Indianapolis to Milwaukee

I was sat having a coffee at the hostel last night when I heard a knock on the back door. It was a well to do young lady who lived locally (but still a few blocks away). She came to ask for help undoing her dress. She said she would have asked her "gaybours" if they'd not have been away. Why she felt more comfortable to come to a hostel and ask a complete stranger rather than going to another neighbour was a source of some bemusement. Anyway I managed to get the zip undone although it was quite well stuck and she went on her way back home. It's got to be one of the most random things to happen on all my travels.

Moving onto today, I headed Downtown on a bus towards the Greyhound Station. My bus was nearly 30 minutes late leaving the city and absolutely packed which meant I couldn't stretch out my left knee, quite sore after yesterday's cycling. 30 minutes was the time I had in Chicago before my onward bus journey so I was worried the entire trip that I might miss my connection. I also had to put up with the tension of watching Arsenal away at Leicester City via text commentary on the Arsenal Player, BBC website and Twitter. The 1-1 draw didn't come across as a very good match. We hit bad traffic on the edge of Chicago but thankfully arrived into the station at 1.45pm. I headed straight for my next bus due to leave at 2pm which was then for some reason late leaving. All the passengers boarded on time but the driver had wandered off somewhere.

I had hoped that Eric, my Couchsurfing host would be able to pick me up in Milwaukee. Unfortunately he had to head out so I had to search for a bus to make my own way across town. It was actually quite easy to get to his apartment about 20 minutes north of Downtown. He left a key under the mat for me so it's a very safe neighbourhood or he's very trusting or both. The apartment is pretty damn cool. It's open plan across two levels and even had a climbing wall built in. He mentioned being an outdoors guy in his Couchsurfing profile and there are snowboards and mountain bikes around the place.

I went out for about an hour to get a snack and to figure out where exactly I am and what's around here then came back to the apartment for a bit before heading out to a nearby bar to grab something to eat. Eric text me to say he'd be back about 10pm and it was good to finally meet him along with his brother who's visiting. We went to another nearby bar for drinks and now I'm all set up upstairs with a huge couch for my bed. It's Labor Day tomorrow, a bank holiday so I'm sure there are things going on. I may just head Downtown and see what I walk into.

Eric's apartment

Inside the apartment

Cycling Indianapolis

I took full advantage of the $10 hostel bike hire today and rode for miles on an overcast day which was perfect for cycling. I was up early again, had breakfast outside on the deck then after a short rain shower started out on my day's riding.

I began by heading up the Monon Trail. I rode from the hostel at 49th Street up through Broad Ripple Village to 86th Street. It was pretty busy with a mixture of people enjoying a Saturday morning stroll, joggers and cyclists. I turned around and headed back via the Indianapolis Art Centre sculpture garden to the village stopping for an iced coffee.

I then rode down the Central Canal Towpath to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. I spent most of my time there looking at contemporary art and design and American art. It was interesting to spot a set of Arne Jacobsen cutlery (the sort we used at St Catz on a frequent basis) in the design section. I could have spent a lot more time in the museum as there was so much to see. I took a ride around the grounds, couldn't find anywhere to leave the bike for a look around the Lilly House and found the lake trail too impassable to see much.

I cycled on down the towpath then switched to the White River Trail to take me to the State Park. I had thought it would be busier but was actually very quiet. I checked out the sculptures in and around the Old Washington Street Bridge and cycled around the exterior of the zoo.

I made my way across town using various cycle paths to join the Monon Trail at its starting point at 10th Street.  I rode back up to Broad Ripple Village again stopping for a drink and then back to the hostel. I can't believe it's still so early, my legs certainly had energy to ride more as I paced myself very well. The city is so well set out for cyclists and whilst I had a few spots of rain along the way felt it was the perfect day for exploration of the city by bike.

Tomorrow I head to Milwaukee on the bus with a short stop in Chicago. It's not too far and I'm hoping I won't be too cramped as I feel my legs will need to stretch out after today.

