Baltimore
Harbor East and Forest Hill
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We left Williamsburg the day after Memorial Day and drove to our apartment at Pinnacle Bay in the Harbor East area of Baltimore.
It was a great place on the 12th floor overlooking the harbor.
Where is "Harbor East" you ask? Why it's between Fells Point and the Inner Harbor, around the corner from Little Italy, of course!
We had a little balcony!
Looking down from our balcony we could see the pool area on the 8th floor roof.
First stop was Gordon Biersch for an attitude adjustment.
After regrouping back at the apartment, we went out on the town for some drinks and appetizers.
First stop was Tagliata. If you look closely, you can see the bartender in the mirror behind us taking our photo.
Tagliata is part of the Atlas Hospitality Group of restaurants.
Right around the corner, or actually, hidden in a dark corner near Tagliata is the Elk Room, a speakeasy-type place, also part of the Atlas Group.
We had a couple great craft cocktails at the bar under the Elk's watchful eye.
For $16 - $18 each, they should be good!
This is what goes into a $16 drink! Peated Bourbon? Hmmm. It worked!
Night view from our apartment.
Day view from our apartment.
On Wednesday we took a stroll toward the Inner Harbor. The walkway along the harbor goes on forever. This is the "Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse" once located at the entrance to the Baltimore Harbor but now conveniently relocated for much easier photo ops.
So this is Baltimore, hon. I think the word "hon" is used liberally by female Baltimoreans to refer to anyone, male or female. Baltimore men may only use it when speaking to their significant others.
So, when you order another Natty Boh, your female barkeep will say "here ya go, hon!"
Anyway, there is an observation level at the top of the tall building behind the sailing ship.
We paid our $5 to check it out and to prove that we actually do other stuff besides eat and drink.
There is that same sailing ship!
Looking the other way.
Looking another other way
Looking east toward Fort McHenry which was famously bombed through the night while Francis Scott Key admired the Star Spangled Banner which waved from its ramparts.
There is a book store here called "Barnes and Noble" where you can go in and purchase real books that have paper pages with actual words printed on them.
OK, enough sight-seeing, time for a Guinness.
Edgar Allen Poe, James Joyce, Babe Ruth...Baltimore is chock full of culture!
This was taken from The Bygone Restaurant atop the Four Seasons Hotel
This was taken from the pool deck. Our balcony in the third from the top.
Happy Hour Oysters at the Loch Bar (Atlas Group) were excellent!
The martinis were pretty good too.
Next stop: Ouzo Bay, a Greek themed place also part of the Atlas Group.
Having recently experienced actual grilled Portuguese octopus in Portugal, I was compelled to try the Ouzo Bay Greek version.
They were good but maybe I should have ordered the fish tacos. I don't know. Mediterranean fish tacos?
A little later we ended up at Aldo's in Little Italy. We have been here a few times but always with daughter Debbie who is friends with one of Aldo's son's wife, and therefore is treated very well.
This time we thought we would try it by ourselves just to see how it would be without any sort of special treatment. I should mention that Debbie was wavering on weather to come downtown to hang out a bit or wait and see us the next day.
When I texted her the above photo with the Aldo's bar napkins, she apparently immediately called her friend to let them know her dad and step mom were at the bar. Alesandro and Sergio, Aldo's sons, came over and welcomed us, and Sergio (in this photo) hung out at the bar with us and treated us to their famous limoncello. So much for trying to be mystery diners.
The next day Lorri was feeling crabby.
Forest Hill
We left Baltimore and arrived at Deb and Mike's place where Stella the dog was waiting for us.
Between total strangers barging into her domain and the looming thunderstorm, Stella was a shaking mess. She retreated upstairs and didn't come down until the thunder started. She then got up on the couch with me and became my best friend, or vice-versa. Eventually she calmed down.
The next day, Thursday, the weather cleared and Mal and Olivia joined us.
We got to make bubbles on the front stoop.
Momma Mal Mal with little Liv!
Guess how old Olivia is?
It was a beautiful day for a drive so we visited a beer brewery out in the countryside somewhere in Harford County, I think.
They had a regulation length shuffleboard!
And a food truck with great nachos!
Olivia liked 'em.
They had cows!
Me and Liv. She looks a little unsure about this.
Great-grandparents!
What does a horse say?
Goldfish!
Do you think the horse was after the goldfish?
Good beers! I had a 2, 3, 7, and a 9!
Debbie took these with her new iPhone on portrait mode.
Mike and the ladies at the brewery.
A series of photos after dinner at Den and Mike's. This one with Lorri, Beth, Jake, Mal, and Deb
With me!
With Mike and Olivia.
What was for dinner? Was this pasta and meatball night?
How about some more beer? Certainly!
Here we are at Independent Brewing in Bel Air
Here is a hat that I didn't buy.
Still at the Brewery but moved to a more comfortable setting outside.
We went for a long walk on the Ma and Pa Trail, named after the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad the used to run through this area. This proves we did something besides drink and eat.
So naturally our next stop was a vineyard.
The vineyard and tasting room are in a beautiful setting out somewhere in the Maryland countryside, north of Baltimore.
Debbie and her step-monster
Boordy Barrels for aging fine Maryland wine.
Joining us for the afternoon were Sara (Debbie's partner in her salon) and Austin and their kids, Lily and Miller.
I'll post a couple of these.
You can pick your fave.
On Monday, we had lunch with Mal and Olivia at the Rayburn house.
Olivia likes dill pickles but not the skin so much.
Here she has devoured the pickle innards and is generously offering the skin to Grandma Deb who prefers Liv to call her G-G. Liv has a little trouble with the soft "G" sound so Deb is Ghee-Ghee for now.
No visit would be complete without a "four generations" photo
Here are a few
Do we have any family resemblances?
Later on, we ventured back to Historic Downtown Bel Air
We started on the rooftop deck at Main Street Tower. Liv likes to use the cornhole boards as a mini slides.
Here's the gang, including Colin. We didn't see much of him because first, he was at his brother's bachelor's party at Ocean City, next, he was hung over, and then he was working.
It was nice and sunny but got windy and cool, so we went inside and had a bad meal but plenty of fun!
At the end of one section of the Ma and Pa Trail we visited this playground. Annie was a little girl who was killed by an inattentive driver while walking on a nearby sidewalk with her family.
Very sad story, but this playground is a nice legacy.
Grandma Lorri and Liv are a-swinging!
Jacob Filling: working man! Jake was completing his first week on his new job. He looks like he means business!
We texted this selfie to Eric Riley because we happened to be talking about him.
All the photos below were taken by Debbie using the portrait mode on her new iPhone!
Liv and some of her cousins.
Mal and Beth
Jake and
Naked Olivia posing on the stairs.
Great photo of Mal Mal.
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Great photo of my grandkids!
I'm thinking the get their good looks from me. Well, maybe not.
Don't know what Liv is looking at but it must have been impressive!
THE END
Awesome times back east! Great to visit with everyone!
Peace, Love, and Party On!
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