Southbound__Almost!

our last morning in Baltimore and while it's still windy and chilly here in the aftermath of Sandy, we were spared the brunt of the hurricane that caused so much damage in so many areas. There are many things I've come to appreciate about Baltimore, but one at the top of my list right now is the protection the inner harbor offers in storms such as Sandy.

We did see lots of wind, with gusts of perhaps 50- 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain which came with a big chill down. While friends reported balmy temps in Boston much of the week, we haven't been much above 55 degrees here since Sunday. But we were safe throughout the storm, for which I was especially thankful as I was here on the boat without Paul who was away in Florida (what's wrong with this picture) at a long planned business meeting. My intrepid friend, who had scheduled a visit long before seeing a weather forecast, did not cancel and we rode out the storm together with lots of catching up, laughter and good meals. There were so many things here that I wanted to share with her, but we felt lucky that we could doll up in foul weather gear and hurry over to the hotel health club a block away!

Inner Harbor Marina from Federal Hill Park

I've been collecting some photos of things we've seen and done here and I'll start with the shot of our marina from the park across the road. We're near the center of the picture and if you can find the green hull, you've found Carry On!

Another thing we love about our urban experience is how easy it is to get around. The free hybrid buses run in a half dozen routes all over the downtown area every 15 minutes and they are a delight: clean, no graffiti and very quiet. In fact the whole city downtown is immaculate, a fact of pride for the city __Salem could learn a lesson or two.

Fort McHenry

If you remember your history better than I do, you'll know that Baltimore is home to Fort McHenry. The overnight onslaught of the British which was successfully held off by the local militia was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's Oh Say Can You See. It actually had a few revisions along the way to produce what we all so immediately identify as our National Anthem. 

Baltimore is also the home of Edgar Allen Poe, which you probably would easily guess from all the purple jersey- wearing Ravens fans seen on game days.

At Ease on the Mess Deck

There are five historical ships
here in the inner harbor open for visiting. We toured the submarine Torsk and the Coast Guard Cutter Taney which was in Pearl Harbor and served for over 40 years after that. There's also the Constellation, a sister ship to the Constitution, our Boston institution.

Washington Monument in Mt Vernon

Our favorite neighborhood is Mount Vernon, home of the    Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute (a well respected music conservatory), the symphony and theatre venues. It's a lovely place to walk, even on a drizzly day, with beautiful newer, elegant row houses and condos, restaurants and a few small shops

The "Bus" at American Visionary Art Museum

And last, but not least, the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewel of a museum showcasing the work of self taught artists, sometimes called outsider art. The wonderful bus at right is just one feature of the outdoor works, a wonderfully whimsical mirrored mosaic with reflector lights, bits of ceramic and the odd plaster bunny and swan!

There are still things here that we didn't quite get around to doing, but it's time to move. It's getting cold and there's a reason people who live on boats go south for the winter. But before we get seriously on the move, we'll go to Solomons, MD, to see our boat guru Scotty for those few things we'd like him to do. Tonight we'll be on an anchor near Annapolis and I'll be encouraging Bubba to cuddle closer in my berth__Brrrr.