Monon Trail

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Roy Lichtenstein - Five Brushstrokes, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Exploring Indianapolis

I was up and out early on a bus headed to Downtown to catch a 10am free tour run by Indiana Landmarks who help preserve buildings around the state. It only took in the circle around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument but gave loads of information about both it and the surrounding buildings and there was only me and one other person, a local on the hour long tour. It started to rain towards the end of the tour so I popped into the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum in the base of the monument. It gave me lots of general information about the war as well as more specific details of Indiana's role in it.

I emerged into bright sunshine and sauntered down to the Capitol Building, to the Convention Centre for tourist information and took a look in the City Market. The market was busy with people grabbing lunch and I also walked passed a road packed with upmarket food trucks.

From there I meandered up to the Indiana World War Memorial. It is absolutely enormous and when I got to the other side I found I was able to go inside. It contains an amazing shrine room to those who fought in the Great War, an auditorium and war museum. The museum had information on all the wars America has fought going back to the earliest battles. It also contained an amazing amount of World War memorabilia including Nazi artifacts brought back by World War II soldiers. Again it gave overall information about the wars along with some details of Indiana's particular role in each. Interestingly there was very little on Vietnam and a whole section dedicated to the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq including some tales of Indiana born service personnel who had died in fighting.

I was in the museum for some time and when I left I walked up through Veterans Memorial Plaza and the American Legion Mall and took a look inside the Central Library, a very ornate building. I strolled down to White River State Park and stopped by their visitor information centre for more details on the park. I headed back towards the hostel on the bus and popped into the supermarket to grab some fresh rolls to have with my pasta dinner. 

I did a lot more walking than I had expected today. Tomorrow I hope to rent a bike from the hostel so I can cover some of the areas I've not already seen and ride parts of the Monon Trail and other trails around the city which is very well set up for cyclists.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Indiana World War Memorial

Shrine Room, Indiana World War Memorial

Arrival in Indianapolis

I'm finally in Indianapolis and have needed the afternoon off to recover from my travels. I got to the city about noon and the hostel about 1pm. I slept a fair bit on the bus ride from Pittsburgh but as is usual for Greyhound had a service stop along the way where everyone has to leave the bus for it to be cleaned. I don't mind the stopping as you can get out and stretch your legs but they always seem to come at a really ungodly hour.

The hostel is very nice. It's someway north of the city centre but is in a really nice residential area. I've managed to get a double bed which means I'll really be able to spread out tonight. After checking in I went straight to the supermarket about 4 blocks away to find something for lunch and to buy food for the next few days. Then I came back, showered, had a really nice, long Skype chat with Mum and Dad and got my laundry done. 

I'd sat around the hostel for quite a while trying to plan my time here then decided to take a wander as my knee was sore from sitting for too long, primarily in the train and bus. I walked about 15 blocks north on the Monon Trail which runs right passed the hostel. It's very well used by cyclists and joggers and took me into Broad Ripple Village which has a huge array of restaurants and small stores then made my way back to cook something to eat. 

Everyone seems to have gone out so it's lovely and quiet at the moment. I'll have an early night tonight then head into the centre on the bus in the morning to see what the city has to offer. I suspect I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Indy Hostel, Indianapolis

Travel problems

There were times when I thought I was never going to be able to leave Harpers Ferry. I has an email from Amtrak this morning reporting a delay to my train and when I checked it was 4 hours late (Amtrak don't own the track and apparently therefore have to give way to freight trains). I'd missed the early commuter trains to Washington so I tried contacting shuttle services to take me but they were very expensive if I was the only passenger. A lady at one of the hotels/hostels in town was going to Washington and could take me but not until probably 5pm so that was my best option but left it tight to catch my evening bus. I sat around in the shade by the river not doing a whole lot and even tried leaving my number with the camping store/bike rental place in case they had anyone pass by that was going my way sooner.  

I told some people at the railway station about the delay as they were unaware and by that time just after the train was due it was running 7 hours late meaning I'd miss my bus out of Washington. I ended up on the phone to Amtrak for 40 minutes being passed from one person to a second with a very long time on hold until they did what I demanded and changed my ticket free of charge to one headed to Pittsburgh so I could make my bus connection there to Indianapolis.

