Ten Fact Tuesday: Baltimore Edition!

I'm sure you are wondering...hmmm...Baltimore?  That's what I would have said, but now that my best friend  now officially lives there, I need to know about it.  Even more importantly- now that she has surprised me with a plane ticket there for my birthday I MUST know about it!  Yep.  My best friend is THAT awesome.  She called it "$285 dollars of LOVE".

1)  Founded in 1729, Baltimore was named after Lord Baltimore, a member of the Irish House of Lords.  It is located on the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay.  The very same Bay that...(go to #2)

2) Our very own National Anthem was written in! Inspired by the bombardment of Fort McHenry as viewed from the Bay, during the War of 1812.  Remember that guy Francis Scott Key?  Yeah, he wrote it as a poem while watching stuff get blown up..."aaaannnnd the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air!!!!"

3) Nicknames:  Charm City, Mobtown, B'more, The City of Firsts, Monument City and of course Ravenstown.

4) Motto:  "The Greatest City in America."  They've also added "Get in on it.", which gave me a chuckle...

5)  In the traditional local accent, the townspeople refer to their city as "Balamore".  Their accent is similar to a Philadelphian accent. (My spell check says that Philadelphian isn't a word, but if not it should be!)

6) Fort McHenry is now visited as a National Monument and Historic Shrine.  It's gorgeous grounds and rich history make it very appealing to tourists like myself.  Did you catch that Dani?  Add this to our list of "Things to Do".

7) It is home of the Ravens and the Orioles, so it is well represented in the sports world.  Not to mention, they can boast of being the birthplace of Babe Ruth.  Now that's a claim to fame.

8) Well-known for architecture that spans two centuries and many different movements, which I can't WAIT to experience in real life.  I think one of of my favorite aspects of traveling is exploring the architecture.  It truly entrances me...

 9)  As with any big city, many many famous and influential people call it home.  Including, but not limited to: Tori Amos, Tom Clancy, Billie Holiday, Nancy Pelosi, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Post, Upton Sinclair, Oprah Winfrey and  David Hasselhoff -wait- you mean he's not from the beaches of California?

10) Last, but most certainly not least, my FAVORITE fact about Baltimore is that my Dani-Girl lives there!!

Only a short time and we will be enjoying this together!:

33 Days to be exact!!  Which also means- 35 days till my BIRTHDAY! 

 (I'm not getting older, just wiser ;)