The Wandering Disciple

The Baltimore Inner Harbor is a vibrant ecosystem, not only serving as a busy maritime hub but also home to a diverse array of aquatic life. This rich aquatic environment exists both naturally within the harbor's waters and in a controlled setting within the world-renowned National Aquarium. The aquarium, a cornerstone attraction of the Inner Harbor, houses thousands of specimens representing hundreds of species. Since its initial opening in 1981, the aquarium has grown significantly and is currently home to over 20,000 animals representing more than 800 species of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and marine mammals. It plays a crucial role in marine conservation and education, offering immersive exhibits that showcase habitats ranging from tropical rainforests and coral reefs to the deep sea and the local Mid-Atlantic environment.  Taken: August 31, 2005 at National Aquarium at Baltimore (Baltimore, MD)

When the temperatures begin their steady ascent signaling the arrival of warmer weather, the historic boardwalk at Ocean City awakens from its winter slumber and truly comes to life. Stretching for miles along the Atlantic coastline, this iconic wooden pathway transforms into a vibrant hub of activity and entertainment. The air fills with the delightful scent of salty sea spray mixing with the aroma of freshly-made funnel cakes, caramel popcorn, and Thrasher's famous french fries. Merchants fling open the doors of their colorful storefronts, offering everything from quirky souvenirs and beach gear to classic arcade games. Families stroll at a relaxed pace, enjoying the ocean views, while the rhythmic clatter of the amusement park rides and the cheerful cries of children punctuate the ambient sounds. The boardwalk becomes the pulse of the city, a place where generations gather to experience the quintessential summer beach vacation, a tradition steeped in sun, sand, and simple seasid...

Just steps from the inner harbor in downtown Baltimore is M&T Bank Stadium. On Sunday's during football season, thousands of fans pack the stadium filling the seats with purple and black as they cheer on the home town Baltimore Ravens.  Located at Camden Yards with neighboring Oriole Park, M&T Bank Stadium was opened in 1998. The stadium can hold over 70,000 fans for football games. It is home to the Ravens of the NFL and the Baltimore Bayhawks Major League Lacrosse team.  Taken: August 31, 2005 at M&T Bank Stadium at Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD)

The sun begins to set over the giant ferris wheel on the pier of the famous Ocean City Boardwalk. The boardwalk has been entertaining beach-goers since 1902. Over eight million visitors come to enjoy the shops, restaurants, rides and nightlife that the 2 1/2 mile has to offer. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

An icon of the downtown Baltimore skyline, the Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower was the tallest building in Baltimore until 1923. Building in 1911, the tower was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Italy. In addition to artist's studios, the tower is home to the John F Steadman Fire Station which was the busiest fire station in the nation for 2011. (Photo: August 31, 2005)

The Ocean City Boardwalk has been a vacation hot spot for over a hundred years. The concept of the Boardwalk began by hotel owners in 1902. They created wooden walkway for their guests. This temporary walkway was rolled up during high ride to keep from getting damaged. It was later replaced with a five block permanent boardwalk in 1910 which was later extended to the present 2 1/2 mile long boardwalk following storm in 1962. Today the boardwalk is home to storefronts, restaurants, carnival games, amusement rides and museums. The entertainment at the Boardwalk has led to it being a popular East Coast vacation spot. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

Located at the end of the famous Ocean City Boardwalk lies a museum dedicated to the history of the U.S. Life Saving Service. Created by the Treasury department in 1848, the U.S. Life Saving Service was the early predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard. The service provided marine aid to vessels in distress along the Atlantic Coast. The Ocean City Station opened in 1891 and remained in service until closed by the Coast Guard in 1964. During its operation, the station responded to seven major shipwrecks. The station was later relocated to the inlet side of the boardwalk and reopened as a museum in 1978. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

Frederick, Maryland: The Frederick Keys are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Keys are members of the Carolina League’s Northern Division. The club was founded in 1989 when the club was moved to Frederick from Hagerstown. Since its inception, they have won three Carolina League titles (1990, 2005, 2007). The Keys play their games at Harry Grove Stadium. The stadium was not completed until 1990, so the Keys played their first season at McCurdy Field, a Babe Ruth baseball complex. The team name comes from a famous Maryland resident, Star Spangled Banner composer Francis Scott Key. For photos from spring training in Florida, visit my Frederick Keys photo gallery.

Baltimore, Maryland: The largest independent city in the United States, the city of Baltimore was a major part of early American history. From the days of the colonies through the immigration era and beyond, Baltimore was in the middle of the action. The good times also led to bad times as the city has also seen its share of violence between wars and riots. The city began its life as the Port of Baltimore under orders of the Maryland General Assembly in 1706. The town was official founded in 1729 and named after Lord Baltimore and later incorporated in 1745. Much of the colonies early economy came from the shipping of tobacco and sugar. Baltimore briefly became the capitol of the United States during the Revolutionary War. After fleeing the British in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress held session in the Henry Fite House from December of 1776 through February 1777. War came knocking on Baltimore’s door again during the War of 1812. The British attacked Baltimore on the nig...

Baltimore, Maryland: We left early in the morning on the trip to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. When we arrived at the airport, we learned that our flight was overbooked and we were moved to a later flight, resulting in a 3 hour stay in Baltimore. This was not too bad since we had yet to eat breakfast. My parents had not left the airport property, so I called them and they came back to the terminal to pick us up and we headed to breakfast. We had breakfast at the Bob Evans by the airport then decided to do a driving tour of Baltimore since we still had some time left before the flight. Our brief driving tour took us pass the ballparks at Camden Yards, Baltimore Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore. After the hour long tour, we headed back to the airport, said our good-byes and boarded our flight. The second leg of our flight from Atlanta to Sarasota was an adventure. The fun began while we were sitting in the plane at the terminal, awaiting to push away from the gate....

Ocean City, Maryland: Located on the Delmarva peninsula, Ocean City is one of the popular Mid-Atlantic Eastern Shore destinations. The famous boardwalk and attractions combined with the off-shore sport fishing makes this stop popular with residents and tourists alike. The concept of a beach resort began in 1869 when Issac Coffin opened a beach cottage. Soon after other boarding houses followed and the area quickly became popular with businessmen from nearby metropolitan cities. In 1875 the first major hotel opened, the Atlantic Hotel provided 400 guest rooms with billiard and dancing rooms to entertain its visitors. Throughout the years, the community continued to grow to meet the needs of the tourism industry. The 1970’s were the busiest developmental times as more then 10,000 condo units were being created to stay ahead of the boom. The major attraction of the city is the world famous Ocean City Boardwalk. Extending three miles in length along the Atlantic Ocean, the boardwal...

Ocean City, Maryland: We spend the morning spending time with family and waiting for my dad to get off work. Then we headed south to Ocean City, Maryland. We had dinner at Phillips Seafood, featuring an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. Then we parked the truck and took a walk down the boardwalk, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Atlantic boardwalk. We stopped by the gaming area and tried our luck with some of the games of skill and rode some of the fair rides that are a mainstay of the Ocean City boardwalk. As the sunset in Ocean City, our vacation was coming to an end. For more photos from day eight, visit my Ocean City photo gallery.