Whilst I waited for the train I went to the Coach House pub, got something to eat and asked them to put the Arsenal game on their TV. I'd wanted to watch it back in the bar in Washington and wasn't going to miss it although it didn't help my stress levels much being a very tight 1-0 victory over Besiktas which sees us through to the Champions League. I finally got the train to Pittsburgh at 5.45pm. It was already 30 minutes late and offered plenty of comfort but no wifi and arrived into Pittsburgh on time so I'm here earlier than if I'd come from Washington by bus. I'd found out before travelling that the train and bus stations were next to each other so I wandered across and will now eat and wait for the bus to Indianapolis at 3.40am

Trip to Antietam

I woke early with very stiff legs and a sore ankle. The walking yesterday,  especially the up and downhill stretches clearly took its toll on me. Anyway I had already planned to not walk much today but instead to rent a bike. I got to the shop just after it opened at 10am, collected my bike, helmet and a complimentary bottle of water and headed off. I crossed over the Potomac to Maryland and rode along the C&O Canal towpath. It was pleasant for cycling under the tree cover and I was riding at a very leisurely pace. Once I reached Shepherdstown I hit the road and cycled to the Civil War battlefield at Antietam, the bloodiest single day battle in American history. The total ride from Harpers Ferry was about 15 miles with the latter section being quite hilly. 

Antietam is a huge site. I started with a documentary at the visitors centre, then went around the small museum and caught the end of a ranger talk having missed the early part as I was exploring the area nearby. I ate then headed out by bike to see some different areas around the battlefield. There is so much to see and it's very spread out. The number of plaques with detailed information on exact events in the battle is very high too. I took the ranger's advice and only rode the flatter sections including a visit to the Observation Tower for a great view then I needed to start heading back.

I wanted to pop into Shepherdstown on my way back but just as I neared I noticed the back tyre was getting flat so stopped as soon as I reached the edge of town. The tyre was almost off the rim and the inner tube was starting to come out so I stopped just in time. I phoned the shop I'd rented from and they sent someone to pick me up. I'd stopped at Shepherd University so it was easy to describe where I was. I was annoyed not to be able to complete the ride back but at the same time I was already very hot and bothered and quite tired.

I've sat in the shade down by the Potomac for a while, walked back to the hostel via an alternative route and am just chilling for this evening.

Cannon and Dunker Church

Panoramic view of Antietam battlefield

Mumma Farmhouse

In and around Harpers Ferry

Today's been really busy which is quite something in such a sleepy town. I woke early and had lovely waffles and fresh fruit for breakfast all prepared by the hostel owner, Laurel. It was very misty out this morning which made for good weather for walking down to the town. I headed to the information centre and got some details from the park rangers there. Harpers Ferry is a National Historic Park and many of the sites are therefore free. I took a short walk along part of the Appalachian Trail which took me up high and past Jefferson Rock and Harper Cemetery. Walking on the trail was very peaceful but you really had to watch your step as it was quite uneven at times and there was a long drop down on one side.

At 11am I headed back to the town centre for a ranger talk about John Brown and the monuments commemorating his actions and various controversies surrounding them. It was really good and gave me a much better idea about the events in the history of Harpers Ferry and the US. I took a wander around some of the many small museums around town, often no more that the downstairs of a house but explaining in very plain terms information about slavery, the Civil War and the history of Harpers Ferry.

After lunch I jumped on the shuttle bus to the nearby visitors centre and took another shuttle from there to Bolivar Heights for a very informative ranger talk about the events of the Civil War in and around Harpers Ferry. Once again this was excellent and I got a lot more out of it than I would have simply by reading about the area. I took a walk on a trail around Murphy-Chambers Farm then caught the shuttle back to the town.

Although I'd done a lot of walking I was ready for more so headed over the Potomac, into Maryland and walked up the Maryland Heights trail. It was quite challenging being very steep at times and quite uneven but I did make it to Overlook Cliff in about 30 minutes although was dripping with sweat when I got there. The view was fantastic and I spent some time by myself up there. I would like to have done the trail which went even higher but I'm not sure my legs would have managed it.

