Days 338 & 339 (Mon 6/24/13 & Tue 6/25/13)- Baltimore, MD

 

 Starting Monday at the NSA's museum we found the most interesting thing to be that everything following the 80's is still classified and thus the museum is really small. Make sure if you go not to accidentally try and park at the actual NSA building. They don't like that...

Knowing that Baltimore is affectionately nicknamed "Bodymore" and that it is the sight of the incredible but somewhat disturbing TV show The Wire we were a little apprehensive going in. We were relieved to find that it was much nicer than we had expected.

At Fort McHenry we realized that though it is a very important monument to have the story itself is pretty short. Thus an entire Visitor's Center dedicated to the site where Frances Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner might be over doing it a bit. The only real fact of note is that the war this song was written for was actually the little cared about War of 1812.

Driving through a few of the filming sites for The Wire we enjoyed seeing familiar spots but were also dismayed that the neighborhoods looked exactly like they did on the show. Apparently in the ten or so years since the show aired the drug game hasn't changed much in Baltimore's ghettos.

The next day in Baltimore was hot and much more disappointing. We walked miles in the heat just to see a museum and when we arrived found out it is closed on Tuesdays. Seriously what museum is closed on a Tuesday?!? We then briefly visited the John Hopkins campus before walking all the way back and collapsing for a rest in the shade.

The rest of our day was spent visiting the Basilica of Assumption where Mother Teresa visited in 1996, Federal Hill (a lovely city park high above the city) and walking along the harbor.