Boston and Washington - Spring 2016 - Day 11 (Day Trip to Baltimore, Baseball!)

[Guest]

This is my first trippie (please be gentle)...


Trippie Index Here


Day 10 Here




What:


Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore


When:


Spring 2016


Who:


Me (April) Holy Crap, am I going to be in a fight? Or worse?

DS (Pooter) Mauer Power! Mauer Power! Mauer Power!



Day 11 - DC to Baltimore, Inner Harbor, Baseball!



This day ended well - we had a great time at the Twins/Orioles game, and I’m very glad we went to Baltimore - BUT - as you will see, not everything was a skip through the daisy patch.


Here we go:


Breakfast at the Residence Inn. I found the yogurt lady, and she hooked me up with my bowl. Every day there had been a different “protein” in the hot breakfast area - today’s was sausage (patties). So I had sausage, yogurt and fruit. Poot had English muffins, sausage and fruit.


We were off to Baltimore this morning!


This is a VERY easy journey from DC. From Union Station, you get the “MARC” (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) train and just ride to the end of the line - it takes a little over an hour. It is only $8 each way.


There are two MARC routes into Baltimore - one ends at Camden Station, the other at Penn Station.

Camden Station was closest to our hotel, but during the week the Camden Line only runs around rush hour. Since we were going to have a late night, I didn’t want too early of a start. We would get the Penn Line and then take the Baltimore Light Rail down to our hotel.


An aside: If you are heading to DC and can get a cheap flight into BWI (Baltimore Washington International) - BWI is also a stop on the Penn Line. There is a free shuttle from BWI that takes you to the MARC - and then you take the train straight to Union Station (DC).

Union Station:

At Union Station, it was easy to find the MARC departure area, the ticket kiosks are RIGHT in front of it, so you can’t miss them.

It said to prepare for security checks, but they must be either random or sporadic - we didn’t have one in either direction.


The MARC train we took was a double decker - there isn’t much to see, but what there is you can see better from the top “deck”.

It was a comfortable train, certainly more comfortable than the Great Northern ones I get from Potters Bar. There was ample space for bags.


Time on the train passed quickly enough; we got talking to a political science grad student who was NOT amused when I said that perhaps the world didn’t need MORE politicians...I stand by that statement, though.


We were disgorged at Penn Station, and made our way downstairs to the light rail stop.

Penn Station:

Hmm...I’m not sure I would have wanted to wait there in the dark, or as a woman alone. It was more than a little bit creepy.

The light rail ticket machine was easy to find in the middle of the platform, and the tickets were cheap ($1.50).

Luckily, there was a train already waiting; we hopped on and the train departed after just a few minutes.


As we rode along I was saddened, deeply, to see how much of Baltimore has been abandoned.

It was a real shock - I don’t tend to follow a lot of news from that part of the world. I know that Detroit has had massive population shrink, but Baltimore has as well.


After a few stops, a man got on the train - he looked at me, cocked his head, and came and sat down right next to us. He clearly had EXCELLENT mickdar, because his first question was, “Are you Irish?”.


Poot was eager to tell him our whole complicated story...which ended with, “But Mother only sounds Irish when she’s sad…”. Story of Ireland in one sentence there, boyo.



Moving on...it was really interesting to talk to this Irishman (who was lovely, and who runs an ENGLISH pub on Pratt Street).


He fell in love with and married a Maryland girl, and they are really struggling with whether to stay in Baltimore (which he said has lost 40% (! ) of its relative population since the sixties), or to “give up” and move to the suburbs, which are safer and cheaper.


As I mentioned in my Highs and Lows, I live in the (profoundly overcrowded) Southeast. It was really a shock to see a city in the West reduced to such a state; we were to go on to have several sobering conversations about the state of urban America in general, and Baltimore in particular.


We wished each other well as we all got off at Convention Center Station. This, and not Camden, is the most convenient stop for Camden Yards, and the nearby hotels.

Because we were deep in conversation while on the train, we hadn’t noticed that it was now REALLY RAINING. Holy cow! It was absolutely CHUCKING it down - I’m not sure that I’ve seen heavier rain than this more than a couple of times in my life.

It looked like this:

By the time we crossed the street from the station, our trousers were soaked. I could barely see in front of us - so I just hustled Poot into the first door we encountered. It turned out to be the street level of a parking ramp.