I walked at a slow pace back to the hostel via a grocery store where I picked up food for dinner and since eating have just been sat relaxing chatting to Laurel who popped by and some of the other hostel dwellers.

Jefferson Rock

John Brown's Fort

Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights

Georgetown and arrival in Harpers Ferry

This morning I checked out of my hostel but left my bag there in storage and walked down to Union Station to pick up my train and bus tickets. It was overcast but still humid and I did get walm pretty quickly especially given I had my day pack filled with things I'd have usually left in a locker. 

I took a snaking route from the station back towards the hostel and caught the Circulator bus for a dollar out to Georgetown. It was a very nice area to walk around and when I got off the main streets with the usual big name stores found I was in some lovely residential areas. I walked up to and around Georgetown University where some of the students were already returning back and then wandered down and through Waterfront Park on the Potomac River.

I went on the bus back to my hostel, had something to eat then walked to the station to catch the train to Harpers Ferry. It only took an hour to get here then I had a 25 minute walk, much of it uphill to get to my hostel. This evening I've been back into the town for a proper look around and to get something to eat. The town is quite tiny yet steeped in Civil War history and is on the Appalachian Trail so there are lots of hikers here. I'll pop to the visitors centre in the morning so I can best figure how to fill my two days here.

Georgetown University

Georgetown houses

Teahorse Hostel, Harpers Ferry

Dupont Circle, Football and Museums

I started my day with a walk to Duport Circle. It rained on my way there but not too heavily and it helped make the walk a bit cooler. There wasn't that much to see or do there but my main aim in that area was to find the Lucky Bar where the DC Armoury Arsenal supporters club watch the games. The bar was pretty busy as it was showing all the UK 3pm kick offs and only got busier as the start of the Arsenal game neared. I grabbed something to eat before kick off and was glad I got there early to secure a seat at the bar. The game was very tense as we went 2-0 down before half time. The bar erupted when we finally scored and went mad when we equalised in the last minute for the game to finish Everton 2-2 Arsenal. I hope to be back there for the Besiktas game next week.

When I left the bar it was raining quite heavily so I jumped on the subway and headed to The Mall to take a look around the National Museum of Natural History. It was very interesting but absolutely packed and I did feel overloaded with information again. After some time in there I moved just down the street to the National Museum of American History. It was really neat to see the original Star-Spangled Banner and I also really enjoyed the exhibits on the American Presidency and America at War. They have so much to see there and I'd love to have more time to see all the other exhibits on offer.

It had stopped raining by the time I left there just after 7pm so I had a leisurely stroll back to the hostel. I've eaten and I'm almost packed but need to figure out what to see and do tomorrow once I've checked out. My train doesn't leave until the afternoon so I've got plenty of time to see more of Washington.

Dupont Circle fountain

Heurich House

 

Everton vs Arsenal, Lucky Bar

Museum visits

I headed down to The Mall again today. It was less hot but still quite humid and I fancied a day with less walking. I started by visiting the United States Botanic Garden. It was very interesting and well organised with plenty of information about the different plants on show. It rained when I was in there but not very heavily. From there I walked the short distance to the National Museum of the American Indian. It was absolutely huge with so much information throughout the different exhibits. It certainly explained a lot about the different tribes and vast variety of native American people. I think I had information overload as I couldn't take it all in after a while.

After some lunch I moved onto the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I was lucky enough to join a 2 hour guided tour which had just started. The guide was very informative about a number of the exhibits which really do represent nearly all aspects of air and space history. I took a quick walk back over a few of the exhibits once the tour was over but had seen plenty already.

Finally I went over to the National Gallery of Art. It was only open for another hour when I got there but I managed to see plenty including lots of paintings by Cézanne, Monet, and Van Gogh. I sat in their Sculpture Garden next door when the gallery had closed and then headed back to the hostel. I was feeling pretty exhausted but having eaten I've now woken up a bit. I still don't think I'll do anything tonight though. Maybe I'll go up to the roof garden here and read for a while. I've still got a couple of more days here to see what else there is.

