Surfing The Channel

When you live in a city that is a well known tourist destination, those off season days become precious.  I lived for a few years in the American summer city of Los Angeles.  Trips to the beach in Santa Monica are what families plan all year long, and while this is a fun and exciting time, my favorite days at the beach came after one year of experiencing the crowds and the chaos that could happen along the Southern California shores.  My most memorable drive on the Pacific Coast Highway happened at dusk, just as an incredible storm was blowing in.  And one of my most memorable days on the boardwalk was having lunch, under an umbrella, with the grey-blue sky and water raging, and the rain pouring down in the middle of winter.

This is true as well, for the residents of the city of Baltimore, Maryland.  Restaurant options and hotels open up, offering deals for the locals who are looking for a bit of a mini-vacation.  The lines at the restaurants at the harbor disappear, the museums and the farmers markets are less crowded, this is a time when the residents are able to fully enjoy and appreciate the city.  The Baltimore Aquarium offers discounted admission prices, as well as the Maritime Museum, the USS Constellation and the Science Museum Center.

These are known throughout the city as the “Dollar Days” and happen through the winter on Saturdays and Sundays.  While the winter in Baltimore can involve massive snow storms and the much feared “Nor’easter”, this is not an everyday occurrence and the winter temperatures, while cold, are not that bad on the whole.  So this is a great time for those outside of the city to come for a visit.  It is also a great time for the locals to be tourists in their own town.  More time to explore, and less people to manage while doing that exploring.

No related posts.