This year, I was lucky to have two people from back home in Texas visit me. The first was one of my good friends from high school, Isabel. I showed her around campus, and she showed me around Washington, DC—where she was interning.
A few weeks after that, my sister Olivia came to see me and spent her 23rd birthday in Baltimore. With the help of my friend Danny, we planned what I would call a perfect itinerary that I wanted to share with all of you!
Day 0: Arrive in Baltimore
Olivia got in late, so we decided to hang out in a classroom on campus. Hopkins Café is open ‘til midnight, and I had some meal swipes to use up, so we got some tacos. That was when I learned she doesn’t like guacamole or tomatoes—how is that even possible??? We talked about our plans, and Danny made us a fantastic list of things to do around Baltimore and DC. After that, we both got some work done before bed.
Day 1: Peabody, Pratt, and Campus Tour
Since Olivia had to work remotely, we set out to find the best study spot. In my opinion, nothing beats Peabody Library in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, especially when the campus buses take us directly there for free. Unfortunately, we got there a little bit before they closed, so we walked down the road to the Enoch Pratt Free Library. I had been wanting to study there for a while, and it didn’t disappoint!
After that, we walked to Cinnaholic, a gourmet cinnamon roll place that was featured on “Shark Tank.” We ate our 10/10 cinnamon roll, then I gave her a tour of campus. Finally, we ended up at Levering Kitchens, where we both got burrito bowls. Olivia was shocked at how nice our dining staff are— and they are! We ended the night eating dinner and watching TV in an empty classroom on campus—what I would call the most underrated activity here.
Day 2: Orioles Game & Fell’s Point
Today was the big birthday, so we had to make it a good one. We started the day by going to an Orioles game. Although the Orioles lost and we got awful sunburns, it was still really fun!
After that, we went to Fell’s Point, a historic waterfront neighborhood, to try a place called Abbey Burger. I got the Baltimore Burger because I wanted to try the Maryland-style crab dip on it, and it was pretty good!
Then, we went back to campus to get cake and ice cream, which we ate on campus in a classroom while we watched TV and played games. I’d call it a successful birthday!
Day 3: Washington, DC
This day felt like the longest, but it was one of my favorites. We woke up early to catch the MARC train to DC. Our first stop? The Signing Starbucks of course! It’s pretty much a must-do when you go to DC.
Next, we went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, followed by the Museum of American History. Both were very good (and free), but I liked the Smithsonian Museum of American History better. I might be biased though because about five minutes in, we saw a spatter head used in the show “Dexter,” and over winter break, we binged all eight seasons because it was so good.
After that, we met up with Danny to go to the International Spy Museum. Since this isn’t part of the Smithsonian, it’s not free, but it was super cool! Every person gets a fake identity and cover mission to complete as they go through the museum. It was cool to learn about the history, gadgets, and communication methods that spies have used. If you’re looking for something extremely interactive, this is your place!
Our last stop was one of my favorites on the whole trip—a Washington Mystics basketball game. None of us had been to a WNBA game before, so we were all excited. There were a ton of people there, and of course we had to make bets on the game so it would be a high-stakes watch. Unfortunately, I lost to Danny, who literally knows nothing about basketball (I’m not proud). Other than that, this was a blast, and I highly recommend it!
Day 4: Miss Shirley’s, Towson Mall, Inner Harbor
The next morning, we went to Miss Shirley’s, a brunch spot near campus. I think this place is fun because it’s been featured on a few different Food Network shows, and it has great reviews. They supposedly have the best pancakes in the country, but I’ll let you guys be the judge!
Our next stop was the Hopkins Bookstore because we couldn’t resist the end-of-year, 50% off sale. We spent soooo much time there but ended up with some great stuff for ourselves and our family.
Now, if there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I absolutely despise cooking but love watching cooking shows. So, when I learned that Duff Goldman’s (a popular chef on the Food Network) first bakery, Charm City Cakes, is literally a five-minute walk away, I knew we had to go. We each got a cake jar in a flavor we’ve never had before and checked out the bakery. The cakes were great and now I can say I’ve been there!
Next, we went to the mall in Towson, a suburb about 20 minutes outside of Baltimore. Thankfully, my sister did all the navigating on this trip or else we probably wouldn’t have made it anywhere. We didn’t buy anything, but this was still a nice, quick walkthrough.
Our last stop of the night was the Inner Harbor. You can’t visit Baltimore without seeing the it. Unless you’re planning to get food or go to the National Aquarium, I think it’s a little overrated. But it’s worth it just to see the city and the water—especially at night.
By the end, we were exhausted, so we went back to my apartment and sat on the floor eating pizza and watching “Kitchen Nightmares” (oh how I love my cooking shows).
Day 5: White Marsh
On our final full day in Baltimore, we decided to go to White Marsh, another suburb outside of the city. Since the Towson Mall didn’t give us our shopping fix, we started at the White Marsh Mall and ended at the Nike Outlet store across the street, buying more items than we probably should’ve.
Spending money makes you hungry, so after that, we went to Texas Roadhouse, followed by Chili’s for dessert. My sister had birthday coupons to use up, and we definitely made the most of those!
We ended the night cleaning up my apartment and getting ready to fly back to Texas the next day.
Day 6: Goodbye Baltimore, Hello Texas
We spent our last day cleaning my apartment and packing all our stuff. Before we left, I told her she had to try THB, an amazing bagel place only a short walk away. As usual, my recommendations were amazing, and she liked it.
After we made it to the airport, we had to continue the party just a little longer, so we ate McDonald’s and watched even more “Kitchen Nightmares” before we flew back to Texas.
I was a little sad to leave, but there’s no better feeling than coming home to my family and seeing all the people I love. Plus, our dog Waffles is always up to something weird, and you know I can’t miss that! After such an amazing visit with my sister and a chance to play tour guide for both her and Isabel earlier this year, I’m even more excited to make the most of my senior year. I’ll see you guys then!
