Budget Travel: Baltimore

by Grant Martin on


Summary: When most people think of the city of Baltimore, tourism is the last thing that comes to their mind. The Maryland city known for high crime, seedy neighborhoods and social stratification often falls by the wayside when travelers consider the hipper east coast cities — Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Washington DC.

But nestled deep in the grit of Baltimore lies a dark warm culture, a thriving food and nightlife scene and volumes of history. Coupled with its proximity to the coast, Philly and DC, Baltimore serves as an excellent budget destination and home base for day trips through the east. Come along as we show you around.
Getting in: Ever since Southwest Airlines set up camp at BWI airport in ’93, Baltimore has enjoyed budget airfares across the United States and to foreign destinations alike. Visiting from Detroit? Book far enough in advance and you can get flights for around $100. Visiting from London? You can get to Baltimore direct on British Airways.

From the airport it’s an easy ride on the light rail into the city for $1.60.

If the rail lines fit your fancy, Amtrak, where you can often find good weekend fares, serves Baltimore from all over the east. Or you can even take the MARC train up from DC for less than $10.

An even less expensive option is to use the Chinatown Bus, that despite dropping you off on the outskirts of the city, will get you all over the east for often less than a meal at Olive Garden.

Where to Stay: Unlike New York and Toronto, you can’t just plop down in most places in Baltimore and consider yourself safe. Crime, while in digression, is still a concern in the city and it’s best that you stay in safer neighborhoods during your visit.

That said, there are several excellent, rewarding neighborhoods, around the city that are both walkable and full of culture.

  • Right downtown is always the best bet if you’re looking for safety first. Adjacent to the Inner Harbor and a short hop away from Fells Point, the largely commercial region is a good central hub for attacking the city. You can get there in an inexpensive taxi from Baltimore Penn Station or via light rail for next to nothing, and there are a wide variety of traditional hotels available for you to use your points at. The Holiday Inn right downtown is always a safe, inexpensive bet.
  • Just south of downtown and on the waterfront is the Inner Harbor, the revitalized social and tourist hub in the city. It will be more scenic and you’ll have better access to the sights here, but it’ll subsequently be more expensive than downtown spots.
  • Fells Point (pictured) is just adjacent to the Inner Harbor and is the “bar and restaurant” core of the city (try the chowder.) With the wealth of activity in the area it’s also an excellent choice for accommodation, although hotels are not as numerous. As an alternative, there are a variety of delectable rentals that you can find on vrbo.com for a very good price.
  • Other neighborhoods including Towson and St. Charles Village host pockets of hotels and activity. If you do decide to stay in these areas though, make sure you do your homework and know how safe it is before you commit.

What to See:

  • Edgar Allan Poe’s grave: While the Poe House and Museum are in a seedy part of town, the poet’s final resting place is actually quite close to the downtown area. On the corners of Fayette and Greene Streets just west of downtown you’ll find Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, where the likes of Poe, James McHenry and Philip Barton Key are buried. Make sure you stop by Poe’s tombstone and drop off your pennies. Oh and the best part? It’s absolutely free.
  • The National Aquarium in Baltimore: One of the best aquariums in the nation, pictured, is at the far end of the Inner Harbor. The sprawling exhibit is host to 16,000 creatures with a multiple story shark tank, dolphin display and rooftop rain forest. Admission for adults is just over $20.
  • At the center of downtown’s activity, The Inner Harbor is the revitalized host to much of the city’s social and commercial activity. You can find all sorts of the standard big city accoutrements here, from the ESPN Sports zone to the Hard Rock Cafe, but be forewarned that it’s a very touristy and some say, less authentic Baltimore. The USS Constellation is also docked here.
  • Founded in 1876, The Johns Hopkins University is one of the oldest, most prestigious research institutions in the United States. Their Homewood campus, a quick cab ride north of down town, is set in a beautiful Federalist style where you can roam between campus buildings, stop in a cafe for a break and watch the students pass by. Walking east from the campus, you can sneak into the top of Charles Village where you can get some excellent pub food at the Charles Village Pub.
  • Take a day trip out to Washington DC or Philadelphia. For a mere few dollars you can slip into either of the more expensive cities for the day, enjoy the sites and take the evening train back into Baltimore for the night. You can usually catch the MARC from Penn station for a few dollars while the Amtrak to Philadelphia can be a bit pricier. Annapolis is also fairly close, but you’ll have to rent a car to get there.

Finally, remember to stay on your toes and practice good tourism in Baltimore. By the numbers, the city isn’t as safe as most on the east coast, but if you’re smart, attentive and logical you’ll love the city, its culture and you’ll even save a few dollars by staying in a Gadling Budget Destination.

Cockpit Chronicles: Anatomy of a 26 hour delay.

by Kent Wien on

You’ve booked your honeymoon cruise and since you’re smarter than the average traveler, you planned to be in San Juan more than a day early just to be safe.

Sometimes though, no matter how hard we try, forces just stack up against passengers and their flight crews. The San Juan one-day trip I flew just before Christmas is the perfect example.

Two 757s diverted into New York the night before because of a snow storm, and one of them happened to be our airplane for the noon departure from Boston to San Juan. I’d been called out to cover a trip on reserve the night before, so I watched with interest the progress of our airplane in the morning.

To make matters worse, another 8 inches of snow had fallen overnight at my house, so I had to snow blow the driveway at 7:30 a.m. for an hour. I wasn’t too surprised when the company called to tell me we’d be delayed until 1:30 p.m. while the airplane was brought up from New York.

I finished the driveway and checked the computer. Our airplane was being ferried (flown empty for repositioning purposes) from JFK by another reserve crew.

I made it to the airport for the later departure, but my captain had signed in earlier in the morning, before we knew the flight would be delayed. That meant his clock had started to run, counting toward the 14 hours of maximum duty day he was allowed to fly. Surely this wouldn’t be a problem, right?

Our airplane finally arrived an hour later than planned after sitting on the taxiway in New York in heavy snow. The flight had a taxi time of over an hour while it snowed at Kennedy.
Unfortunately, the pilots discovered a high stage bleed-air valve light had illuminated during the ferry flight, which meant that maintenance would have to try to fix the problem before we could depart, if they had the part in stock.

Bleed-air is the air that’s pulled from the engines to pressurize the airplane and heat or cool the cabin. There are two valves, a low stage and a high stage, that open depending on the amount of air needed. When the High Stage light is illuminated, it means that the valve is not in the position that’s being demanded at that moment. In our case, it was probably stuck open.

This was going to be a big job. And the task was made especially tough, since the other airplane ferried up from New York to be used for a Providenciales flight had a mechanical problem serious enough that it may be necessary to cancel that flight. I never did find out what the issue was on that airplane.

Not only that, but the 767 immediately to our right had an issue where both engines weren’t accelerating at the same rate–a problem that would take at least an hour to fix.

Maintenance was determined to get at least one of the three flights out of town that snowy, cold afternoon.

It was decided that the priority would be placed on the transcon 767 flight and our flight. Apparently the Providenciales flight had bigger problems than we did.

The mechanics estimated it would take two hours to change the bleed valve, since they had a replacement part available. They went to work right away in the blowing snow, opening the cowling of our right engine and crawling to the top of the compressor section while the 30 mph wind made the 12 degree air feel like -10 degrees F.

These mechanics were the real heroes that night. They never complained for a moment, even though the two hour job turned into a seven hour project. We stayed with the airplane and occasionally wandered into the gate area to answer questions.

Passengers were understandably frustrated and worried about their connections to various cruise lines. I couldn’t help but empathize with their situation. I tried to give them as much detail as possible, so they at least had an idea what was happening.

I usually leave this kind of discussion up to the captain, but when he wasn’t around, I braved the annoyed crowd to give them updates. To get more information, I checked on the mechanics, but I really didn’t want to pester them too often.

I never saw these guys take a break, and finally, after spending six hours in the cold, they had changed the valve.

By this time, we were within an hour and fifteen minutes of running out of duty time. We needed to be able to complete the 4 hour flight from Boston to San Juan within the 14 hour maximum duty day. And even though the valve had been replaced, the engine still needed to be started at the gate, shut down and then opened up again to check for any leaks.

If it passed the leak check, the next step was to taxi with the mechanics to a safe place to perform a high powered run-up. It was going to be close, but if we could get the passengers on the plane and the door closed before our 10:15 p.m. deadline we could make it.

I went to the gate to explain the situation to the waiting passengers while maintenance closed up the cowling and ran the engine. I was impressed that, while most of the passengers were frustrated with the situation, they genuinely understood what we were up against and that we were all trying to make it work.

Finally at 9:45 p.m. we had the engine running. It took far longer than expected just to get the cowl closed, probably caused by the cold weather. And after the idle run at the gate, the HIGH STAGE light illuminated again.

