My first stop in Baltimore was Edgar Allan Poe’s house. I have to say, that this is not an area of the city that you want to stay very long. It is not in a very good part of town, and you have to knock on the door and wait to be buzzed into the house. When I was there, there was a police officer stationed outside, across the street. The house itself is very small and narrow. You can take a self guided tour, and it will last all of 30 minutes at the most. Next, head over to Westminster hall and cemetery, about 10 minutes from the house. Make sure you plan around the very limited days that the cemetery is open if you want to see the original burial site of Poe. Otherwise, you will only be able to see the 2nd memorial, which is at the front of the cemetery and can be seen from the sidewalk.
From Baltimore, head 2 and a half hours south east to Ocean City, MD. The boardwalk is packed full of shops and food stands, just like any other beach boardwalk, and there is an amusement park along with a Ripley’s Believe it or not. I went to the boardwalk at about 10am and most of the shops and all the rides weren’t open yet. Parking was very easy however, on Monday compared to Sunday.
The drive from Ocean City, MD to Easton, PA includes driving the length of the state of Delaware. That entire drive was small towns and farmland. Pretty much everything you see in middle America. Once to Easton, the Crayola Factory is one of the only things to see in this quaint little town. The factory itself, however, was a disappointment. You don’t actually get to see the factory, it’s more like a discovery center for kids. All in all, not worth it.
The next stop was Hershey, PA the sweetest place on earth! This town offers a few days worth of things to do, and once you learn the history of the town, you’ll want to stay even longer. Milton Hershey built the factory, houses for other executives, a school for wayward boys, developed the town, and donated all his stocks to the school funding. There are both free and paid things to do here, and everything was worth it. The trolley tour will show you the entire grounds, and give you better bearings of the area for further exploration. Travel tip- if you stay a few miles down the street in Hummelstown, the hotels are a lot cheaper price wise, and very nice. Also, the air smells like chocolate!
From Hershey, PA I headed to Point Pleasant, WV to see the Mothman. For those of you unfamiliar with the Mothman, he is a local legend in Point Pleasant and theorized to have had an influence on the Silver Bridge collapse. Side note, the movie Mothman Prophecies is based on local stories and sightings, and is definitely worth checking it out. The town offers a museum with tons of information as well as movie props. On one side of the museum is the Mothman Statue, and also a plaque marking the fallen bridge and those that perished. The drive was boring to say the least, but keep an eye out for the Mason Dixon line on I-81 S at the PA/MD state line.
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