Baltimore Road Trip – July 2024

June 29, 2024 – July 11, 2024

A 10-day adventure through through six states and Washington, D.C., catching games at 3 MLB ballparks and five national parks!

Link to Trip Photos

6/29-6/30 Baltimore, Maryland

We flew into the Baltimore airport and picked up a Hyundai Kona from the National Emerald Aisle. We’re headed on a loop around the Northeast to knock some states and ballparks off our list.

Kimpton Monaco (Hotel) – A historic hotel, originally the headquarters of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The suite was a bit dated, but the hotel is beautiful and centrally located. We used the current Kimpton social password to pick up a free drink at check-in. We love Kimpton hotels (IHG Brand).
Lexington Market – A short stroll to this area. The market itself was closed but we walked around the area before the ballgame.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave – We stopped by the grave site at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. I just made the Poe connection with the Ravens football team name…
Babe Ruth Birthplace – Babe Ruth was born near Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1895. We didn’t have time to visit the museum but it was neat to see from the outside.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards – We rearranged our entire itinerary to line up with homes games. This park was one of the first ballpark renovations to adopt a historic vs mega stadium design and has influenced ballpark designs since.
It’s always fun to see the local customs at each park. Some of the memorable ones here are “O” shouted in the middle of the National Anthem, Mr Splash – a guy in the outfield spraying fans nearby with a water hose. Cow hats and moo-ing for Colton Cowser, and LOTs of Orioles Hawaiian shirts. They had a shirt giveaway that night – but we saw lots of other designs.
Jimmy’s Famous Seafood (at Orioles Park) – When in Baltimore – you eat crab cake! We grabbed a sandwich in the park, run by a popular Baltimore restaurant. It was delicious (albeit expensive).
Federal Hill – The next morning we strolled over to the Federal Hill area for a coffee at Morning Mugs Coffee. Lots of cool old rowhouses.
Inner Harbor – We walked along the waterfront and back to our hotel. It’s a touristy area with a cool view of the aquarium and historic ships and even a submarine.

6/30-7/2 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We hit the road as soon as we got back to the hotel in Baltimore, so we cold catch an afternoon game in Philadelphia. The drive is a couple of hours depending on traffic (through Delaware, state #2!).

Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia – We stayed 2 nights at the stylish Kimpton Hotel Palomar near Rittenhouse Square. This iconic park is one of the five original squares planned by William Penn in the 17th century.
Citizens Bank Park – Ballpark #2! We caught a Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. The park is in a large sports complex outside of downtown – so we took a Lyft there and back. We grabbed a cheesesteak at Tony Luke’s in Ashburn Alley (outfield area). The customs here include “Ring the Bell” as a rallying cry and a green furry “Fanatic” mascot that reminds me of the Braves Blooper.
Pietro’s Italian – We popped in to escape the rain and had a delicious margarita pizza for dinner.
Museum District – On Day 2 we laced up our walking shoes, and took off to explore (over 9 miles!). We took photos with the Rocky Statue and ran up the Art Museum steps.
The Barnes Foundation – We took advantage of the Wawa Free Museum Day to view the collection of art, including paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. The modern architecture of the building was a highlight for us.
Reading Terminal Market – We grabbed lunch at this massive food hall at DiNic’s Pork and Beef. Peter got a roast pork sandwich and I grabbed a Pennsylvania Dutch staple, Shoefly Pie.
Independence National Historical Park – We waited in line to see the Liberty Bell (while eating pie) and took photos of Independence Hall. We also stopped at Ben Franklin’s grave site and toured the US Mint nearby, where coins are made.
Donkey’s Place (Camden, New Jersey) – We crossed the river by car for cheesesteak and onion rings for an early dinner. This little dive bar has been serving its signature poppy seed roll cheesesteaks since 1943! So good.

