# You're cancelling your family's DC trip? The white feather's in the mail. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 15, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211 "2003-02-15T03:54:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/41 "2003-02-15T19:03:52Z")
Yeah, and that little bottle of shampoo, too. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/42 "2003-02-15T19:19:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Basically, the Homeland Security department released a statement saying Americans should make an emergency supply kit, which would include duck tape and plastic sheeting Is this **duck** tape to be used in a manner that will keep one’s ducks in a row? Not that I promote fighting ducks, I was speaking of a linear alignment. > [@](#): > > I’m intrigued by the duct tape and plastic idea though. Just when are you supposed to suit up? Prior to the attack or just after it? One may need to practise with one’s cat. Let’s leave the cats out of this, OK? The query involved duct (or duck) tape, **not** cat tape. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/43 "2003-02-15T19:20:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > \*\*Geeze, Neurotic, coming from someone who lives in the most plastic stretch of artificial suburbia in America, your words don’t carry much weight. What’s the matter, did you come to B-more one time and the big bad real people scared you? \*\* Actually, I’ve been to Baltimore several times. Many friends there. And have never had a bad encounter with the people (unlike in DC). That said, Baltimore is a depressing, run-down city for the most part and I can’t imagine someone taking a vacation there. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/44 "2003-02-15T21:04:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRootabega \* > \*\*He probably just wanted to be in the city that would have the least to lose after a terrorist attack. Heyo! No, no, I kid, I kid. I’m sure he couldn’t resist after he found out it was The City That Reads. 🙂 \*\* But **The City That Reads** has also been, of late, **The City That Closes Public Library Branches One After Another**. I prefer the modesty of Baltimore’s other park-bench slogan: **The Greatest City in America**. I don’t mind living in Baltimore, but i can’t argue too much with **Neurotik** ’s characterisation of the city. I’ve also heard it described as a place where northern charm meets southern efficiency. I do agree that the Walter’s Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art are worth visiting. But probably the most interesting is the [Visionary Art Museum](http://www.avam.org/), which has a really amazing and eclectic collection, and which seems to fascinate kids and adults equally. The [American Dime Museum](http://www.dimemuseum.com/info.html) is also worth a visit. I don’t have too much time for the National Aquarium, however. It’s overpriced and the displays are pretty average. But, having moved to Baltimore from Sydney, Australia, which has a fantastic aquarium, maybe my standards were a bit high. The restaurants can be good if you’re into the sort of food Baltimore is famous for, like crab cakes. As a vegetarian, i find the pickings a little less abundant, but there’s plenty there if you know where to look. The big thing with Baltimore - and this applies to many aspects of living here - is that the good stuff is spread around all over the place, rather than being concentrated in one area. This is largely a product of the fact that it is still a city of neighbourhoods. Actually, it’s also for this reason that i have to disagree a little bit with **OxyMoron**. While cities like Philly and DC certainly have their less attractive areas, a tourist is much less likely to stumble into them in the course of every-day tourist activity. Baltimore’s neighbourhood layout, however, means that safe and touristy areas often stand alongside the more run-down parts of town. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/45 "2003-02-15T21:07:11Z")
Forgot to add: If your kids are old enough to take some education along with their entertainment, the [Great Blacks in Wax Museum](http://www.greatblacksinwax.org/) should be high on your list. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/46 "2003-02-15T21:10:40Z")
god damn it…I wanted to go to Baltimore this weekend, and can’t now because it’s snowing too much. I’ll just have to wait around to be killed bny terorists in D.C. I guess. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/47 "2003-02-15T21:12:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ataraxy22 \* > \*\*god damn it…I wanted to go to Baltimore this weekend, and can’t now because it’s snowing too much. I’ll just have to wait around to be killed bny terorists in D.C. I guess. \*\* Come anyway. It’s snowing just enough to make the city look clean and fresh (quite an accomplishment), but not enough to clog up the roads, which are all still completely clear. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/48 "2003-02-16T08:26:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neuroman \* > \*\*OxyMoron, at least your friend can get crabs in Baltimore. \*\* Umm… ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211/49 "2003-02-17T02:54:39Z")
Y’know, what’s scary is that back in the 70s Maryland had a real, non-ironic tourism campaign: “Maryland is for Crabs.” Kinda went well with the Virginia campaign, then and now: Virginia is for Lovers.\* \*Never mind Virginia’s criminal code… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-cancelling-your-familys-dc-trip-the-white-feathers-in-the-mail/155211.md?page=2)