Baltimore offers a lot — even if just there for a night

Baltimore is a city I’ve wanted to explore for a while. I didn’t get to explore as much as I wanted on a trip this past summer (it was for a baseball game, so it was only one night), but the exploration around the area of Camden Yards was interesting and fun.

Here’s a few of the things we did on this short trip.

ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS

I already did my stadium review of Camden Yards, so I won’t do that here. Instead, I want to talk about the stadium tour, which we did the morning after watching a game.

I’ve been on several stadium tours, but this one was a blast.

We had the chance to see the inside and outside of the stadium, explore different parts, and had a chance to meet the groundskeeper, which was pretty cool. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable and made the time go by quickly.

There were plenty of photo opportunities, too, which was nice.

This is definitely one of the best — if not the best — stadium tour I’ve ever taken. It’s always nice to get a view from the back, too. And when you have tour guides who show they actually care, then it’s even better. Well worth the $10 or $11 we paid to go on it.

PRATT STREET ALE HOUSE

After the Orioles game, it was a good time to go find a beer. A couple of blocks from the hotel (and not too far from Camden Yards, either) was the Pratt Street Ale House, a brewpub where Oliver Breweries is brewed and always on tap.

Of course I needed to get a flight of beers to taste a few different ones.

I enjoyed the selection. The bartender who served us was knowledgable about the beers and friendly. The atmosphere was pretty solid, too. I think there were definitely people from the game in there, which was cool.

We didn’t get any food there, though the menu looked good. I think if I was back in the area again for a few days, I’d highly consider going there to taste the food. Definitely a neat little place and one in which I’m glad to have visited.

I also grabbed a growler of one of their beers to bring back to my brother for his birthday.

Good beer, for sure. If there’s a next time at this place, I’d like to try the food.

BABE RUTH BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM

A short hop, skip, and a jump away from Camden, the museum is on a small back street. The house is tiny, but has a lot of great Babe Ruth artifacts.

There wasn’t a ton here, but there was enough for me to enjoy it. I’m a big fan of baseball history, especially when it comes to Babe Ruth, so this was very cool to visit.

In the museum, you get to see rooms and such where Babe has been. There’s also a small gift shop and the artifacts vary from clothes and gloves, to signed balls and bats. It’s definitely worth a side trip.

If you are a baseball fan, this is a must stop.

If you like the Yankees or anything with Babe, it’s an even bigger stop. The best part is there is a trail to the museum from Camden.

PICKLES PUB

Before we left the city, we stopped here for lunch. It’s a stone’s throw from Camden, so I imagine it’s busy on game days as it gets closer to the time the stadium opens (or after).

Places like this are ones I love to visit as the food is usually excellent and the feel and ambiance is even better.

The food was delicious and the prices were solid. I liked that it had the feel — somewhat — of a dive bar, yet still was a good spot. It’s been a bit since I visited there — a few months — so I can’t remember exactly what I had. But I know it had crab on it and I remember it being fantastic.

This would definitely be a stop for me on a return trip.

Overall, this was a fun trip, even if it was only for one night. I’d like to come back to explore some more and catch another game or two.

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