Today's Escape: Baltimore Aquarium

My favorite ❤️

Today’s escape was pure adventure—from brunch to Baltimore’s wildest residents (and I’m not just talking about the fish). Ajayla and I kicked off our morning around 10:30 a.m. with a visit to her favorite brunch spot, First Watch. The food was terrific, even if our waitress was a little overwhelmed. She pulled it together, and we left happy.

From there, the plan was simple: park at 400 E. Pratt Street and enjoy the National Aquarium. Except… we never found that lot. Our parking pass led us in circles, so we ended up in another garage—$30 to park. I looked around, thinking, “Do I look like Bill Gates?”

After our parking detour, we made it to the aquarium, only to face chaos at the entrance. A confusing mess of lines and unclear signage meant we were shuffled into the members' entrance by a well-meaning but unhelpful staffer.

But once inside—breathtaking.

We walked through levels and levels of marine magic. Towering tanks, graceful jellyfish, and fish big enough to name after your cousins. (Yes, Cousin Jerome is definitely floating around the reef tank.) We even got to touch some of them!

AJ was determined to get our full $50 worth, so we wandered into the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit, where things got…interesting.

At first, the lush greenery and humidity felt like an adventure—but then we spotted something scurrying. Mice. According to aquarium staff, they’re not part of the exhibit… just local Baltimore tenants doing their own tours. Well, Ok.

In the rainforest we saw the tropical birds. I like birds, but it was given I will shit on you. It didn't take long before we decided to leave that area.

We tried to regroup at the café. I got a cookie, but the cashier seemed like she didn’t want to help us. I stayed polite and persistent, and eventually,

She softened up. But the cookie? Trash. I’ve had better from a vending machine. Toss in a drink and water, and we walked away $17 lighter.

We wrapped up around 1:30 p.m., strolling back through the heat to our overpriced parking. Despite all the unexpected moments, it was a great day—messy, hilarious, and full of memories—just how we like our escapes.

Here are some pictures from our adventures.