fh_trips | Baltimore Trip

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field trip 2006: baltimore

Baltimore Trip

A little more then an hour after leaving Fandom,the bus pulled up at the Inner Harbor Parking Garage. It's just minutes from most of the Inner Harbor Attractions.

"Okay everyone, have fun and be back here for the bus at six," said Isabel as she pulled on her coat.

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The aquarium (http://www.aqua.org/) is home to approximately 10,500 specimens and more than 560 species of animals.

The Science Center (http://www.marylandsciencecenter.org/) has three floors of fascinating, hands-on exhibits in space and astronomy, health and the human body, earth sciences and general sciences. A kids' room encourages the Science Center's youngest visitors to explore science in their everyday lives.

The Maritime Museum (http://www.baltomaritimemuseum.org/) features the USS Torsk submarine which sank the last two Japanese warships in WW II; the lightship Chesapeake, a National Historic Landmark that served as a floating lighthouse to guide ships into the Chesapeake and Delaware bays; the USCG Cutter Taney, last survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor; and Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, the oldest surviving screw pile lighthouse in Maryland.

The USS Constellation (http://www.constellation.org/) was the last all sail naval vessel built by the United States Navy. The USS Constellation Museum invites visitors to discover life onboard the only Civil War Era vessel still afloat and explore the ship's maritime history.

Experience 55 centuries of art at the Walters Art Museum (http://www.thewalters.org/html/home.asp). The museum's collection includes more than 30,000 beautiful works by Monet, Fabergé, Delacroix, and Raphael; ancient treasures from Egypt, Greece, and Rome; intricate medieval manuscripts; and delicate Asian ceramics.

Two glass-enclosed, bi-level pavilions overlooking the harbor offer an incredible selection of food, crafts, and gifts at Harborplace (http://www.harborplace.com/html/). A third building, the Gallery, offers more to the “shopping, dining, entertaining, exploring feast for the senses.”

For absolutely no money, you can enter the Market, walk around, watch butchers and fishmongers at work, and smell wonderful food cooking. You'll get a feel for what doing the food shopping used to be like. Be warned: Leaving the Market without buying something will be difficult. Wonderful treats are everywhere, including roasted peanuts, peppermint puffs, thick deli sandwiches, pickled cauliflower, real lemonade, huge salads, steamed crabs, raw oysters and fresh baked goods. You also can have a fantastic meal for just a few bucks.

This is a very serene and quiet spot in the middle of the city. Poe and Virginia Clemm rest in the Westminster Hall cemetery located at 519 West Fayette, the corner of Fayette and Greene, which has also been the resting place of prominent Maryland families. The church and graveyard are now cared for quite well by the University of Maryland Law School staff. Poe's grave, located in the back of the cemetery at first, remained unmarked for a time because the stone had been destroyed in transport. The school children of Baltimore, thinking it unjust that the writer had no stone to mark his grave, went door to door collecting pennies and raised $600 - a benefactor provided the rest of the money needed. A monument now marks the grave; these days, people still leave a few pennies in his honor.

The Balitmore Zoo (http://www.marylandzoo.org/) s home to over 2,000 exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles. Highlights include state-of-the-art naturalistic exhibits including the Maryland Wilderness and African Watering Hole. The Maryland Farmyard exhibit offers a glimpse into the life of farm animals.

Ping me here if there's anyplace else you'd like to see.

If there's one place Aeryn has to go, it's here. If only for research purposes. She didn't even know what a puffin was.

[SP like woah until lunch,]

Isabel was happy to see Aeryn along on the trip. Unfortunately she didn't get a chance to talk to her until they got to the zoo. "Aeryn, hi!"

As the others started heading into the aquarium, Cameron stayed behind. He really didn't feel like visiting anything fish related and it seemed as good a time as any. He'd catch up with them later, he knew where they were going so turning on his heels, he went into the other direction.

"Hey! You're not coming with us?" Isabel asked as she saw Cam start to walk off.

"Nah, got other things to do. I'll catch up with you guys later," Cameron replied.

And because she's not pushing, she nodded. "Okay then, see you around."

"Later," he nodded and headed off.

A couple of hours later, Cameron made it to the Science center. The space stuff sounded cool, he just hoped he'd be able to catch up with the others again.

Isabel looked up from the exhibit she was studying. "You made it."

Unsurprisingly, Archie took a look around and decided to head straight for the Constellation. There was something about just being in a harbor again that had him more animated than he'd been in months, and his resemblance to a small, eager five-year-old was definitely strong.

"Oh my God, an actual sloop of war!" he exclaimed, fidgeting with giddy anticipation. "Does anyone want to come with me?"

He'd visit the Maritime Museum as well, of course. But the sloop had to come first.

Molly bounced up to Aeryn, too full of excitement to stay still. "Aeryn! Zoo, Aeryn! Zoo! What do you want to look at first?"

"Uh huh, almost got lost too." He grinned.

Somewhere between the Constellation and the Maritime Museum, Archie had bought himself half a dozen silly little disposable cameras. He had to, even if the things disturb him slightly; there was no way he was going to leave this museum without pictures. The USS Torsk submarine in particular fascinated him; he'd heard a little bit about submarines and battleships from Kawalsky, and actually getting to see them would be exciting.

He was awfully tickled at the apparent rank of captain bestowed upon him by his ticket purchase (http://www.baltomaritimemuseum.org/contact%20info.html).

"The bouncing force is strong in this one," Cameron snickered as he watched Molly.

"Now that wouldn't have been good," Isabel laughed. "I'm supposed to to go back to the school with the same number of students I left with."

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Baltimore Trip

The National Aquarium

The Maryland Science Center

Baltimore Maritime Museum

USS Constellation

The Walters

Shopping at Harborplace

Shopping at Lexington Market

Visit Edgar Allan Poe's Grave

The Balitmore Zoo

OOC

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