Last weekend was the perfect weekend to meander around the city of Baltimore, enjoy some outside concerts, relax by the water, and enjoy the long extended hours that Washington D.C.’s downtown night life offers. Luckily I was able to do a little bit of all that as I visited Baltimore, Maryland, for the weekend.
It was the beginning of Earth Week and the beginning of actual spring and the sunny weather showed. As I detail my trip, I hope you too will visit some of the places I mention or just go to Baltimore in general. It’s a really attractive city and promises a lot of excitement and entertainment.
During the first day, after visiting the Towson College area and engaging in a little shopping in the four story, 200 store Towson Town Center Mall, I made my way to Loyola University for the night. Loyola University of Maryland is a private Catholic University and respectfully belongs to the Jesuit family of institutions.
The campus is very small but it is quaint and cultured throughout. The next day we went to Bond Street Social in the Inner Harbor. They also have a really unique and delicious menu.
I went with about ten other people and got to sample almost every dish, and was satisfied with most of them.
After brunch and touring the Harbor, we drove to D.C. which is only about an hour away to see the Earth Day Concert and Festival. It was a very random lineup that included legends from many genres of music. Performances by Erykah Badu, Fall Out Boy, Common and many more went on stage to rock out and celebrate Earth Day for the entire day and into the evening.
After the show and a much needed nap, we went out to in the downtown area. I never knew that D.C. shops had such late hours. The venues do not turn the lights on until 3:00 a.m., so if you’re into going out it is very likely you will get your money worth. After leaving D.C.’s downtown Club Rose Bar, we went to this pizza shop, &Pizza. This was like no other pizza shop I ever visited. It was really nice inside, trendy and hip, and allowed customers to customize their own pie. Everything, from the sauce to the toppings, was of your choice. After inquiring about the place and chatting with some of the employees.
I found out they were a relatively new establishment with several locations exclusively located in only D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Judging by their quality and innovation, it would not surprise me to see &Pizza in more states to come.
Sunday, after the short drive back to Baltimore, we attended Loyola University’s annual Loyolapalooza Concert. The event was free, even to non-students and was more like a fair or carnival with a concert as the bonus.
Rides, floats and a pretty big stage decorated their academic squad space for the five hour event. Performances varied from some of the musically involved student artists of Loyola to some up and coming mainstream artists. It was really nice, especially considering the price (free).
After the concert, I was in the mood for some Baltimore food, but on the way got detoured by a pleasant surprise. We found ourselves at a dance competition in Baltimore’s notable “Graffiti Alley”. Baltimore is known for their unique dance styles and local competitions so it was really cool to finally see one first-hand. The organizer of the event said he hosts competitions regularly, but the one we coincidentally found was something that he does every Sunday specifically for the kids and to foster a better environment in inner-city Baltimore.
After the dance competition, we went to Wiley Gunter for some fresh “Harbor of Baltimore” style food. Their location is conveniently close to the inner harbor so their ingredients are all fresh, so much so that they would never be in a freezer. I could vouch for their taste claims, because everything I had was great.
This weekend was one to remember and I have to thank my friends and Baltimore, Maryland for it all. As we departed, the beautiful weather left with us as April showers began to fall, but this is the perfect part of the year to travel.
With an overall mild weather forecast and spring/summer fairs, events, and activities popping up in various cities, this is the perfect time to see a new place. Take plenty of pictures and relax a little more as the semester comes to a close. You deserve it.
Shawn Trawick is a fouth year student majoring in communications and political science. He can be reached at ST819517@wcupa.edu.