Days 127-129: Maryland & Virginia

by | March 2015 | 0 comments

Day 127 (10/5/14): Baltimore, MD | Annapolis, MD

While driving to our campground in College Park, MD, we passed by Baltimore. Our friend Susan from Lake Michigan had told us she was surprised by how much she enjoyed Baltimore. Based on her recommendation, we decided to go back and actually experience the city of Baltimore. When we first entered the downtown area from the west, I won’t lie, it was pretty sketchy. Many of the businesses were closed, and it appeared as though there were quite a few homeless people inhabiting the sidewalks. But despite the negative vibe we were feeling, we were determined to find the Baltimore our friend Susan must have been referring to. We kept exploring and eventually reached the water of the Inner Harbor seaport of Chesapeake Bay.

This must be the area Susan had seen! The Inner Harbor seemed like a more upscale area with hotels, numerous shops and several restaurants on the water. This must be where Baltimore got the nickname “Charm City.” The neighborhoods surrounding the Inner Harbor were rather charming and had some personality with numerous brick buildings. The Federal Hill neighborhood just south of the Inner Harbor had a small town feel to it. There was also a quaint Little Italy section proudly displaying its Italian colors. Apparently, Baltimore has some nice pockets. We’re glad we didn’t let our unfavorable first impression deter us from venturing through more of the city!

Once we felt that we had seen a enough of Baltimore, we decided that we wanted to get a better look at Chesapeake Bay. Since it was still early in the day, we drove further southeast to Annapolis, MD. What a pleasant surprise! We loved the small seaside town overflowing with character. And we happened to be there on the right day because there was a First Sunday Arts Festival! A street was closed off for the street fair to make room for all the artsy vendors. There were also sidewalk cafes, live music and lots of dogs walking around with their humans (there was even a goat!). The sidewalks were filled with people strolling to and from all the restaurants and shops along the one-way Main Street heading down to the water. Annapolis seemed to be very dog-friendly and was such a lively, quaint coastal town.


Day 128 (10/6/14): College Park, MD | Richmond, VA

Virginia SignOur time in Maryland was well spent, and we were ready to move on. Soon Maryland was in our rear-view mirror as we traveled south to Richmond, VA. We were enjoying the short drives between the smaller Eastern states, especially with how worn out we had been lately. Between all the walking and sightseeing in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., we were exhausted from being on the go so much. Luckily we arrived at our campground early, which allowed us to spend the rest of the day unwinding with some much needed relaxation.

 

Day 129 (10/7/14): Richmond, VA

Time for another oil change. After putting over 23,000 miles on our truck, this is our 3rd oil change in the 4 months we’ve been on the road. Once the oil change was completed at the GMC dealership in Richmond, VA, we ventured into downtown Richmond. The town seemed quiet. There weren’t any skyscrapers, but the colorful buildings created a somewhat funky edge.

Past the downtown, we crossed the James River. The service guy guy at the GMC dealership warned us that the area south of the River could be rough, and we saw what he meant. I would classify Richmond as a “small big city,” which might be what we’re looking for size-wise. However, Richmond seems rather industrial and doesn’t have the vibe we’re looking for. We want it to feel right. I guess we’re waiting for the “ah-ha” moment to hit when we reach a city.

Follow Next Destination Unknown on Pinterest

Affiliate Disclosure

This post may contain affiliate links or links to Amazon. If you choose to purchase anything through these links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me and my blog. Youโ€™re the best! See the full disclosure for details.

Join the Free Blog Launch Course and learn how to start a blog in just 7 days!

Let’s Connect!

Briana Nickas of Next Destination Unknown

Behind the Blog

Hey there! I’m Briana, a blogger, hiker, traveller, RVer, photo-taker, and National Parks lover who is passionate about exploring the great outdoors while practicing clean living for a healthier lifestyle to continue doing the things I live for. My goal is to inspire others to live a life focused on wellbeing and wandering. Join me!

READ MORE

Top Blog Categories

RVing

RVing

Blogging with Next Destination Unknown

Blogging

A Few of My Faves…

1

RAKUTEN

Get cash back on your purchases through Rakuten for free! This is seriously one of my favorite things in life!


2

SITEGROUND

Reliable hosting for your self-hosted WordPress website is a must! SiteGround is not only reliable, but it's also affordable!


3

DIVI THEME

If you want to design a custom WordPress website without having to know code, the Divi Theme is the way to go!


4

WP ROCKET

Boo for slow websites! Does your WordPress blog need a major site speed boost? You need the WP Rocket plugin!


5

MAILERLITE

For an affordable yet customizable email marketing service, MailerLite is my go-to choice!

Powered by…

Divi WordPress Theme
WP Rocket - WordPress Caching Plugin

Earn Cash Back

Get Cash Back with Rakuten!

Go Natural

Try natural skincare with 10% off Primally Pure!

Use code NDU10 for 10% off EVERY Primally Pure purchase!

Go Shopping

Get What You Need from Amazon!

Try RVing

Blogging Tools I use, LOVE, and highly recommend:

  • SITEGROUND I use SiteGround as my web hosting provider for this self-hosted WordPress blog. Their plans are affordable and include must-have features. Learn more about SiteGround and their web hosting plansย HERE.
  • DIVI THEME –ย I love the Divi Theme’s page builder to create a fully customizable website. Plus, it comes with some super handy plugins! Get 10% OFF the Divi Theme HERE.
  • WP ROCKET –ย Site speed is critical for blogs. I use the WP Rocket Plugin in conjunction with my SiteGround hosting and their SG Optimizer plugin for a super fast site. Check out the WP Rocket plugin HERE.
  • CANVAย –ย Canva makes it super easy to design eye-catching graphics and Pins for your blog. Sign up for a FREE Canva account and try Canva Pro FREE for 30 daysย HERE.
  • MAILERLITE – I love using MailerLite to design and send engaging emails to my subscribers.ย Get MailerLite FREE for your first 1,000 email subscribers HERE.

You may also like…

Leave a Comment!

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Treasure Chest of Freebies with Free Resources for Blogging, Travel, RVing, and Hiking

Unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies!

ย 

Sign up for the key to unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies and get your free Travel, RVing, Hiking, Wellbeing, and Blogging resources!

Success! Check your inbox for the key to unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies.