Day 9. Philadelphia – Baltimore: Elfreth’s Alley. Betsy House. Independence Hall. Edgar Allen Poe’s Grave. McDonald’s. [HI Baltimore]
Today was touristy. I pretty much walked past a bunch of attractions without actually spending any time at any of them.
History in Philly
I woke up at 10 am and had the pumpkin pie from Beiler’s Bakery for breakfast. Then I headed out with all my luggage at 11 am. It was a sore bringing so much stuff with me, but time was tight, so I thought I’d better get going.
First stop was Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited street in the States. It was just a block away from my hostel. Another block away was Betsy Ross House, the birthplace of the American flag. There is a museum there I didn’t visit. Might be fun.
Then there were a lot of famous places two blocks west: National Constitution Center, Independence Visitor Center, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall. The line to see Liberty Bell was ridiculously long, so I didn’t join the crowd. I think I caught a glimpse of it from the outside though.
Shortly after, I went to the bus station.
Checking In
The bus ($16.50 including fees) was a bit delayed, and I arrived in Baltimore around 3:35 pm. With my luggage, I simply couldn’t walk the 2 miles to my hostel. I called lyft ($8.38 excluding tips).
While checking in to HI Baltimore ($30.03 for 1 night), the girl at the front desk did some friendly talking. She told me that there is a communal bus that goes to DC for $8. Too bad I already booked mine from Greyhound. She also asked my major in school, and when I told her, she excitedly held out her fist for a dap (vertical fist bump), stating that she majors (majored?) in engineering as well, IE. Of course I returned her dap, trying to look unfazed. Just so you know, my current Audible book is Articulate While Black, and I think I am still listening to the chapter that talks about fist bumps and black culture.
The common area of HI Baltimore is nice. Other parts of the building are rather … let’s just say they fit in with the overall scene of Baltimore.
Literature in Baltimore
I have always wanted to read works of Edgar Allan Poe, and for some unknown reasons, I haven’t. Yet. Edgar Allan Poe Historic Site is in Philly, but I didn’t have time to visit. It also seemed to be closed due to government shutdown.
One of the reasons I decided to spend the night in Baltimore was because of Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave and House & Museum. Still unsure if I would be able to fit the museum into my schedule tomorrow, I went to his grave while I could.
It was located in the burying ground of Westminster Hall, and since I went there after 5 pm, it was a bit spooky. Just a bit. Now I really have to read his works.
Then there was my uninteresting dinner at McDonald’s ($5.30 including tax). I went back to my hostel at 7 pm, had some lemon tin bread from Beiler’s, and decided to call it a night.
My dinner. 
My dessert.
Summary
Being a full-time tourist of attraction-hopping was rather overwhelming. I guess that is what I get for sleeping too much and visiting too many cities.