The mechanics were understandably upset that their 6 hour effort was for nothing. Since we were now out of duty time, they would have to take the airplane out of service and they could look at what else could be causing the problem.

I dreaded walking back to the gate area to explain our situation to some of the passengers, a few of whom I’d actually got to know as the hours passed. I know I’d be furious if I were them. Waiting 11 hours only to find out they’d have to try it again the next day had to be torturous.

Passengers were given hotel and meal vouchers and were told to come back tomorrow morning for a 9:30 a.m. departure. We figured a new crew would be called out to cover that trip, but surprisingly we were put up in a Boston hotel so that we could be given the minimum ten hours of rest before coming out the next morning to take our frustrated passengers in a different airplane to San Juan.

I went to a computer at another gate to find out what was happening to our schedule. Coincidently, the 767 that had been fixed next to our gate also ran into crew legality problems, causing another cancellation. So we fielded questions from a few of their passengers who were just receiving their hotel vouchers.

The captain and I jumped in the hotel van with a couple who had left Chicago that morning in a snow storm, before arriving in Boston to continue with us to San Juan. The new bride was nearly in tears at the thought of missing their cruise. But if everything went smoothly, we could still ge
t them there the next day before the 8 p.m. departure of their ship.

Naturally, the next morning a nor’easter hit the New England area and we’d need to be de-iced. After arriving at the gate, we discovered that our flight had rescheduled for a departure an hour and a half later at 11 a.m.

I thought of the newlyweds as well as others with 4 p.m. cruise ship check-ins. These passengers did everything right. They planned their arrival the day before the ship left, allowing for plenty of time in case of a delay in their flight. And yet they still might not make it.

We waited just over an hour for an airplane next to us to fully de-ice. The runway was opening and closing as plows were trying to keep up with the heavy snowfall. We needed to be de-iced with a two step de-ice/anti-ice process that would take 40 minutes to complete.

Twenty-five hours after we were originally supposed to depart, the de-ice crew came on the radio.

“Captain, prepare your aircraft for de-icing,” said the de-icer.

I turned off the air conditioning and engine bleed air, which prevents the sweet maple-syrup smelling de-ice fluid from entering the cabin.

There was nothing left to do but wait for the two trucks to de-ice our wings and tail. I spent the time snapping pictures to share with you, of course.

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An hour later, we called for clearance to taxi.

“Did you pick up your clearance?” the ground controller asked.

“Yeah, we got it via PDC (the ACARS box).” I said.

“Well, we don’t have anything on you. You’ll need to re-file it.” The controller responded.

Oh, no. Our IFR clearance with ATC was good for a two hour period. We exceeded that by just a few minutes, which would require our dispatch to re-enter our flight plan information and send it to the FAA controllers.

I looked up the frequency to contact our dispatch while kicking myself for not thinking of this earlier.

Thankfully, after less than 3 minutes, our dispatcher had the new flight plan in the system. The controller could then let us taxi.

If our taxi time exceeded between 40 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on the snowfall intensity, we’d need to be de-iced again. Fortunately, the taxi was very short with only one airplane ahead of us. We were finally on our way.

We were scheduled to arrive in San Juan 30 minutes past the time our return deadhead flight was to depart. But there was still a chance that the deadhead flight would be late, since it had also come out of Boston that morning before flying to St. Thomas and then San Juan.

We just might make it, I thought. Once we were within 200 miles of San Juan, I called our company on the radio. I was dying to know if we’d be going home that day or if we had to stay the night in San Juan. The one-day trip had already turned into two, and I really didn’t want it to become a three-day trip.

“The flight to Boston has just arrived. You should be able to make it,” said our operations agent on the island. What a relief. Things were looking up.

Moments later, the agent called back. “It looks like you’ll all make it on the flight back to Boston tonight, but the co-pilot has been reassigned to fly to Miami.”

This job has its moments, and at some point, when things get turned so far upside down, and schedules are thrown out the window, you just have to laugh–it’s the only thing left to do.

I keyed the mic and said, “Ahh, you’re breaking up. Can’t hear you at all.”

We landed in San Juan at 6 p.m. I’m not sure if that was enough time for the newlyweds to make their 8 p.m. cruise, or how the other passengers did, but I sure hope it worked out for some of them. A first class passenger gave me an employee recognition card, which, under the circumstances was a nice thing for him to do.