United States Botanic Garden

Apollo Lunar Module, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Roy Lichtenstein - House I, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

The Mall and Baseball

I've had a long day out in very hot and humid weather. I slept heavily but woke early and it took me a while to get going. I wandered to the Capitol Building and then headed along The Mall. I got as far as the Washington Monument but you need to queue very early for a ticket to go up it and they are limited in numbers so I passed on that. I circled around the White House and then was back on to The Mall heading through the World War II Memorial, along the Reflecting Pool and up to the Lincoln Memorial. I took a look around the small but informative exhibit at the latter then walked on past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

I'd spotted that Washington Nationals were playing an afternoon game against Arizona Diamondbacks so I took the subway to Nationals Park and managed to pick up a very reasonably priced ticket. I got a free bobblehead upon entry and got yet another souvenir cup for my collection. It rained during the game but it wasn't too heavy and was actually quite nice as it helped me keep cool. The game itself was tight but the Nationals always looked like scoring and twice had the bases loaded but were unable to convert. There was no score going into the last innings but the Nationals picked up a walk-off thanks to a fielding error. It was their 10th win in a row.

I caught the Circulator bus back to Union Station and went to the supermarket so I'm fully stocked up for my time here. I ate pretty late and I'm tired out so ready for a good night's sleep and further exploring tomorrow.

Capitol Building

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks

Arrival in Washington DC

It's been a long day and I'm now all settled into my new hostel in Washington DC. I got up at 6am so Tammy could take me to the park and ride to catch a bus to Charlotte. I had time there to relax with a coffee before taking the tram out to another park and ride to get the Megabus. It was delayed arriving by 15 minutes and there were plenty of us waiting there for it in the sun.

For the first 3 hours of the journey I had two seats to myself and where I thought I'd be tired and need to sleep found I was actually quite awake so I read up on things to do in Washington and played around online despite temperamental wifi. The bus really filled up at Durham but then emptied out a little at Richmond. We finally arrived in just after 6.30pm, about 45 minutes late. Towards the end of the journey we hit a really heavy thunderstorm and the rain was pouring down. Thankfully it stopped before we reached our destination.

I've lucked out with my hostel which is just 15 minutes from the station in an upmarket area. There are bars and restaurants around the corner and also a huge 24 hour supermarket. It's close to the Capitol Building with easy access to the other main sights. The receptionist was very welcoming and they have a very neat roof garden. The only strange thing is that you're not allowed to wear shoes around the hostel. They actually have hotel style slippers you can use if you don't want to walk around in socks or be barefoot.

I'll probably have an early night then plan what to do in the morning. Some rain is forecast over the next few days so I may be spending time inside at some of the many museums on offer. I've done the big sights on a previous visit so I'm not fussed if I have to miss seeing them again in order to stay dry.

Capital View Hostel, Washington DC

Best laid plans

Last night I just couldn't get to sleep as I was stressed about the remaining planning for the next part of my trip and my mind was racing with ideas. When I woke this morning I decided I'd have to ditch my plans to reach Denver and Vancouver and now think I'll be heading to Canada sooner and sticking to the area between Toronto and Montreal whilst I'm there.

As a result of not sleeping properly my mind wasn't working and my stomach also felt poorly so I elected to stay around the house this morning then ventured out at the same time as Tammy went to work,  grabbed a drink and went to wait for the bus to the city to watch the football. I had to change to the tram in the city but got to the Big Ben Pub, home to the Queen City Gooners with plenty of time to spare. I was the first fan there and it was quiet with it being a weekday afternoon but a few more fans did drift in. I had something to eat during the poor game, Besiktas 0-0 Arsenal and at least the food made me feel a bit better. 

It poured with rain when the match was on but thankfully had stopped by the time I came to head to the bus which I just managed to catch saving me time getting to the house in the rush hour traffic. I did some further trip planning and late in the evening started my packing. I've got a long day of travelling ahead of me.

