One for the Road: Charm City – A Walk Through Baltimore

by Kelly Amabile on

I’m super excited about today’s book suggestion. The latest title in Crown’s Journey Series is Charm City: A Walk Through Baltimore by Madison Smartt Bell. The cover itself, decorated with Hon hair and a photo of the famous Painted Ladies, is enough for me to know — I want to read this book! When I first started writing for Gadling back in 2005, I was still a Baltimore resident, and I’ve mentioned the fantastic city here on more than one occasion. I debated waiting to tell ya all about this one until after I had a chance to read it, but why wait? I’m fairly confident it’s an excellent read. I BELIEVE in all things Baltimore.

But you don’t have to take my word for it — This week, the New York Times praised Bell’s book as a guide to the “soul” of a “real city.” Bell, an award-winning author who has lived in Baltimore for over twenty years, is a professor at Goucher College, where he directs the creative writing program. His book explores the history of the city by traveling through its unique mix of neighborhoods and major arteries, focusing on four specific walks through Fells Point and Dickeysville and along Charles Street and Greemount Avenue. Some well-known locals, like Laura Lippman and David Simon, join him on the jaunts. The Baltimore Sun interviewed Bell about how this project came to be. It’s a good read, and more proof that the book is sure to serve as a perfect companion for any trip to Charm City.

Nachos and Natty Boh on The Square in Baltimore’s Canton

by Kelly Amabile on

I lived in Baltimore for many years, so while reading this New York Times piece about Canton, I thought of some additional insider info I could share. First of all, no one calls the heart of the neighborhood by its real name, O’Donnell Square. But it was nice of Mr. Villano to fill us in on who Captain O’Donnell was. Locals just call it “the Square”.

Secondly, (and I’m sure some native Baltimoreans will argue with me on this one), I think that the very best crab dip in the city is served at Looney’s Pub. My mouth is watering as I write this…it’s the cheesiest, served with veggies and warm bread for dipping, and they’ll bring you more of either if you ask. It’s the best sports bar in town, at least through when I left there in 2005.

Next up, the beer. Sure, Yuengling is a popular beer in Baltimore, but what about Natty Boh, and the mustached grin that smiles down on Canton from a tower atop the former site of the National Brewery building? It’s Baltimore’s beer! The Boh man’s presence is also strongly felt within the walls of Nacho Mamas, an institution on Canton’s Square. (Shame on Mr. Villano for leaving this one out!) This Mexican eatery is small, so you almost always have to wait — but a visit to Baltimore is just not complete until you’ve sipped a margarita from a hubcap and signed your name in chalk on the bathroom wall. Need I say more?

Fall Leaf Peeping by Rail

by Jamie Rhein on

The leaves haven’t started to change in Columbus, Ohio– yet, but they will–soon. This morning the air was crisp and cool. Yep, leaf changing conditions are here, and I expect edges of red will appear in a couple of weeks until eventually there will be bursts of color everywhere. If you are interested in optimum leaf peeping, plan a bit a head. Instead of taking a driving trip for fall splendor viewing, consider taking a train. There are several that pass through gorgeous scenery in various parts of the U.S.

Each of these trains I’ve listed specifically mention fall foliage. I’ve picked these because I’ve been to the areas where they are located– not necessarily in the fall, but they are places I’ve enjoyed and recommend. Here is a link to an article that lists oodles more–some I’ve also been to, and others I have not. Who would have thought there is such a bounty of scenic railroads? (The photo is from the Catskill Railroad Web site.)

The Maine Eastern Railroad goes from Brunswick and Rockland along the coast. This means foliage paired with seaside villages and the trimmings that go with fishing boats, and barnacle covered rocks that edge tide pools.

The Fall Foliage Trains in New Hampshire have five options that range from one hour to several. There are several train routes. One involves dinner.

Essex Steam Train and Riverboat in Connecticut meanders along the Connecticut River and through quaint towns. After the train you can join up with a trip on a riverboat.

The Berkshire Scenic Railroad in Massachusetts has a specific Fall Foliage Tour, and also has a museum.

In New York, the Catskill Mountain Railroad runs a Leaf Peeper Special. This is a simply gorgeous part of the state.

In Maryland, the Walkersville Southern Railroad has fall foliage tours every weekend in October. This train has vintage cars that date to the 1920s. You can also opt to ride on a flatbed car.

Bluegrass Scenic Railroad & Museum in Versailles, Kentucky has fall foliage tours in October. I have quite the fondness for this part of Kentucky.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s foliage tours in North Carolina are in October. This caught my attention. There’s an Oktoberfest Beer train on October 6.