7/2-7/3 – Alexandra, Virginia + Shenandoah National Park

New Castle, Delaware – On the drive towards Alexandria, VA, we made a brief stop in New Castle to see the First State National Historic Park. Nothing was open on a Tuesday, but we strolled around the waterside park and tiny downtown. I wouldn’t recommend this as a stop unless you need to mark Delaware off your list (which we did!)
Annapolis, Maryland – Another quick stop to walk the busy old town area and get a caffeine boost. Cute town!
Washington, D.C./Georgetown – We did some shopping in downtown Georgetown and had a windshield tour of some of the DC sights on the way.
Arlington National Cemetery – Be prepared for a lot of walking if you don’t take the tram! We hiked over to JFK’s eternal flame and RBG’s grave and then up to the Toom of the Unknown Soldier. We watched two wreath-laying ceremonies and the Changing of the Guard.
Alexandria, Virginia – We checked into Lorien Hotel & Spa for the night, and headed across the street for dinner at Indochen Indian Restaurant – which was delicious! After dinner, we strolled down King Street to the Potomac River. Old Town Alexandria has lots of unique shops, historic buildings and people were out enjoying the area.
Shenandoah National Park (Front Royal, VA) – After breakfast in Alexandria, we headed towards the northern park entrance. It’s <1.5 hrs from Alexandria – depending on traffic. Established in 1935, the park is over 200k acres. We drove a large portion of Skyline Drive, the 105-mile scenic roadway that runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had our trusty GPS tour guide along for the ride ($20 from GuideAlong, formerly GyPSy Guide), and we enjoyed stopping at several scenic overlooks, visitor centers and lodges. Fun facts: 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway ends at the South entrance.
River Bluff Farm Bed and Breakfast (New Market, VA) – After the park, we checked into our B&B and headed up to Muse Winery for a flight of wine and flatbread before turning in. Beautiful scenery at both spots!

7/4-7/5 – The Greenbrier + New River Gorge National Park
On the 4th, we left the Shendoah National Park area and headed over to White Sulfer Springs, WV to explore The Greenbrier and stay the night in nearby Lewisburg, WV. We saw our first (live) black bear of the trip, crossing the road in front of us on our way to The Greenbrier. Poor little guy almost got hit by a car – and ran off into the woods before we could grab a photo. The next day we headed over to New River Gorge National Park and up to Morgantown, WV for the night.

The Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia)- A historic luxury resort, developed around the natural sulphur springs in 1778. It became a popular retreat for U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries. The rooms were over $1,000/night for the 4th – so we’re staying nearby! The entire hotel was like a mid-century time capsule designed by Dorothy Draper with bright colors and crazy mismatched patterns.
The Bunker at The Greenbrier – Officially named Project Greek Island, was a top-secret government facility built during the Cold War. Concealed beneath the resort, it was intended to serve as an emergency shelter for members of the United States Congress in the event of a nuclear attack. Its existence remained a secret until it was revealed by a Washington Post article in 1992, after which it was decommissioned. No photos are allowed on the tour and they have lockers to hold phones and purses. It’s a bit pricey ($47pp), but we enjoyed our tour and history lesson.
Lewisburg, WV – We spent the night at the Thomas Rose Inn in the “Coolest Small Town in the US” per readers of Budget Travel in 2011. We enjoyed a great dinner at the Stardust Cafe and breakfast the next morning at Wild Bean coffee shop. Both were great!
New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia) – The 63rd and newest National Park was established in 2000. Fun fact: The park service runs 400+ sites but only 63 have a “National Park” designation. There is chatter about a 64th being named at Ocmulgee in Macon, GA!
New River Gorge Park spans over 70k acres and features the New River – ironically considered one of the oldest rivers in the world. Our first stop was at Sandstone Visitors Center on the South end of the park, before driving up to Grandview for an impressive vista of the river valley.
From there we drove to Thurmond Historic District,
Thurmond Historic District, once a thriving railroad town during the coal boom, now a well-preserved ghost town. And then over to the New River Gorge Bridge, one of the longest single-span arch bridges in the world (876 feet tall). We took Fayette station road down to the bottom of the gorge to see the bridge from below.
A not so fun fact: The park has one of the highest rates of deaths per visitor among national parks in the US – largely due to the challenging terrain and more adventurous activities like rock climbing and whitewater rafting.