Big Ben Pub

Exploring Charlotte

Today I ventured on the bus into Charlotte. Tammy dropped me at the nearby park and ride just when a bus was scheduled but only one came through which I thought was headed north, not south so I ended up waiting for an hour. At least I was in the shade as it started to get sunnier after an early morning shower.

Charlotte really is a lot smaller than I imagined. I found a visitor centre and got some maps but didn't need to refer to them much. I visited the main parks; The Green, Fourth Ward Park and Romare Bearden Park and had a delicious burger for lunch at the 7th Street Public Market. It really had started to hot up and I'd been in the city walking for a fair amount of time so I made my way back to the City Transit Centre only to find after a while looking around that although timetabled to leave from there the bus actually left from two blocks away. The journey home was quick as I got out before rush hour and I worked up a good sweat walking from the park and ride back to the house.

This evening I spent time on my tablet then Tammy's laptop booking up some of the next stages of my trip. I'm getting there (just).

The Green

Niki de Saint Phalle - The Firebird, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Fourth Ward Park

Lazy Sunday

It has been a frustrating day. I woke up very early so got up, had breakfast then sat on Tim's laptop trying to work on my travel plans. Although Amtrak is the nicer way to travel it certainly isn't as convenient as the Greyhound with not all the country covered and some less than ideal schedules. Then I looked at places to travel to from here and could either get to them but not find anywhere to stay or the other way around. I took another in depth look this evening after Tim and Tammy had both gone to bed and am slowly starting to get there with the planning.

I went out with Tim to Davidson, a local town for a walk early this afternoon. It didn't have a lot to offer but did have a quite pretty old university campus. It seems odd that such a relatively small place would host a large educational institution. You've got to wonder what the students do with their time off. We stopped for coffee in the village on the way back and have just been hanging out at the house for the rest of that day.

We went past the park and ride earlier where the buses go from to Charlotte so tomorrow and on Tuesday I plan to head into the city to explore. Tim's off to visit family in Canada and Tammy will be working so it's my best opportunity to take a look around.

With Tim

Easy Saturday

Today was taken at a very slow pace. I was up early with Tim to go to a cars and coffee meet up and we took his neighbours 1963 Corvette Sting Ray. Such a nice car and so noisy. There weren't that many people there so we weren't out for very long. 

Tammy made some Belgian waffles and then it was nearly time for the football to kick off and I was able to watch the Arsenal vs Crystal Palace game on NBC although there was no match build up and very little analysis at half time or after. We won (just) so that made for a good start to the Premier League season. 

I've been around the house most of the day. It felt very hot out to me and I'm nursing a lot of insect bites from last night. My laundry has been done and I've been looking into the option of getting a 30 day Amtrak pass for continuation of my travel. I need to understand just what is covered by it and then will finalise my planning as I'd like to head off on Wednesday and have my next few ports of call sorted by that time. After dinner we went out to the village for ice cream. It was very nice but I think I got bitten a fair few more times.

1963 Corvette Sting Ray

Birkdale Village

Today was spent in and around Birkdale Village, 10 minutes walk from Tim and Tammy's house. After a Skype chat with Mum and Dad this morning I headed into the village and left Tim mowing the lawn. The village feels almost fake as it's so new. The centre is well equipt with lots of different stores including big brands and even a cinema. After a quick walk around I headed to get a coffee and waited for Tim to come and find me.

When we met up we went to a bar with a barbers inside (very unique) so he could get his hair cut and we played some games of shuffleboard. Such a simple yet fiendishly difficult game. We headed out of the village to Target to grab some shopping then back to the house for a snack and to wait for Tammy to finish work.

After we ate supper Tim and I headed back to the bar to meet up with some of his friends and to play more shuffleboard and have only just gotten home. A fun night out in a surprising buzzing bar.

Birkdale Village

Arrival in Charlotte

I'm so tired. The trip to Charlotte really took it out of me. I left Baltimore on the bus at 10pm, had a 2 hour layover in Richmond at 1.30am then arrived in the city just before 10am. I slept a fair bit on the second bus but it was full so there wasn't any room to spread out.