Here’s one I have been on. The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, Iowa is run by the Iowa Railroad Historic Society. The first weekend in October is the Pumpkin Patch Train where going to a pumpkin patch is part of the ride.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad not far from Cleveland, Ohio is one I’ve always wanted to take. I’ve written about it several times, but by the time it’s the fall foliage season, I forget to make reservations and put it on my list of things to do next year.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad that runs between Durango and Silverton, Colorado is a gem. I’ve been on it and the scenery during any season is grand.

Quick Road Trip: Washington, D.C. Part One

by Jamie Rhein on

As I struck out for Washington, D.C. two Thursdays ago today with my 14 year-old daughter and her best friend settled into the back seat of our car with their array of pillows, snack foods, MP3 player, head phones, Map Quest directions and who knows what else –there was so much back there, I felt that sense of freedom and adventure that gives me an energy boost.

I knew we were heading to Washington, D.C., but as we followed the Map Quest route, I turned the car in a direction I hadn’t gone before. The last time I went to Washington, D.C. I also drove. That was nine years ago. Back then, I followed I-70 East until we hit I-270 South. It was a fairly boring, tedious drive. This time Map Quest sent us down to Morgantown, West Virginia and on through Cumberland, Maryland on I-68. [I-68 is in the background of this Flickr photo by On Withering Hills. This is a section we passed through.) At first, I doubted what we were doing since I knew we were to hook up with I-70 further east. But, since I was driving, I called out a quick lesson to my daughter on how to read the mileage markers of the Rand McNally Road Atlas and to find the highways based on where we were. I wanted to make sure we weren’t going so far out of our way it would be the middle of the night before I reached my friend’s apartment in the Georgetown section of D.C. Since my printer was broken, I had scrawled the Map Quest directions on a piece of paper and, now that we were on the road, doubted my own writing.

This trip was to be a quick one–just two nights and one day–long enough to catch up with one of my cousins and meet his wife, reconnect with one of my friends who I taught with in India, and see some friends of ours from Vietnam who are visiting the United States. This was a lot of people to see in a short time, so I didn’t want to be wandering all over West Virginia by mistake. Plus, my husband and my mother thought I was nuts for making the drive, but being that I just read a series of essays about sudden journeys in National Geographic Traveler, and Neil’s post about his spontaneous trip to San Francisco, I figured I was in good company with my thinking. At least some people in the world would understand.

Sure enough, we were heading the right way. Instead of the tedious drive I remembered from the past, we traveled through gorgous mountains. Along the way I made some observations.

#1. If you only stop once at a gas station to: fill the tank, so everyone can pee, and so the driver can get a cup of coffee, you can make it door to door in 6 1/2 hours. (Most of the time we stayed within the 65-to 70 mph range. Hey, people were passing me.)

#2. There are some places in West Virginia where the speed limit says 70, but then it switches to 65 soon after.

#3. Cumberland, Maryland is a lovely historic town of red brick buildings and church steeples set into the mountains. You can only go 40 mph for a good part of the trip through it since the highway passes smack dab through the middle of downtown.

#4. At every county border across Maryland, the county has a sign that welcomes you. This makes Maryland seem like a very friendly place.

#5. Maryland loves to put elevation signs on each mountain peak. This was a very hilly drive so there were a lot of highway markers with the names of a particular mountian and it’s elevation.

#6. There are many signs in Maryland that say: Watch for Maryland’s Wildlife (or something like that).

#7. It’s a good thing there are the signs since a BLACK BEAR RAN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY in front of us!!!

#8. Once you get to Georgetown, just blocks from the endpoint, it will take you a long time to make it down M Street. There are a lot of traffic lights, people and cars. My daughter and her friend said it looks like Easton Town Center, a shopping mall in Columbus. I said, “Yeah, but this is a real town. Easton Town Center is fake.

#9. It’s great to sit down in a lovely apartment with friends and a glass of wine for some long overdue catching up time while the teenagers unload the car without even being asked.

Stayed tuned for Part Two this afternoon for the what we did portion.

The Truth Behind “Gravity Hills”

by Justin Glow on


According to Wikipedia, a gravity hill “is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope.” The video above investigates a gravity hill just outside of Burkittsville, Maryland (also where the Blair Witch Project was filmed). The legend of this particular gravity hill goes that the ghosts of the dead soldiers of the Battle of Crampton’s Gap push your car or skateboard uphill. Actually, it’s just an optical illusion. Watch the video to see how it works.

Related: Wisconsin’s “Wonder Spot” To Close