Michelle and Genetta got off to a very early start and had breakfast and headed to the Baltimore Convention Center to register and see how Genetta’s team mates were doing with their bouts. Addison and I slept in, with me switching to the more comfortable bed that the ladies abandoned earlier in the day — much to the happiness of my back.
Addison and I awoke after 10a but, as I didn’t feel well, we were not quick to leave. Michelle and Genetta headed back to the hotel and grabbed her fencing bag and then went back to the convention center to get her equipment inspected and approved. Once they returned I was feeling a little — but not much — better and we headed off to the Inner Harbor for some food and to see some sights.
Baltimore Convention Center, site of the US Junior Olympic fencing tryouts
Pratt Street Pub with really neat blue and gold styling
Wow at the cold. As the temperature was in the low 30s I’d obviously felt colder. It was the howling wind, amplified by the very tall buildings that made it downright brutal. I even wore long pants! We did take the time, however, to admire an organic mural (made of grass and other stuff) on the side of one of the buildings.
Organic mural on the side of the PNC building
I took some pictures of the USS Constellation docked at the pier. What a gorgeous ship. She was built in the 1850s and served for 100 years (including the Civil War) before sailing to Baltimore after being decommissioned. There was a deal of confusion over whether the ship was the original USS Constellation built in 1797 (and the second of the US Navy’s first six frigates) until 1999 when it was proven that the original was broken up in the early 1850s and the one in Baltimore was built in its design from some of the original timber.
USS Constellation, built in the 1850s
We ate at M&S Grill right near the ship. I had a turkey Cobb salad that was quite good. Michelle had a shrimp cocktail with humongous shrimp, Genetta some chicken and linguine, and Addison a burger and fries. While we were there a pretty nice snow shower came on shore. Though it didn’t accumulate to speak of it was quite beautiful.
Hillside celebrating the Superbowl XLVII champions Baltimore Ravens
We next headed to the National Aquarium as it was only 2p and it doesn’t close until 5p. Unfortunately, however, it turns out that they only admit on busy days at certain times and the time for us would be 4:15p. As cool as I’m sure the place was, paying $30 a head for 45 minutes just wasn’t worth it. We opted instead to take some pictures of the other sights of the Inner Harbor including the Power Plant, the light boat Chesapeake, the submarine USS Torsk, and a Coast Guard cutter. Addison noticed that the water was starting to freeze (in the calmer areas only, of course). There was also a Domino Sugars plant across the harbor that reminded me of the similar plant on the Mississippi that I photographed last year — I just had to take a photo. World Trade Center has a building in Baltimore as well and in front was on display a girder from New York’s destroyed WTC buildings.
The National Aquarium, Chesapeake light boat, and USS Torsk
USS Torsk and the National Aquarium at Baltimore's Inner Harbor
Domino Sugars plant, Baltimore
"We come from the land of ice and snow!", paddle boats in the Inner Harbor
September 11th girder at the World Trade Center, Baltimore
Chesapeake light boat, Inner Harbor
Phillips restaurant and the Power Plant, Inner Harbor
On the way to the convention center we stopped at Panera Bread to get some bagels for Genetta to eat tomorrow if she got hungry while competing as well as some hot chocolate for Michelle and Addison. The way back to the convention center was so very cold as we were facing the wind. Once there we resolved not to leave for a bit and enjoyed watching some of the competition, including the men’s epee semifinals and finals as well as one of Genetta’s team mates in the women’s foil.
Check-in at the USA Fencing Junior Olympics tryouts
Some fencing
Fencing lunge, wish I had a higher speed camera!
Genetta stayed with her coach and team for a team dinner while the rest of us headed back to the hotel for a little bit of rest. On the way out of the convention center we saw some model ships including one used in filming Ben-Hur. Across from the hotel we were waiting to cross when an obviously drunk older man stumbled on to the curb in front of us. We asked if he was OK and a policeman on patrol in his car saw the situation and came to assist him. It wouldn’t have taken long in that cold for him to freeze.
Scale model ship (a trireme) used while filming "Ben Hur"
Baltimore downtown as seen from the convention center
Baltimore mass transit
Bromo Seltzer!
As none of us particularly wanted to head back out into the cold we decided to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. It wasn’t bad, a little pricey, but honestly not too much so. I had the Asian Chicken salad, Michelle a roast beef panini, and Addison some chicken fingers.
Afterwards we stopped by the hotel’s coffee shop and got strawberry smoothies and a magnet. Once back in the room Addison watched “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off”, Michelle read the last Wheel of Time book, and I blogged. Genetta returned soon thereafter and apparently had a great time.