The flight was out of Baltimore which is actually our most accessible airport, so we took the opportunity to look around that city. Mat is a big fan of The Wire, a TV crime drama that doesn't paint the place in the best light. "Yep, someone was murdered there," he told me repeatedly as I drove around. It didn't do much for my blood pressure.
Thankfully we weren't murdered and enjoyed a lovely afternoon around Baltimore Inner Harbour, a place that Pete has been obsessing over ever since Hannah bought him a kid's book about Maryland when she first visited. The reason is a simple one: the dragon boats. You can hire boats that look like dragons! Well, pedalos with plastic dragon heads and tails stuck on, but in the eyes of a two-year-old that's Disneyland. Also, the original star spangled banner was stitched here, flown at Fort McHenry, and the anthem about it composed - amazingly the Brits didn't burn it down.
We finished up with ice cream and then dinner at The Cheesecake Factory for good measure. We don't want Mat to return to the UK without some serious extra poundage, otherwise what's the point of holidaying in the USA?
Dragon boats!
Safety first (especially around dragons).
Hello sailor.
While Mat and I provided the pedal power, the passengers sat in the back.
Baltimore from the water.
Final snack before the plane, because there's no luggage allowance on your waistline.
