Weekend No. 2 in Baltimore

Our second visit to Baltimore to visit our friends Allison and Phil was both more and less convenient than our trip last December.

More convenient: The weather. Except for a light drizzle on Saturday, it was sunny and in the upper 60s all weekend-- perfect for taking long walks and exploring.

Less convenient: We couldn't take long walks or explore. Paul ran the Baltimore Marathon Saturday morning, and his legs were shot the entire weekend. So even though the weather was much better than our last visit, we spent little time outside.

We had a great time nonetheless, mostly revolving around food. Paul was obviously famished after running 26.2 miles, so he , Allison and I (Phil was a bit under the weather) went to a nearby sports bar/restaurant and watched the Ohio State-Wisconsin game.

Watching OSU in Baltimore.

As a rough estimate, I would say Paul downed about 10,000 calories while we were there. I bet I'm just slightly exaggerating. A couple of beers. Crab soup. Steak. After finishing his meal, he asked the server for the "appetizer" of fries covered with cheese and bacon, with a side of ranch dressing. I wasn't there when he ordered, but Paul reported that the server incredulously asked if he wanted them to go.

No ma'am.

Phil felt better that evening, so the four of us went to a tapas restaurant at the harbor. Good food, good views, good conversation, and a little flamenco dancing on the side: What more could you ask for? Oh yeah-- sangria. We got that, too.

We went to the cute, 24-hour Towson Diner the next day for brunch before heading back to New York and the real world. Before we left, we pledged that our next visit would be in the spring, when the weather is nice and we'd all be able to walk.

Inner Harbor at night.

Paul Runs the Baltimore Marathon

Trip No. 2 to Baltimore wasn't simply to visit our friends. Paul had business to complete: running the Baltimore Marathon.

Paul finished the 26.2 mile course last Saturday with a time of 4:20:14, about 15 minutes faster than last year at the Columbus Marathon. And the faster time comes despite what he said was a surprisingly uphill course. Who knew Baltimore had hills?

Overall, Paul placed 1,006th out of the 2,023 male marathon runners. Compared to last year, Paul said this year he felt much better much sooner after he crossed the finish line. Even still, he could barely stand.

The race started and ended at Camden Yards, at the Baltimore Orioles' baseball stadium. Our friends Allison and Phil live just north of downtown, so we claimed their foldout couch for the weekend. I dropped off Paul just before the 8 a.m. start.

Unfortunately, the course seemed to make a circle around the starting line, and everywhere I turned to get back to Allison and Phil's seemed to be blocked by the course. The GPS wasn't much help since it continually directed me toward streets that were shut down by the race. What should've been a 20 minute drive turned into 90 minutes.

But one good thing did result from the hassle: I actually saw Paul about a half-hour into the marathon. Traffic was stopped, waiting for the runners to race by. I watched hundreds, maybe thousands, of runners go by when my eyes alighted on Paul. His training paid off. He looked just as strong at the finish line as he did there, at about mile 3 or 4.

Near the finish line. I think Paul is the third runner from the left.

Weekend in Baltimore

This weekend Paul and I finally visited my college roommate Allison and her boyfriend Phil in Baltimore. I say "finally" because Baltimore is only three hours away, and this is the closest we've lived to each other since she graduated.

We were there less than 36 hours, but Allison and Phil gave us a great overview of the city and we can't wait to return. The weekend mostly revolved around food and drinks (I'm not complaining!). I managed to try some type of seafood soup at a restaurant within walking distance of their apartment, pierogis at a cozy Slavic restaurant downtown, and several sips at a winery outside of the city. Paul even tried a few Baltimore brews.

Allison and I at Boordy Vineyards

Michael Phelps lives in Baltimore, so one of the highlights was when a cashier at the winery asked Paul if he knew how much they resemble each other. Then she pointed out Paul to a co-worker or two!

On Sunday, Allison and Phil took us to a fun diner for brunch (think Hot Wheels and plastic army men glued to the wall and dolls hanging from the ceiling fans) followed by a trip to the Inner Harbor. The air was brisk, but the sun was out and the views across the water were beautiful.

I picked up a few brochures while we were there, so I'm getting ready for our next visit!

Phil, Allison & Paul at the Inner Harbor

I've already asked Paul for a ride on a sea monster paddle boat the next time we visit!