Just after I arrived my cousin Tim turned up to pick me up and we drove the short distance back to his house in Huntersville. Tammy, his wife was home and after I'd taken a much needed shower and had some breakfast we drove her to work, took a quick look around town, went grocery shopping then came back to the house for some lunch.

In the middle of the afternoon we headed out to go see friends of Tim's who work at two workshops refurbishing old Jaguar and Porsche cars. We spent a fair amount of time there with Tim catching up and looking at some great old cars in various states of repair. We came back to the house in time for tea and I've spent a lot of the evening watching TV. Now my head is definitely ready for bed.

Tim and Tammy's House, Huntersville

Mount Vernon, Walters Art Museum and more

It's been bright, sunny and breezy which made for a very pleasant day. A huge change from yesterday. I woke up very early so got up, showered, had breakfast, packed my things and sat on the patio with my trainers and boots drying in the sun. They were dry enough to pack by the time I needed to check out, 11am. I left my bag in storage and took the Circulator bus out to the railway station then walked back towards the hostel through Mount Vernon. There certainly is plenty to see and lots of history on the streets. I went into the Walters Art Museum where I spent a long time looking at the eclectic selection of paintings and artifacts. It reminded me in many ways of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

After lunch at the hostel I walked to City Hall and got the Circulator bus from nearby which I rode around Federal Hill then walked a short distance to look at the American Visionary Art Museum and its sculpture garden (although I didn't actually go inside the museum). I rode the Circulator bus all the way out to Fort McHenry where I had another quick stop then rode the bus back to the very neat Harbour Connector water taxi service. That dropped me at Harbour East and from there I walked back to the hostel grabbing snacks for my trip and something to eat tonight on the way.

I need to find out how best to get to the Greyhound station. It doesn't look far but with my bag I'd prefer to get a bus. I want to be there early enough but not too early for my bus which leaves just after 10pm. I've got a 2 hour stop in Richmond at 1.30am and should arrive in Charlotte about 10am. Hopefully I can sleep at least a few hours along the way.

City Hall

American Visionary Art Museum

American Visionary Art Museum sculpture garden

Rainy day

There is only one word to describe today and that's wet. I had a very restless night's sleep but woke up once I'd had plenty of coffee and the free pancakes offered by the hostel (mixture supplied for you to make your own). I didn't realise quite how much it was raining when I first headed out and it was still very warm. I went inside the Basilica for a look around and then walked down to Lexington Market. From there I walked to Oriole Park, home of the local baseball team and took a very quick walk around the stadium. It was raining so heavily and I was getting soaked so I ended up coming back up to the hostel. I headed back out across the road to the Basilica for midday mass then to the hostel again to eat some lunch and try and find things to do around town which were inside.

I took the Circulator bus to the east of the city centre and visited the Tattoo Museum. Very unique and interesting whilst also a working tattoo studio. My boots were fairing better than my trainers had in the rain and I was already wet so I decided to stay out and walk to the Civil War Museum. Unfortunately though it wasn't open on a Tuesday (the same was true for two art galleries I could have visited). I took a walk out to Fell's Point but the rain started to get really torrential and eventually I stepped in a puddle which sent water over the top of my boots and soaked my feet. There was nowhere under cover to wait for a Circulator bus so I opted to walk back to the hostel where I took a shower and hung my things up to dry. There is a dryer in the basement which I'll use as soon as it's free. Ironically the rain stopped about 5pm but I won't be heading out again. I had wanted to get a ticket for tonight's baseball game but that actually got postponed so it's a good thing I didn't. There's a movie night at the hostel and I want to get my clothes dry and hope for better weather tomorrow as I have all day to explore before my bus leaves for Charlotte.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore

Today started out at a leisurely pace as I had little to do in Philadelphia except pack. I made one quick trip to the bakery for travel snacks then headed out at 10.30am for my bus. The journey to Baltimore was quicker than expected. I did a bit of reading onboard and sent a couple of e-mails but it really was quite a short trip. The oddities of Megabus meant we were dropped off someway outside the city at a huge shopping complex. I was prepared for this but still had to ask someone exactly where to get the bus from to the city centre. The bus took ages to come and it was quite a long trip through some desirable and some less desirable neighbourhoods. I saw plenty of boarded up rowhouses which could well have been where The Wire was filmed.

