Baltimore hosted this year's ACRL Conference, but I decided I couldn't justify the expense of registration for a conference I've not gotten a lot from in its two most recent iterations (Charlotte 2003 and Minneapolis 2005). I went in, presented my pre-conference, had a couple of nice dinners, came home. Saw a few people, too, including Kathryn and David who were there working for ACRL.
I will admit, I kind of thought the city would be a bit like Cleveland on the East Coast. Quiet. Old buildings. No life after dark. Dingy. I think there must be parts of Baltimore that are like that. However, I came away thinking I'd like to visit the city when I don't have a work reason so to do. The area around the Inner Harbor was lively, and there seemed to be a good range of shops, restaurants, and attractions. Plus, the weather was entirely springlike and pleasant. What little I saw of the city left a good impression on me.
My hotel did not leave a great impression on me, but it wasn't horrid. The views weren't too bad.
I took a few other photos about the city when I remembered to as well.
The food was good. I spared Anne the ordeal of me photographing dinner when we ate at Pazo, but I'd recommend a return visit. I especially liked the albondigas - lamb meatballs in a sauce in which the saffron was sufficiently assertive. Good stuff. I'll also say that the waitress was friendly and helpful, and her wine recommendation was altogether decent.
Dinner the second night wasn't quite as good ,though it was nicely inexpensive, and the Malbec we ordered (two bottles) was a good match for the Cuban food. Babalu Grill was where I dined with CG, SC (great to see him!), and Heather.
The scallops looked a bit much in their coating and deep red sauce, but they were a highlight.
I do hope to get back to Baltimore one day and roam around a little more. It does seem to be a fine city in its own right, and I'm sorry I was limited to my pre-conference experience.
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