I made the executive decision to wait a few minutes and see if the rain let up. It didn’t. We walked across the ramp to the opposite door and looked out. I could see our hotel from this side of the ramp - right next to “Pickles Pub”.

Mr Pickle:

We decided to make a break for it - and beat feet to the Hampton Inn.

I felt like a hobo, dripping all over the carpet - but the girl behind the counter pretended that I wasn’t a disgrace to women everywhere and checked us in.


When that particular hotel is sold out the night before (I assume it sells out all the “baseball nights”), the hotel’s policy is that no one can go up to their room before the official check-in time of 3:00 PM. This is only fair to the maids!

They were happy to hold our bag in a secure room behind the front desk.

Because of the rain, the lobby was already completely full (at 11:00 AM) with people waiting for their rooms. I decided we weren’t going to get any wetter, so I asked the front desk girl what she suggested we could do to pass some time in the rain.


I had intended that we go up to Fort McHenry today - but it was just too wet and miserable. I’ve always wanted to go to Fort McHenry - and see the spot where the “Star Spangled Banner” flew...

The front desk clerk suggested we hop on the “Charm City Circulator” (this is a free bus that runs a few set routes around Baltimore) and ride down to the Inner Harbor (which has been gentrified with shops and restaurants).

The Inner Harbor is also home to the National Aquarium. I knew we weren’t going to do the aquarium today; Poot had JUST been to the aquarium in Boston - and this one would have cost $65 for the two of us.

The bus pulled up RIGHT as we got to the stop. Now with a name like “Charm City Circulator”, and being free - I assumed that the bus would be sort of touristy. Hmm…nope.

We sat right up front, just behind the driver. The group of people across from us carried on with their expletive-laden conversation about which methadone clinic gave out the best “stuff”.


Sometimes I really miss living in the city...but sometimes I don’t. This was one of the “don’t” times.


We got off at the first available stop. Better wet than that.

[Guest]

continued from previous post


This is the post where the not-so-good thing happens. I won't mention it after this post, so feel free to skip down to the next post (in which there will be both baseball! and kindness ).


By now the rain had let up a bit - it was still coming down, but the monsoon seemed to have passed.


The girl at the hotel had mentioned that down by the aquarium there was a bookstore in what was once an old power plant. We decided to make for it.


First stop, ladies’ room. I WRUNG out my hair and jeans. I then wrung out Poot’s jeans and socks. We used the hand dryers (again, like hoboes) to dry our hair a bit.


The store was almost deserted. It is really neat, architecturally.

There is a large aquarium near the restrooms. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Drier, we wandered around the store for a while just killing time during the rain. Poot picked out a SpongeBob comic and we also found him a "coin book" in which to keep his National Park Quarter collection.

I was both thrilled and embarrassed to find a pair of truly atrocious Star Wars stormtrooper gloves in the clearance bin. The weather, you may remember, had been unseasonably cold - and like a good parent, I had relinquished my wooly mittens to my child.

Poot then asked if we could go look at the field guides.


OK, I think I have mentioned somewhere in this report that I grew up in the nightclub business. So I have a pretty good "sense" for people. I've also seen lots of *trouble*, if you catch my meaning...

I wrote the following out in much greater detail yesterday, but then after sleeping on it, I decided that it wasn't really necessary to bore you with my every word and thought during this confrontation!


We walked over to where the field guides were displayed. There were two people, a man and a woman (each in their thirties, I'd guess) browsing nearby. I caught the woman's eye and smiled - I then turned to look at Poot, who was already elbow deep in books. He was between me and the other people.

Now the woman began to speak. She never shouted, she didn't use one expletive. Rather, she proceeded to tell me, icily, exactly what she thought of "people like us" coming to "her" city with police patches on. She told me that she knew that I'd happily keep her in a slave cabin, etc...well, it went on for some while. You get the idea.

I prayed that Poot would keep quiet. She had that look in her eye...and Poot was between us; she was closer to him than I was.

Again, probably because of all my years in clubs, I am pretty good at talking people down. But she never let me get a word in - and I wanted to keep her calm, for Poot's sake.

She went on and on about what she would do to "us people" if the police weren't "on our side". While she talked, I slowly inched up behind Poot and grabbed his shoulder. I gave him a strong "stay quiet" pinch.

She then told me that "her man" *might* have a gun, etc...I'm sure you can imagine the rest.

Now, again - I lived in America for more than twenty years - I’ve seen guns before, I’ve been threatened with guns before. But this was different. My KID was in between me and these people.


I wasn’t sure quite what to do, but my gut feeling was that the man was OK, and that he didn't have a gun. But I shoved Poot behind me, hard.

I called after him to run downstairs as fast as he could and have the cashier call the police. (Even at the time, the irony of this wasn't lost on me)


Now the man talked!


“I ain’t got no gun - she jus’ crazy.”


Um...OK?


I felt like he was telling the truth...

I decided to turn my back on them and run after Poot. He had made it to the cashier’s desk, but there was no one there. As I caught him up at the desk, I saw the couple leave the store, walking quickly.

A moment after they disappeared out the door the cashier strolled up, "Did you find everything you were looking for today?"

Umm...

I wasn't sure what to do next. My only thought upstairs had been to get Poot far away and to safety. Now, standing in the empty store (still holding SpongeBob and the ugly gloves) - I was frozen with indecision.

Should I have the cashier call the police? And if I did, what could they even do? Did I want our whole day ruined because of this?

Poot seemed OK, he was relaying his 9 year old's account of "an angry lady who doesn't like the police" to the cashier. The cashier looked at me for confirmation - I nodded and said, "Yes, we had an unpleasant confrontation upstairs". The cashier gave a Gallic shrug - then pointed at his skin and my skin and said that since the trouble last year there had been lots of those...

I was glad that Poot at least seemed to focus on the police aspect of things, and not on the racial stuff (I'm not sure how much of that he picked up on).

We paid for our selections and left - Poot was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. I, unsurprisingly, didn't feel hungry.

As we walked out the door though, I saw a bunch of cops head into a Panera across the street. I decided that we'd eat there (two birds, one stone).

As we walked across the street, I was keeping an eye peeled for the "angry lady". Poot seemed to have shaken it off and was happily telling me that he hoped there would be macaroni and cheese at Panera...ah, kids...

Panera was clearly popular with cops, there were several already seated. We ordered (macaroni and cheese for Poot and a soda for me - I would have rather had SCOTCH and soda, frankly). While we were waiting for our order, a young cop asked Poot why he wasn't in school.

Well, that was it. Poot was off, telling this lovely young policeman all about himself and why we were in Baltimore. It was very busy in the restaurant - we had a long wait, during which the cop tried to teach Poot a fist bump that was more "street" and less Baymax...

As it happened, the restaurant was so busy that we ended up sharing a table with the fist bump cop. I told him that I actually had something to talk to him about when he was back on shift. He gave me that cop look and nodded. We had a pleasant lunch - Poot was impressed with the Panera mac 'n' cheese.

After we were all finished, the cop and I left Poot reading his comic and we stepped a feet away. I explained what had happened and told him that I didn't know if I should report it, etc...

He just sighed. We talked for a while and he told me a little about what it was like to be a black cop in Baltimore. Honestly, I just wanted to cry for him. He was young and trying so hard to help his city.

I told him to stay safe and he went back on patrol - what has his life been like this last little while...?

--------------------------------------------

Poot had by now finished his comic. He was excited to tell me that he had seen a Marshalls on our way to Panera. It was still raining and too early to go back to the hotel, so Marshalls it was.

It was hard for even Marshalls to cheer me up today, but I let it try.

Poot spotted some LeSportsac bags (he knows I am a LeSportsac fiend) and talked me into getting a couple. Who else loves LeSportsac? Lighter than Kipling - and with NOVELTY prints!

Cinderella LeSportsac:

I also picked up a box of adorable notecards. Retail therapy...


Outside it was now sunny and beautiful. We walked over to the harbor and sat down on a bench. To get to the little tourist-y area around the harbor, we had to walk between a couple of private security guys on Segways. I'm not sure if they always have security here or not, but while we sat on our bench, we saw them chase away a few panhandlers.

I called R.C., who had already been back at work for nine hours (show-off! ).

It was good to hear his voice - I told him where we were, but not anything that had happened (what could he do?). Poot talked to him for a while, too. It was great to sit in the sunshine and think about happier things.

I looked down at my watch and noticed we could now check in to the hotel. We had gotten the methadone bus down here, but it was a pleasant walk back in the sunshine (no more than 10 minutes).

Reception gave us our key, and we went up to the room. It was fine, furnished to about the same standard as the Residence Inn back in D.C.