7/5-7/7 – Fallingwater & Pittsburgh, PA

Morgantown, WV – A college town along the Monongahela River, home to West Virginia University. We stayed at the historic Hotel Morgan – gorgeous and centrally located. We walked around downtown and down to the river, grabbed dinner, and sampled local beer at a couple of breweries. Chestnut Brew Works was our favorite with a great space with live music. The next morning, we walked over to the Saturday Farmers Market and bought a whole bag of pastries, including “gobs” (aka whoopie pies-yum!).
Fallingwater (Mill Run, Pennsylvania) – An hour from Morgantown is Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous house, completed in 1939. It hovers over a waterfall and is a UNESCO site and National Historic Landmark. We purchased tickets to explore the grounds ($17pp – get tickets in advance if you want a tour of the inside). The visitor’s center blended into the surroundings and had a very cool gift shop. We strolled around the lush grounds and explored several terraces and views of the house. Highly recommended a stop here if you’re in the area.
PNC Park – Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh, PA) – We caught a 4PM game, Pirates vs. Mets, Our 3rd stadium & ballgame of the trip! The stadium has stunning views of the Pittsburgh skyline and the Roberto Clemente Bridge (one of 3 identical bridges in a row). We stayed next door to the stadium at the Residence Inn North Shore. We walked across the bridge to downtown Pittsburgh to eat lunch at Primanti Bros – a local restaurant chain serving sandwiches with the fries IN the sandwich, before heading back over the bridge to catch the game. Dinner was at Bae Bae’s kitchen – a fun Korean restaurant in downtown.
We happened to be here the same time as Anthrocon, the annual furry convention in downtown Pittsburgh. An estimated 15000 furry fans descend each year – so we saw an interesting mix of baseball fans and people in costumes and/or wearing fur tails. Made for some great people watching!

7/7-7/8 State College & Gettysburg, PA

Long driving day on Sunday. We left Pittsburgh and drove across the state, breaking up the drive with stops for ice cream and chocolate at some iconic places. We stayed the night at a countryside resort before ending up back in Baltimore.
It’s been a great trip. We (Peter) drove 1442 miles (37 hours) on our 10 day loop and we checked several states, ballparks and National Parks off our list!

Penn State Berkey Creamery (State College, PA) – One of the oldest university creameries in the U.S. making all kinds of delicious dairy products. I enjoyed a bowl of “Peachy Paterno” ice cream, named after coach Joe Paterno and Peter got a cone piled high with birthday cake ice cream. Fun fact: Ben & Jerry took a $5 Penn State correspondence course on making ice cream before launching Ben and Jerry’s later that year.
Hershey’s Chocolate World (Hershey, PA) – This place was packed on a Sunday! We took the free Chocolate Tour Ride which takes you through a simulated chocolate factory. Then we took a drive through downtown, where the streetlights are shaped like Hershey’s kisses!
Allenberry Resort (Boiling Springs, PA) – A relaxing night in the countryside. We spent time at the pool and sitting by the creek. Not a lot of food options nearby, so we brought grocery store snacks with us.
Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA) – We stopped in the visitors center to grab a map of the tour route. They have great signage that leads you along a 24 mile auto tour route to explore the significant stops in the battlefield. The NPS has an audio tour on their app, but we used one from HereStory Gettysburg Auto Tour ($10). It was a little too detailed if you are not interested in troop formations or have limited time.
G & M Restaurant (Linthicum Heights, Maryland) – Tucked in an unassuming building near BWI airport, this local restaurant is renowned for their jumbo lump crab cakes, often cited as some of the best in Maryland. We split a 2 cake plate and left stuffed! They also ship nationwide if you’ve got a craving for some authentic Maryland crab cakes.

States:

Maryland
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Virginia
West Virginia
Washington D.C.

Parks:

Independence National Historical Park (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
First State National Historical Park (New Castle, Delaware)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (West Virginia)
Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania)