Arrived in Baltimore Thursday night. Driving in Baltimore is a BEAST. My buddy warned me, but I just was not prepared. Lots of cities have street parking. Lots of big cities have parking on both sides of the street, making the thoroughfare in between them narrow. But only Baltimore in my experience has people that just walk out in the middle of the street, paying no mind to on coming traffic, crosswalk or no crosswalk, green light or no green light, at random intervals. In a fifteen minute span we witnessed no less than three individuals popping out into the middle of traffic -- cars had to brake or swerve around them to avoid running them down. I didn't hear one horn. A person that would cross a street whereever in the middle of traffic probably won't be deterred by a few decibels.
That aside, B'Mo was a good time. Spent some time at Fells Point. Saw two baseball games at Camden Yards, ahem, Oriole Park. Hung out with cool friends I see entirely too infrequently.
Speaking of baseball - I've been to games in twelve of the active thirty MLB Parks (plus Shea):
There is something special about Camden Yards. I'm a Mets fan and try to see them when possible, but I've supported the home team, the away team, the National League team (a pox on the DH), and the team for whatever city I've happened to be in at the time, but Baltimore has some of the most engaged fans I've ever witnessed. The seats were awash in orange with an overwhelming majority of fans in team colors. Most people were paying attention to the game and the place erupted at any play that went Baltimore's way, from the early innings on. It's one of the loudest parks I've been in and it doesn't matter if it were a simple groundout, a doubleplay, or a homerun in the bottom of the second. I have no idea how the Orioles are doing this year, but the majority of the ballpark gave them their undivided attention for three hours. I didn't see that anywhere else I've been on a scale that large. Impressive.
Left Baltimore this afternoon, ::grumble, grumble traffic. grumble, grumble tolls:: and arrived in Brooklyn for more friend-hangingout-with-ness. No plans for the morrow, Tuesday might check out the MoSex. By Wednesday or perhaps Thursday I should be headed back down South.
That aside, B'Mo was a good time. Spent some time at Fells Point. Saw two baseball games at Camden Yards, ahem, Oriole Park. Hung out with cool friends I see entirely too infrequently.
Speaking of baseball - I've been to games in twelve of the active thirty MLB Parks (plus Shea):
- Citifield - NY Mets
- Fenway - Boston
- Rodgers Center- Toronto
- PNC - Pittsburgh
- Citizens Bank - Philly
- Comerica - Detroit
- Great American - Cincinnati
- Progressive Field - Cleveland
- Turner Field- Atlanta
- Nationals Ballpark- Washington, DC
- Rangers Stadium- Dallas
- Camden Yards - Baltimore
There is something special about Camden Yards. I'm a Mets fan and try to see them when possible, but I've supported the home team, the away team, the National League team (a pox on the DH), and the team for whatever city I've happened to be in at the time, but Baltimore has some of the most engaged fans I've ever witnessed. The seats were awash in orange with an overwhelming majority of fans in team colors. Most people were paying attention to the game and the place erupted at any play that went Baltimore's way, from the early innings on. It's one of the loudest parks I've been in and it doesn't matter if it were a simple groundout, a doubleplay, or a homerun in the bottom of the second. I have no idea how the Orioles are doing this year, but the majority of the ballpark gave them their undivided attention for three hours. I didn't see that anywhere else I've been on a scale that large. Impressive.
Left Baltimore this afternoon, ::grumble, grumble traffic. grumble, grumble tolls:: and arrived in Brooklyn for more friend-hangingout-with-ness. No plans for the morrow, Tuesday might check out the MoSex. By Wednesday or perhaps Thursday I should be headed back down South.