A few hours later, I met up with another captain, a check airman who had also been reassigned to fly this trip from San Juan to Miami. Apparently the flight from Hartford had also left late enough that the cockpit crew couldn’t continue, so they used us to work the Miami flight. The captain I was flying with was from Sweden, and he kept me entertained with some great stories all the way to Florida.

I stayed the night in Miami before getting on the first flight back to Boston the next morning. Fortunately, they had a first class seat available.

After a few minutes had passed from our departure time, the captain got on the PA and said, “Ladies and gentleman, we have a problem with our hydraulic system that’s going to require a part brought over from the hangar. Since we’re not going to have air conditioning, we’d like to ask you to get off the airplane until we can get this problem resolved.”

I just smiled. I was sure it was payback for the past twelve months worth of mostly smooth flights with minimal delays and very reliable airplanes.

Luckily, just two hours later, we were on our way home to Boston. All I had to do was enjoy the view from the passenger window…

Cockpit Chronicles takes you along on some of Kent’s trips as an international co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 based in Boston. Have any questions for Kent? Check out Plane Answers.

This year in tech – what 2009 will bring for travelers

by Scott Carmichael on

I’ve already looked back at the best gadgets 2008 had to offer, and in this list I’ll take a look at some of the travel technologies I expect to take off in 2009. Come back next year to either laugh in my face, or remark how amazingly clever I am.

Computer/data bundles on sale

Back in November of last year, Radio Shack started selling a bundle including an Acer Netbook computer, an integrated 3G modem and a 2 year AT&T data subscription. This combo would normally retail for about $430, but the inclusion of the 2 year subscription lowers the price to just $99.

This practice is not new, and bundles of hardware and mobile subscriptions have long been the norm in many European countries. What is new, is that these deals have finally made their way to the USA.

I predict more of these promotions in 2009, and for the deals to become much more widespread. Offering one laptop at just one store is hardly going to change the way we subscribe to mobile data services, but it is a great start.

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4G wireless broadband data

Many people are just making their first steps with 3G mobile data, but some of the major players in the market are already hard at work on 4G.

4G wireless data promises even faster speeds than what we currently get from the 3G services on Verizon, Sprint and AT&T.

Building these new networks takes an astounding amount of money, but the largest and most ambitious network already has the support (and money) from companies like Intel, Google, Comcast and Sprint.

By the end of 2009, we should see 4G networks available in about 20 major US cities. The speeds offered by a 4G service like Clear (previously called Xohm) run off a technology called Wi-Max and should reach about 4-8Mbit/s, which is the equivalent of most residential DSL or cable connections. Unlimited service will run between $30 and $50 a month, making it a very viable alternative to slower 3G services.

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A new iPhone (nano)?

In December of each year, things in the Apple rumor department start to get kind of wacky. That is mainly because January is when the years largest Apple exposition starts (Macworld). The notoriously tight lipped company apparently “leaks” all kinds of amazing stuff, 95% of which is all bogus, fake or downright stupid. One rumor that keeps popping up this year though, is a smaller iPhone.

This “iPhone Nano” has been leaked by several phone case manufacturers, and has all the die-hard Apple fans foaming at the mouth.

Whether we actually see a tiny iPhone remains to be seen, but it sure does sound like a fun little phone.

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More Netbook computers

Netbook computers were the big hit in 2008, and 2009 promises to be even bigger for the little machines. We’ll probably see even lighter machines with more power, and lower prices.

As more and more manufacturers hop on the Netbook bandwagon, companies will start putting a lot more effort into innovation, and sooner or later we’ll finally get the perfect computer.

The first fairly basic Netbook computers launched for about $350, but prices have slowly been dropping, and at the moment that same price will get you a very well equipped machine with a 160GB drive and a powerful 6 cell battery.

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Better battery technology

Current notebook computers have about 4000 times the processing power of the first portable computer, but just 2 times the battery life. Each year promises to be the biggest year ever in battery developments, but 2009 actually seems like it might come through for us.

Big players like HP have signed up for a new battery design by Boston Power, which promises battery charge times as low as 30 minutes for an 80% charge as well as higher capacities with the same weight as current cells.

What this means to you and I is that sooner or later we really might get a computer that can last an entire long haul flight on a single battery charge and can be recharged during a short stopover.

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Paperless boarding documents

I wrote about the future at the airport last week, one of the items in that futuristic lineup is already here, and will probably become more popular in 2009.

Paperless boarding involves having your airline email you a bar code that can then be used to get through security and onto your flight.

