776. City Of Baltimore (MD01)

Oh, Maryland!

So, for the first time, I have encountered a new kind of county equivalent: the independent city. Many independent cities are very old, founded with state rules predating the Constitution, though this is not always the case. There are also cities where the city and the county have merged into one entity that takes care of the needs of city dwellers and county residents. Both Denver and New Orleans are examples of this. Some cities, however, stand outside of this arrangement. They are (and, from what I can tell, have always been) their own entities, outside and devoid of county structures and policies. There are only forty-one in the United States: St. Louis, Carson City, all thirty-eight cities of Virginia, and Baltimore. Accordingly, I made a visit to City Hall. I was happy to see it getting some tender loving care, much as I feel for courthouses I’ve seen in the past. It’s quite an edifice, but my judgment was slightly clouded by how happy I was to be back on the road again! It’s been so long that I despaired a little that it would ever happen. But when we landed, we kept looking at each other, stating, “This is happening!” So, I chose not to be critical of City Hall. Not that there was a reason to be, mind you. It was lovely.

I ended up getting a Virtual cache first, dedicated to the Pride of Baltimore. The Pride was a replica of the schooners that once sailed the bay, commissioned in 1977, completing thousands of miles of travel, both in the Americas and Europe. Unfortunately, in 1986, a sudden storm sank the Pride just north of Puerto Rico, killing its captain and three of its crew, and leaving the remaining eight adrift for a week until they were rescued. The vessel’s mast was placed in Rash Field as a reminder of the ship and its brave crew. I’m not one to judge such things, but if that’s not a fitting place for a Virtual, I don’t know where is. In a small twist of irony, an Earthcache sits in the same place, devoted to the pink granite brought from Texas to make the monument. Even a thousand miles away from home, I can’t get away from Texas!

Our answers were sent to the respective COs, and logs were made. We set out from the city, ready to tackle and make the most of our new adventure. And our levity continued as we approached…