A few weekends ago I enjoyed a nice little “Staycation” by visiting Downtown Baltimore. The main agenda on this visit was to check out The National Aquarium. This is going to sound awful but the last time I was there I was still in middle school. I’ve always wanted to go back but I never seemed to have the time or the money. Since I was going to a ballgame later that night I figured it was a great chance to swing by and check out the sea critters.

The Aquarium is home to approximately 16,500 specimens and more than 660 species of animals. Amazing, right? They house everything from birds to mammals and of course, fish. They even have an Australian Exhibit where you can find a Death Adder, Pig-nosed Turtle, Zebra Finch and more. The most popular exhibit of course it the dolphin show which happens a few times throughout the day. The dolphins at the Aquarium aren’t just for show. They are used in research as well such as the analysis of dolphin whistles and the effect noise pollution has on the beautiful creatures.

If you find yourself there anytime soon be sure to check out the Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance. Most of us think of Jellyfish as annoying little things that sting us at the beach but it really was amazing to see all the different types of Jellies. Did you know there are some Jellies out there that actually live upside down? How weird and interesting is that? I had no idea! It was really weird to see a bunch of Jellies all hanging out upside down.

The Aquarium offers three different ticket packages. They have a $24.95, $27.95 and a $29.95 option. The price depends on if you want to include the 4D theatre or the dolphin show. You can find the details here and you can purchase tickets online as well.

You can find the rest of the pictures from my visit at my SmugMug account.

I’ve been wanting to go to The National Musuem of Crime & Punishment in DC for awhile now. I’m a big reader of true crime and enjoy watching shows like Forensic Files and Cold Case Files as well as the random biography on certain crimes/killers. Luckily I have a friend who’s into crime related stuff as much as I am.

The museum is located in the Gallery Place/Chinatown area of DC which makes it pretty easy to get to. We’ll be hopping onto the metro to make our way down. It’s made up of three floors , 25,000 square feet and features over 100 interactive exhibits. One floor I believe is dedicated to the filming of America’s Most Wanted. Along with the exhibits they offer CSI Workshops and even a book club! How exciting is that? My friend and I plan on attending a Blood & DNA Workshop when we visit. It’s only $5 extra and sounds pretty interesting.

The murder in apartment 13, the museum’s own crime scene exhibit, remains unsolved. Three suspects have been captured, but the three suspects have three very different stories. Each describes a different event and a different murder weapon. In this workshop you will learn how blood spatter evidence and luminol can help identify the weapon used to commit a crime and how DNA can place a suspect at the scene of the murder. This is an interactive workshop where you see the evidence and help recreate it to solve the crime.

We plan on trying to go in March or April. It depends on when they offer the workshop that we want. They don’t have an April schedule yet and March is a busy month for the both of us. We’re really excited though and can’t wait to make a day out of it.

In case you’re wondering ticket prices range between $12 and $19.95 depending on the various discounts offered (kids, military…) or if you purchase tickets online. If you’re a “local” which includes DC, Maryland & Virginia you lucked out. You can visit for just $6 on Sundays now through March 14th!

I’ll be sure to post about the visit as soon as it happens! If you’ve been there before feel free to leave a comment about your visit.

When you live in the Baltimore area you have a wide selection for a day or weekend trip. In this day and age with the economy the way it is and people losing their jobs, it’s hard to find the money to take a “real” vacation. That doesn’t mean you can’t get away for a day or two though. Here a few places and ideas that I’ve come up with.

National Aquarium in Baltimore
The Aquarium downtown is a great idea for a day trip. If you have kids, it’s even better. It’s a place where you can learn and have fun! I know, it’s a crazy idea but it’s true. The Aqarium offers three different ticket prices. The “Total Experience Package” is $29.95 for adults and $19.95 for children and includes admission, the dolphin show and the 4-D theatre. The second package is $27.95/$17.95 and features admisison and the dolphin show. The cheapest ticket is $25.95/$14.95 and is for admission to the Aquarium only. As you can see, they have a price range that’s good for just about anyone. The best part is you can buy tickets online but there is a service charge.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
The zoo has been having a hard time lately just like the rest of us. If you’re looking for something to do outside why not check them out? Tickets range from $10-$15 depending on the day you visit and if you purchase tickets online or at the gate. The zoo is open everyday from 10am to 4pm and is now open for the season! They even have various events throughout the year like Bunny BonanZOO for Easter and ZooBOOO for Halloween.

The National Zoo in DC
You can’t beat free and that’s exactly what it costs to visit the National Zoo in DC. They’re open from 10am to 6pm everyday from April to October and from 10am to 5pm from November to March. The only day you can’t visit is Christmas. The cool thing is you can even take the Metro to miss out on the fun of DC traffic and driving. You can find more information on that here. The National Zoo offers daily programs like eagle feeding, elephant baths and meet a Kiwi!

Amusement Parks
Living in the Baltimore area you have access to a number of amusement parks. You have Hershey Park, Six Flags America, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. That’s a ton of fun all within a drive of the Baltimore/DC area. The prices range from $39.99 up to $59.95. The good news it that in most cases you find discount coupons at various grocery stores and fast food chains and in some cases you can get a discount by purchasing your tickets online. I know I plan in hitting up a few of these parks during the summer.

As you can see, living in this area is a treat when it comes to day trips! What I have here is just the tip of the iceburg when you consider that Ocean City just a few hours away and you can always find a bus trip to NYC or Atlantic City. What are you waiting for? Get out there and have some fun!