I arrived at my hostel just as it was time to check in, 3.30pm. It's a very nice building in a central location right opposite the Basilica. After taking time to settle and survey a map I walked down to the harbour and up to Federal Hill Park which gave a great view. I walked back down and around the harbour looking at all the historical ships and boats. You can see a lot of investment has gone into the area and there were plenty of other tourists wandering around and a huge visitors centre. I made my way back up to and past the hostel to the nearest supermarket and stocked up on supplies for my time here then came back and cooked.

The Downtown area and main sites seem quite compact so I should be able to see a lot within walking distance. They also have a free bus, the Charm City Circulator which runs on various central routes and should get me to whatever I want to see. I need to bury my head in the maps and leaflets I picked up to work out exactly where I should be going to during my time here.

HI Hostel, Baltimore

Harbour and Downtown

Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse

Community Shield, South Street and Tori Amos

I had an early start as I had to get to the Misconduct Tavern by 10am for the kick off of the Community Shield which I was watching with the Arsenal Philadelphia supporters club. They were most welcoming and quite dedicated (my photo doesn't do justice to how busy it was). I sat at the bar and had some interesting conversations with the fans to both sides of me. It was a good game and the 3-0 result was of course most pleasing. Hopefully it'll be the springboard for a successful season.

I'd noticed earlier that Tori Amos was playing at the Kimmel Center just around the corner in the evening. I would have been really annoyed if I'd have missed that concert and was lucky enough to find that there were still some tickets available for under $50. After getting my ticket I walked to Penn's Landing on the Delaware River. On the way there I bumped into my tour guide from yesterday taking another group around. On the riverside I stumbled into Bassmaster event. There was plenty of fishing equipment and even boats to be had alongside the fishing competition.

I walked on and down to South Street. I took more of it in today and checked out some of the stores. From there I walked down to the Italian Market again and back around and up to South Street to look at the stores on the other side of the road. I was starting to flag so got the subway back to the apartment to put my feet up and have something to eat.

The Kimmel Center is a fantastic building and Tori did, as always put in a magnificent performance. She played a quite different set from that I saw in London some months back. The only thing which spoilt it were a couple sporadically chatting next to me which meant I struggled to get fully into the concert until quite some time had passed. I did try and ask them to quieten down but was somewhat distracted.

I do like Philadelphia and feel I've discovered a lot more of it on this trip than on previous visits here. Tomorrow I move from here onto Baltimore.

Watching the Community Shield

At Bassmaster

Tori Amos, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Philly walking tour

It's been a long, hot day but I've certainly seen a fair bit of Philadelphia. My morning started with doughnuts and coffee from the bakery across the street. I took a look for things to do in the city and found a free walking tour. I made my way on the subway to the Old City and just caught the tour group before they started out. The tour was an epic 4.5 hours long including a lunch break and went about 4 miles so there was a fair amount of stopping and starting along the way and loads of insightful details. Our guide was quite amusing with plenty of funny tales. We took in such sites/locations as Society Hill, St Peter's Church, Magic Gardens, Italian Market, Gayborhood and JFK Plaza. The tour didn't take in some of the typical sites which was definitely a good thing as I discovered parts of the city I wouldn't have otherwise known about.

When we finished at Reading Terminal Market I think everyone was pretty tired. I walked back to the Italian Market where I brought some fruit and veg to last for the next couple of days. It was super cheap compared to the supermarkets. I kept walking all the way back to the apartment where I immediately started cooking and hydrating. It's a little less humid here but still very warm.

This evening I met up with Andrea again and we went to a dive bar in the city centre. Very good to see her and get to chat some more and nice to have someone to go out with.

City Hall

St Peter's Church

Magic Garden

With Andrea