This past weekend I was lucky to have a travel partner willing to explore my own city with me. My brother Mike, who also lives in Baltimore, set aside some time to play tourist around town, something I've wanted to do before I leave for good at the end of the month. So, if you're planning a trip to Baltimore in the coming months, here's a quick summary of some things you can do that it took me SEVEN years to get around to:

We started out at the Waverly Market off of Greenmount Avenue. Now, I've actually been to this wonderful year-round market before, but on this busy autumn Saturday morning (the week before a holiday), it seemed like the perfect time for a farewell visit. We then headed downtown for a walk through Lexington Market and a visit to Trinacria, the best Italian deli in the city, where Mike loaded up on discount wine, fresh mozzarella and homemade pizza dough, while I just enjoyed the colors and aromas of the city, and wondered why the heck I had never been to either of these places?! On Sunday we roamed around Mt. Vernon, climbed 288 steps to the top of the Washington Monument, toured the Maryland Historical Society and grabbed lunch at the famous Hollywood Diner on Saratoga and Holliday. FINALLY! It's amazing how many things there are to do right in our own backyards that we just don't get around to for one reason or another. It took leaving town to get me to do these things. And made me realize just how much I'm gonna miss this great place and its colorful mix of people and traditions. Oh, and boy how I'll miss those Berger Cookies!

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