So this post will cover most of the random architecture shots that I took, mostly from day two and my trip to Walters Art Museum on day two.
One of the interesting things about going back East as a Westerner is definitely seeing how much old architecture there is. Not that old cool buildings don't exist out West, but they're just not all over the place! Also, I thought it was entertaining to see buildings that had obviously been something prestigious at one time be converted to a modern use.
Like this Farmer's and Merchants National Bank with the beautiful facade... except now its The China Room and Uncle Lee's Harbor Restaurant.
This is a law office now
I like the golden eagles on this building but I don't know what's housed there.
Also interesting was the incredible juxtaposition of of the old vs new buildings like in this shot.
We definitely don't have any Walgreens like this back home!
More beautiful work on the front of what was once Hotel Junker (engraven in the stone) but is now part lower end hotel, part cleaners.
This is the beautiful Hotel Monaco.
This is 1st Mariner Bank and other offices.
On to The Walters Art Museum. This is a really wonderful museum and it's even free! This is just inside the front doors.
Beautiful, intricate wooden inlays on a desk.
This is a huge wall mosaic of the major ancient cities.
The vase was carved from one giant agate! We collect agates on the beach in Oregon, but that is colossal! I don't remember exactly, but I think that vase was roughly, or at least six inches high. The other shot is obviously of the entrance to the Egyptian section.
I'm not sure why, but I love this sculpture. There's just so much going on and it's a little mind bending
Sarcophagus... in a black room filled with them. The carvings were so intricate though.
The museum covered a wide variety of histories.
This was a really interesting installment on the ceiling in one room. They're illustrations of proverbs. The explanation and key follow this picture and it was interesting to see which of the proverbs are still very much in use today. Can you try and figure some out before reading the key? Counting left to right, line by line, try number 6, it's very well known.
I'm not sure what this says about me since this is so gruesome, but I definitely wanted to know about the story behind it. It's "Judith Cutting Off the Head of Holofernes" by Trophime Bigot (French, ca. 1579-1650). The inspiration comes from the Book of Judith in the Catholic Old Testament. Virtuous Judith saves her people by beguiling the enemy General Holofernes into getting drunk and then cuts off his head.
A beautiful stairway in the Hackerman House which holds the Asian Art portion of the museum
From the top of the stairs
I still don't like alligators/crocs etc., even in taxidermy. This room aptly called the Chamber of Wonders did have a lot of interesting pieces straight from nature. Also, the portrait of two men and a horse through the door was massive.
Some of the great old weaponry in the arms and armor room
I highly recommend The Walters Art Museum. It's a great place, beautifully done that's big enough to take several hours of inspection but small enough that it wouldn't take too long to stroll through it all which is all a great deal for the price of free.
Outside The Walters Art Museum is the Washington Monument and Museum at Mount Vernon Place. I'll cover Mount Vernon in my Churches post next.
Around the circle of the Washington Monument are four corners with beautiful representative statues. Here's War and Peace...
And here's Order and Force.
I love love love that someone stuck a flower here on the Force stature.
Hm, giant (12+ inches) fingerprints on the road.
After most of my walking around on Friday I thought I'd head south of the Inner Harbor to eventually meet up with Travis after his day. I took the free Charm City Circular shuttle, the purple route, but the long way, heading north first, just to see more of the city and then stayed on past the stop I wanted to see the further south loop before finally getting off. After some time on Federal Hill overlooking the Harbor, I came down one side of it to get this picture of the American Visionary Art Museum.
That's a giant screen for movies under the hand installment.
The bird nest with a cello-esque bird and a giant mirror mosaic egg. Yup, this place has unique art.
Another view of the museum. Strange place. I didn't go in, it cost money and I didn't have a lot of time left before Travis was going to be done.
Right across the street from the American Visionary Art Museum is the Ritz-Carlton Residences where Travis' seminar was held. I went in a waited in the waiting room for him and oh, boy was it this ritz! After I took this shot I was just focusing on close shots of the floral arrangements. It was then that the guy at the desk asked that I be sure to keep my pictures of the flowers and not take any of the interior. Oops. Already done. But seriously, I get that those who reside here pay an arm and a leg and privacy should come with that but no one was in the lobby and it is after all the lobby.
Still, I did keep to the flowers after that.
After Travis came out we walked back to our hotel for him to change and after some more wandering we ate dinner at Kona Grill which was a beautiful and yummy place. They serve Contemporary American and have a Sushi Bar. It's not Travis' typical place but I got him there because they did have one big burger (the Big Kahuna Cheeseburger) on the menu that would do for him and I had the delightful Pan-Asian Noodles.
Next up, churches of Baltimore.
This post followed the blue route and covered the blue markers.
View Baltimore Trip 2011 in a larger map
Map Key
red - pt 1 - Day 1 National Museum Of Dentistry
yellow - pt 2 - Day 1 National Aquarium
blue - pt 3 - Day 2 Architecture, Walter's Art Museum
aqua - pt 4 - Day 2(3) Churches
green - pt 5 - Day 3 The Inner Harbor and War Related Sites
Lines: my day tours, there are no lines for our evening/night outings or my day 3 afternoon shopping.
I met Travis in Institute at Oregon State University in 2001 and we were married Aug 2002. We have 3 boys, Avery, Carson and Emmett. I love photography and run a business, 
Travis is a dentist at 
Avery was born in Dec 2004 and is now 7 and almost a 2st grader. He loves being a big brother to Carson and Emmett.
Carson was born in March of 2007 and is now 5 years old.
Emmett was born in September of 2008 and is now almost 4 years old.
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