Baltimore tourism on the upswing

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Fellow Gadlinger Grant Martin was right. Or, at least, he’s found a lot of people who agree with him. Baltimore‘s tourism business is on the rise. The city’s tourism bureau reported that it’s already passed the halfway point to its hotel booking goals for the next fiscal year.

The city has a goal of 475,000 future room nights, and the bureau’s sales team has already taken care of 301,800 of them. That’s 63.5 percent of the target amount with half a year to go. In a brutal economy, and in a city that isn’t usually seen as a top destination. The opening of the new Hilton Convention Center in August, which brings 757 rooms with it, is a big part of the city’s success. Another five hotels are expected to open as well.

So, what does this mean for the city of Baltimore? The 2008 bookings are expected to have an economic impact of $422 million.

Traveling on a budget? Add Baltimore to your agenda.

[Via USA Today]

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.

Get close (enough) to the inauguration

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You want to witness the dawning of the age of “hope” and “change” first-hand. You want to be their in person when President-Elect Barack Obama drops the second half of his current title. But, there’s a problem. You’re not alone. In fact, as many as two million people are expected to attend the inauguration, and hotel rooms are disappearing as far away as Pennsylvania, according to the latest from the Wall Street Journal. Airlines are adding flights. To make sure your trip to Washington goes smoothly, however, you’ll need to do more than grab a room and arrange travel to our nation’s capital. Heed the WSJ‘s tips, and you’ll start this new era without a hitch.

Whether you get a great spot close to the Capitol for the ceremony or a street-side view along the parade route, bring a sandwich – and nothing else. Umbrellas and strollers, it seems, are particularly prohibited. Metal detectors will be in abundance, and I suspect that patience will be in short supply. So, be prepared for some degree of inconvenience. I’m not talking the mild irritation of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (to draw an example from my neighborhood). This is serious, much-worse-than-holiday-flying aggravation.

A lot of people are excited to attend the inauguration and related events. After the jump, you’ll find a video that shows the level of excitement involved, as well as a few tips on finding a hotel room (yes, it is possible).

Your chances of finding a reasonable hotel rate are pretty slim. Hotwire, everyone’s favorite anonymous deal website, is tapped out. The hotels have no excess inventory to move. But, you can find some action on Hotels.com. You may have to be a bit flexible, especially in regards to how far you’ll have to stay from the festivities. And, it won’t be cheap. The closest hotel with rooms open is the Doubletree Hotel Bethesda, with rooms fetching more than $900 a night.

Maybe it would be easier to visit his old hometown instead …

[Thanks, Wall Street Journal, for the story and Fox News for the video]

Part of U.S. Airways plane breaks and falls to the ground somewhere in Maryland

by Justin Glow on

Do you live in Maryland? Did you find an unknown piece of metal in your backyard this afternoon?

If so, U.S Airways and the FAA, no doubt, would like to have a word with you, as it most likely fell off the wing of one of their planes. A local ABC affiliate reports,

“The company notified local fire departments that a 17-square-inch piece of wing fell off and may be somewhere in Anne Arundel or Prince George’s County, or even somewhere near Kent Island.”

U.S. Airways officials are confident it fell off somewhere over Maryland, but they’re not quite sure exactly where. Help them out, please.

[Via Consumerist]

Wildlife causing car accidents is on the rise and it’s not cheap

by Jamie Rhein on

When the black bear crossed the road in front of my car when I was on my way to Washington, D.C. this summer, I was astounded. He made his ambling dash across the six-lane highway near Cumberland, Maryland. I may have still been in West Virgina, but I do know I saw a bear.

Animals crossing roads is happening more and more frequently which is increasing the likelihood of hitting one. One reason is because of an increase of people driving on rural roads. As people move out of cities into suburbs or further out than that, they are on these roads more.

My dad who lives on a mountain in upstate New York about 10 miles out of New Paltz has met two deer at least. His were more grazes, but there still was an impressive amount of damage. Every time I visit, when I’m driving, particularly at night, I pay close attention to any glint of eyes I may see that could warn me. The statistics of animals meeting up with cars or vice versa highlights why you might see so many carcasses on the side of the road in some places.

In Montana there has been such a problem lately that the state is looking for ways to use methods that have cut down on car and animal collisions in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Building overpasses and underpasses for animals to cross the highway safely has helped cut down accidents by at least 80 %.

The problem with cars and animals meeting, is not just the fact the animals get killed, but people don’t so so well either. In the past year, 200 folks have died in car meets animal crashes. Then there is the cost of fixing a car which can range from $8,000 to $30,000. The most recent statistics cite 300,000 accidents a year. In Pennsylvania, the state with the highest incidences, there about 97,000 per year. Most involve deer.

A naturalist at Blacklick Woods, one of Columbus’s metroparks told me two weeks ago that black bear are on the move from West Virginia and are ending up in Ohio. Ohio already has a high deer population. The moral of this story is, when you see an animal crossing sign, wherever you are, pay attention. The sign isn’t kidding. [via New York Times]

The photo by saiynte7777 and posted on Flickr was taken when he was on his way to Alaska. The bear originally was just on the side of the road and the car was stopped.