It was now a little after four. I wanted us to try and have an hour's sleep before the game, since I knew that would run late.

I set the alarm on my tablet. Poot was OUT like a light, and I eventually slept, too.

[Guest]

I woke up after about twenty minutes sleep, feeling much more the thing. I let Poot sleep on and I began to get our things ready. He woke after a little while and helped.

Most baseball stadia let you take in your own snacks and drinks - just no glass or metal. So we packed two bottles of water and our malted milkball-flavoured M&Ms in a backpack.

I had pre-ordered our tickets from StubHub - you just print them out (I dislike this, I prefer "proper" tickets).

The sky looked ominous, and it was COLD - we put on our waterproofs, and I packed mittens, hat and stormtrooper gloves in the backpack with the victuals.

For you (one or two) baseball fans out there, Camden Yards is home to the Baltimore Orioles and it is a GREAT place to see a game. It opened in 1992 as the first of the "retro ballparks". They did an AMAZING job. Sightlines, atmosphere, extras...loved it.

Camden Yards:

As we walked up to the main gate, I took a bunch of pictures of Poot with all manner of baseball signs and statues. I won't bore you with many...

There are metal detectors and bag checks at the gate - once we went in it was a bit like entering another world...

...everyone is so friendly and helpful! They really couldn't do enough for you. If it is your child's first Orioles game, they give him or her a certificate, sticker, schedule and pack of baseball cards.

It all comes in a manila envelope, and the certificates look like this:

Well done, Orioles!


We wandered around taking pictures.

Poot loves to pose in the same positions as the statues.

The scoreboard from behind:

The national anthem was sung by a local school choir and the game began.




We are Twins fans - and in the first inning Poot's hero, Joe Mauer (Mauer Power!), hit a home run...I snapped this photo just as the ball flew off the bat.

Orioles mascot:

It was a school night, and the weather was miserable - there was wasn't a big crowd - so there were no vendors wandering the stands selling snacks.

While the Orioles were batting in the fourth, we popped down to the concourse to get something hot to eat.

Now the concourse is exposed to the weather, so our food wasn't hot for long (we went for lemon chicken and fries, Poot tells me), but it served its purpose.

On the way back to our seats we saw this sign. Not sure why, but it made me laugh...

Those ominous clouds from earlier? They opened...on went the tarp! A rain delay!

It was a short delay, thankfully...

Rain delay selfie:

After the delay, the Orioles came out fighting, and won the game. They swept the series.

Even though the Twins lost, Poot was excited to see the Orioles mascot waving his broom. It was Poot's first rain delay, and his first sweep.

We headed back across the street to our hotel (I was VERY VERY happy that I had booked a hotel just across the road).

When we walked in, there was a cop in the lobby, checking people's room cards and IDs.


Normally, I would query this, but today I REALLY just didn't want to know.

We went straight to our room. I braced a chair under the door handle (just in case) and we Weather Channeled for a few minutes before...


continues in next post with Poot's memories of Day 11

[Guest]

continued from previous post


Poot's Day 11 Memories follow:


This morning, we went straight to the train station. We got off at Metro Center and changed for the Red Line for Union Station. At Union Station we had to buy our tickets. It was a very odd method to buy our tickets; it was very complicated.


Then we had to go to the gate (like an airport) and wait about twenty minutes until our train began to board. At first, we were worried because the train doors didn’t seem to be opening - we were waiting for ten minutes until the doors opened. I am still not sure why the doors didn’t want to open.

On the train, I read “I Survived: Nature Attacks”. My favourite story was the eruption of Mount Tambora.

Tambora:

Finally, after about an hour of sitting on the train we arrived in Baltimore, where I found a dollar coin in a pop machine.


Then we called Dad to see if he was OK - we had to leave a message.

We found the Baltimore equivalent of the London Overground (I don’t remember what it was called). We got off at Convention Center Station; unfortunately it was POURING rain - and when I say pouring it was really pouring. We had our waterproofs, but our trousers were SOAKED by the time we got to the hotel.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t check in yet. So we went down to the bookstore - Mother got me a SpongeBob comic and some Star Wars gloves for herself - she was happy later when it snowed!

There was an angry lady at the bookstore - she was VERY angry at me, but I hadn't done anything wrong. Mother sent me away from her, so that was good.

