than $10 in Lyft to get there.
I had the crab cakes (because Maryland) with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Yum. This is a nicer dinner, but not as pricey as some of the go-to spots I heard about. Upscale trendy vibe and delicious cocktails too.
Blue Moon Café
This was a recommendation from one of my Instagram friends and it was on point. Apparently, this restaurant serves the “original” Captain Crunch French Toast – their signature meal. The perks of going on a Monday morning meant an almost empty restaurant and a chat with the owner’s sister. She tells me that the recipe was the result of a Game of Thrones marathon and too much marijuana. And yes, she said I could definitely quote that.
I never knew how much I was missing Captain Crunch French Toast until I had it. Truth be told, I’ve never had Captain Crunch. If you make it to Baltimore, it would be worth the wait – or you can go at 7 a.m. on a Monday morning.
G & M Restaurant
Another recommendation from Instagram for supposedly the best crab cakes around. Yes, this means I ordered crab cakes two days in a row. It’s a bit out of town, so I’m not sure I’d recommend this one if you don’t have a car, but the crab cakes were delicious and the service was incredibly fast.
Order and Chaos Coffee
Okay, not really a meal, but I spent the afternoon on Monday working at a coffee shop in Tide Point which is a sort of gentrified industrial part of town. Attached to one of Baltimore’s premier advertising agencies made for a vibrant work space, even if the match latte couldn’t match Sawada in Chicago. 😉
SoBo
This restaurant kept popping up on places to try in the Federal Hill neighborhood, so I had to give it a go. First of all, I love a small-town feel and the bartender knew almost everyone that walked in – except me!
Total guilty pleasure for me is chicken pot pie and SoBo’s did not disappoint. Plus, it was picture perfect. I also tried a small sample of their mac and cheese and almost died.
Well, if nothing else, that should give you plenty of places to eat to sustain a weekend in Baltimore. Had I stayed longer or with friends I would have loved to go to an Orioles game or gone out on a boat. For now, I’ll just go back to watching episodes of The Wire and convince people to go back with me some day.
Alright, so there’s the travel guide to Baltimore! Have you been? What other tips or places to go do you have?
Thanks for sharing your experience! Baltimore comes alive with its food, coffee art and cultural scene.
Of course! I really did love the city – it’s a place I’d consider living which I don’t say often!