Our very own Grant Martin tested it, and says it sort of works, assuming the airport staff know what they are doing.

Travel surf etiquette

by Brenda Yun on

I was having a grand ole time surfing at Ala Moana Bowls the other day when a rude, disrespecting woman decided to paddle for a wave and proceeded to cut off three other surfers and nearly behead my friend. Growing ever more confrontational in my old age, I began to argue with the lady about her very inappropriate surf etiquette. Profanities were exchanged, I nearly spit in her face, and she nearly punched me. Two perfectly mature female surfers in Honolulu suddenly became mortal enemies over shoulder-high waves just days before the New Year.

This immediately got me thinking about my surfing experiences abroad. I’ve been fortunate enough to have surfed in some of the most idyllic places in the world, with Costa Rica, West Timor, and Fiji topping that list. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the sport, I usually know how to behave in the water — especially in foreign waters.
Wherever in the world you are, there is a universal surf etiquette. Surfing manners are essentially like body language: you show others your intentions, and they show you yours.

While there are no written rules in the water, it’s still wise to follow standard surfing protocol — especially when you’re in a foreign country. I’ve been to places like Kuta Beach where the surfer tourists outnumber the locals, and the last thing I want to see is a fight, or a spoiled travel destination. So here are a few things to keep in mind on your next exotic surf trip:

  • Respect the locals: You are, after all, in their territory. In most cases, these surfing locals do not have the opportunity that we do to travel to surfing destinations. We should keep this in mind even before we set foot on their land and in their waters. In return, you may find a breadth of knowledge that they would be willing to share with you!
  • Know the “right of way” rule: The person “inside” of you has priority on the wave. That means if you’re going left, the person farthest to the right should have the wave; if you’re going right, the person farthest left should take it. Don’t fight about it if you get cut off! Odds are there is another wave on the horizon.
  • Tag teaming and cutting off is not cool: I really hate when groups of surfers collaborate in the water to catch all the set waves. Sharing is caring, and surfing should be fun — not competitive.
  • The ocean is in charge: My friend Matt once remarked that “the ocean is his boss, and [he] is just an employee.” I really like this outlook when surfing. As every surfer will know, the ocean is a very powerful force. You are never in charge out there, so let the people who are out there, sharing the experience with you, enjoy the experience.
  • Smile: I have countless new friends from surfing. Just the other day, I was surfing at Pupukea and got to practice my Spanish with a visiting Brazilian surfer from Sao Paolo. In September, I was surfing at “Las Lanchas” in Punta de Mita, Mexico (near Puerto Vallarta) and it was just me and a fishing boat captain out at the point, chatting it up, smiling, and enjoying the surf. Making friends out on the water is one of the coolest, most memorable experiences in my lifetime.

When in doubt, let the other guy have the wave. Fighting for waves is not fun, nor is it worth making enemies. Enjoy the ocean.

Kilt style not limited to heritage

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I’ll never forget watching a family of Americans at a Scottish Highland Games event in Ontario hold kilts inches from their faces, examining the patterns carefully to make sure they didn’t by the wrong clan’s tartan. I learned quickly that I did not have this skill and, characteristically, gave up without much effort. The need for a true kilt expert, however, was painfully obvious. This small memory from a decade ago, popped back into my head when I entered 21st Century Kilts in Edinburgh.

Howie Nicholsby comes from a long line of kilt craftsmen, though five minutes with him shows you that he cannot be contained by tradition (or anything else). A keen eye for detail puts the right clan on your body, but his sense of style opens Scotland‘s traditional garb to new ideas that few have imagined.

I tried on the “desert camouflage” kilt (yes, I wore it like a “true Scot”). I figured it would be a bit breezy and was surprised to learn just how hot it can be under the garment. The higher quality kilts are quite heavy, requiring a considerable amount of fabric to produce. Thus, they tend to fetch high prices. The one I tried on (but didn’t buy) would have set me back close to $400, though currency swings would probably bring it closer to $300 today.

Without a doubt, the prices are pretty rough, and there are less expensive kilts available in Scotland (though there is a lobbying effort in progress to limit what can be called a “kilt” to those manufactured in Scotland according to specific standards). You get what you pay for, according to Howie, and spending less than $100 will result in a noticeable lack of quality.

So, if you find yourself strolling the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, poke your head into 21st Century Kilts. Howie will have you rolling in laughter, and he’ll probably have you in a new kilt by the end of your visit.