Then we went over to the Panera restaurant, where I had the best macaroni and cheese while we ate lunch with a policeman - then we went over to Marshalls, where Mother bought a handbag and some notecards.

After a couple more activities, we went over to the Baltimore Visitors’ Center, where we bought eight postcards (they were only 25 cents each).

Then we went back to our hotel and had a rest so that we would be ready for the baseball game.


At the baseball game, I got a Camden Yards pressed penny.

Then we took our seats, and the action began.


Warning: The following paragraph contains some very sad news


First, Joe Mauer hit a home run, which went all the way out of the stadium. I wonder what the ball looked like then…?

Then, the Orioles scored two runs. Then we scored another.

There was a game on the scoreboard called "Which Crab?", where you had to guess which crab (crabs are important in Baltimore) is hiding a baseball.

In the seventh inning there was a rainstorm and it caused a rain delay. The most interesting thing about the rain delay was how fast they got the tarp out! By the time they had they tarp out, the rain had stopped, so they had to quickly pull the tarp in.

Then, in the ninth inning, the Orioles hit a home run and won the game.

April interrupting here: I have no idea if this is how all the scoring happened, but this is how he remembers it...


After that, the mascot (The Oriole Bird) came marching around with a broom - saying that it was a sweep.

Then we went out and went back to our hotel and went to sleep. The End.


Day 12 Here

[Melbatb]

What an awful thing to happen - glad that it wasn't worse. At least, the baseball game was fun!

Baltimore doesn't sound like it needs to be on my must visit list.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Melbatb

What an awful thing to happen - glad that it wasn't worse. At least, the baseball game was fun!

Baltimore doesn't sound like it needs to be on my must visit list.

See more...

Perhaps not.


Seriously, though - I wish I had taken the time to find out what had been happening in Baltimore over the last little while. I think it would have better prepared me.

I'm still glad we went (and not just because of the handbags ).

I lived for a long time in a big city - but I think I am out of some of the life habits/attitudes that come with city living in America. It wasn't a bad thing to be reminded of that (I would have preferred a DIFFERENT reminder, but still...)...


Thanks for reading.

[MHM]

So sorry this happened to you. I had a similar experience on the red line El train in Chicago back in 2008. I was on my own and it was scary enough, I can't even imagine if it happened now I have children. Glad you still managed to make the most of your day and make some fun memories at the baseball. Really enjoying your report. 😀

[Guest]

Originally Posted by MHM

So sorry this happened to you. I had a similar experience on the red line El train in Chicago back in 2008. I was on my own and it was scary enough, I can't even imagine if it happened now I have children. Glad you still managed to make the most of your day and make some fun memories at the baseball. Really enjoying your report. 😀

See more...

Thanks for your thoughtful reply, I'm sad to hear that you had trouble in Chicago.

I had worse things happen before I was a parent - but YOU know that fear for your child is 100 times worse than fear for yourself.

The GOOD thing about having the little man with me was that I had to suck it up and try and make sure it didn't spoil his fun. He was SO excited to see the Twins and Joe Mauer - I tried to keep that as the focus. But my brain was...elsewhere.

I know that things like this happen everywhere - but the gun "situation" in America colours every confrontation...you just never know.

[Glee Fan]

Gosh, how scary for you both, but looking at Poot's report, he just thought the lady was angry so you did your job well of not making too big a deal over it in front of him.

Sounds like the cop was used to hearing stories like this as well which is sad and shocking. On a more positive note, I just love Panera Bread and my ds always chooses mac and cheese when we go there!

So pleased the day ended up fine and you enjoyed the game

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Glee Fan

Gosh, how scary for you both, but looking at Poot's report, he just thought the lady was angry so you did your job well of not making too big a deal over it in front of him.

Sounds like the cop was used to hearing stories like this as well which is sad and shocking. On a more positive note, I just love Panera Bread and my ds always chooses mac and cheese when we go there!

So pleased the day ended up fine and you enjoyed the game

See more...

It was pretty unpleasant, and it definitely affected me - but YES, as you said, I think Poot's experience in life meant that a lot of what the woman said was Greek to him (thankfully).

As for that cop, he had "old eyes", if you know what I mean. I have thought about him many times since that day...

It was my first time in a Panera, it seemed a nice alternative to fast food. Poot loved that mac 'n' cheese! He'll be pleased to see it's a favourite at your house, too.