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Baltimore wknd trip- tips for going w/ 11mo old?
I just started planning a last minute trip to Baltimore this weekend... leaving Sat morning and coming back Sun night.
I'm thinking of getting us the Harbor Pass so that we can at least visit the Aquarium, Children's museum, Top of the World, and take the water taxi. There are a couple more options on it but I'm not sure how well DS will do with all the activities in 2 days. Any suggestions for other stops/attractions that would be good for an 11mo old?
I know this is going to be a super busy weekend with tons of tourists coming in for the holiday, so I wanted to see if any of you have any tips for us to make things go as smoothly as possible! I imagine there will be lines at these attractions, the weather might be hot, etc.
TIA!
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Re: Baltimore wknd trip- tips for going w/ 11mo old?
If you are willing to venture away from the inner harbor, the Walters Museum is pretty amazing and free. I took DD there for a wedding when she was 16 months and she really enjoyed seeing the paintings and suits of armor. When your LO is older, they have a great kids program.
At 11 months, I would pick one activity a day and spend the morning at it. After nap in the afternoon I would walk around a neighborhood you want to see. There are public gardens, the water, and all sorts of other sights and sounds and bustle that will entertain the LO.
Just FYI -- I'm pretty sure the Aquarium doesn't allow strollers, so consider that when planning. The children's museum is great... a little geared towards older kids, but there are several activities/rooms that are good for the little ones.
Have fun!
Like a PP said, the aquarium doesn't allow strollers, so plan to carry or wear your LO the whole time. I took my DS at 3.5 months and 11 months, and honestly, he wasn't really into it. Especially if there are crowds, it's hard to get up close to many exhibits and you sort of get moved along with the masses of people. He enjoyed the large multi-story tank, but that's about it. The Children's Museum (Port Discovery?) is better for older kids. My DD loved it at 3 years old, but there was stuff that was over her head and we only did about half of what they offer. But if your goal is just to have some outings, expose LO to new sites and sounds, and go with the flow and such without worrying about "getting your money's worth," then I'm sure any activity would be fine.
At 11 months, my kids were happy being pushed in the stroller (couldn't walk yet) and observing from there with occasionally being taken out to explore something. With my kids' personalities, I stuck to outdoor activities if the weather permitted because they're easier to cut short if necessary and are (mostly) free. I walked around Fell's Point (sp?) a few years ago and enjoyed it, but I don't remember if the sidewalks are stroller-friendly.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I didn't know about the Aquarium's stroller policy... would you suggest we bring it and check it in or just leave it out completely? Our hotel is a 10 min walk away and it would be good to have it to and from the Aquarium and if we want to walk around the area afterward.
Also, we haven't been to a hotel with LO yet... should we ask them for a crib/cot or should we just bring our PnP? It wouldn't be a problem bringing ours, just another thing to carry I guess.
Thanks!
ask for a crib but be prepared for him to refuse to sleep in a strange place
personally, I don't like that aquarium, you get a ticket and then wait hours to get in and it's expensive and not that great IMO (I have SCUBA-dived the Great Barrier Reef so I'm not easily impressed) but I've never been there w/ a baby.
have a great time!
I would go to the Aquarium if *you* want to go, but don't count on DS loving it. We took C last year at 11 mos and he slept (in the carrier) most of the time. DH & I and the six year olds we took had a blast, but it's pretty expensive for a toddler activity. There's a Zoo in B'more too, that might be fun and cheaper.
Thanks for the feedback on the aquarium. I've never been to it, but my husband has, so I will ask him if he thinks it's worth it to brave the crowds. Seems like there is a lot to do even if we don't go to the aquarium, so that's good! The trip is mostly for us to just get out of DC for a few days and we're hoping DS can enjoy it as well
I'm leaning towards taking the pnp since we are just driving there from Alexandria and we will have room in the car. He's already going through a VERY clingy phase during bedtime so I'm hoping having his own pnp there will help.
Yep, that's our goal, hoping to get a change of scenery for us and him
I will prob reconsider the aquarium stop-- esp with the holiday weekend and my son's tendency to want to be walking freely instead of being held or pushed in a stroller, lol.