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DISCOVERING SOUTH BALTIMORE

You used to be able to walk out of the BWI Terminal straight into the Rental Car Garage.  Now, you get on a bus.  Hope that you're not in a hurry.  The buses are crowded and lumber on forever through hill and dale before they finally jerk to a stop in front of a total car rental pick-up and return mausoleum.  Hope that you don't have a disability or breathing problem, because you're going to have a way to go to your new chariot dragging all of your stuff behind you.  Oh well, so I don't like change - especially bad change.  What is very convenient for the airport totally sucks for the traveler.  Add a half an hour or more to your trip.

Once at your destination near Linthicum you're ready to discover your new digs.  I always stay at the Residence Inn.  Originally there was only one hotel, the Amerasuites, but now there are dozens of places right there on the hilltop above the airport.  Strangely, what they don't have up on the hill are restaurants.  I'm going to have to tell you where to find food - especially if you get off late in the evening like I do.  I'll also tell you where to get groceries, wine and where to have your dry cleaning and laundry done (the hotels charge way too much). 

LAUNDRY STORY

The Speedy Cleaner at the bottom of the hill on Nursery Road will take care of your cleaning in a day at a fraction of the hotel coast.  But you'll have to pick your order up by 7:00 PM.  I drove down the hill in a blizzard once trying to make the deadline behind line of cars which were all slowing down and swerving on the ice.  It turns out that we were all destined to hit the same giant pot hole that had opened up like a volcanic fissure.  Cars with blown out tires littered the road the rest of the way down the hill.  Not a call Mr. Hertz enjoys – and there went dinner time.  There's a pretty good Chinese Takeout and a Pizza place on either side of the Speedy.

CRAB CAKES

Across the street from Speedy on the other side of the corner is G&M's Restaurant.  This place has an eat in area and a takeout area.  It is always crowded.    This is a Mecca for people that like better than real Maryland crab cakes.  They are big and almost all back fin chunky crab meat.  The head of operations up on the hill would have me help him pick up lunches for everyone once and a while on Saturdays.  It was a good day to be at work.

WHERE TO LOCATE A BOTTLE OF WINE

If you're a wine drinker like I am you will quickly notice that they don't sell the stuff in the grocery stores.  You have to go to the liquor stores like the hard core vodka types.  At the corner of Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard and 5^th Avenue North (look it up on your Garmin) is the best place with the best prices.  They also have an all day long wine tasting of at least four different varieties over in the left front corner of the shop.

WHERE TO FIND A REAL GYM

Like to exercise at noon to keep the blood going and the strength up?  There's the Australian Fitness Center on North Hammonds Ferry Road, just across the Baltimore Washington Parkway.  There is a shortcut to it through the Maritime College if you're staying at the hotels up on the hill.

WHERE TO BUY FUD

There are a few Giant food stores around.  The newest and cleanest is on the south side of the airport.  This area is off Arundel Mills Boulevard just down from the Mall and the Bass Pro Shop.  There are a few other eateries peppered into the area. Above all there is a Circuit City and a Staples.

If you have time and are a little adventurous you can always head north to Baltimore's Inner Harbor.  It's only fifteen minutes away and has a ton of great places to go.  Make sure that you park in one of the parking garages – safe and close to town.

Later I will talk about more esoteric places to go, but this should get you settled in.