My new goal is to complete the Wanderer Tour blogs before we head out on our next tour in May!
Arriving in Baltimore presented us with an incredible challenge: finding where to park the RV. When we pulled into the neighbourhood we missed our first turn, which lead us into a parking lot with no alternative exit. I remember we had to step out of the vehicle to ask where there was parking. We had to U-turn our way out of this lot, and it was very pressuring as the lot was narrow and people from a nearby auto-shop were watching us. As this was happening we saw HH walking along the street. It was obvious they found a spot. When we pulled out of the lot (finally) we drove alongside the venue’s street to find an open spot and sit the RV until we figured out where we could leave the car.
There was another parking lot next to the venue, and by then we were so frustrated we decided to give it a try. The booth operator was insistent that the RV could not fit the spot, but my confidence wanted to test the fact. I drove the RV in and attempted to do a reverse park job into an incredibly narrow spot. I almost damaged 2 vehicles. Eventually, my pride plummeted and we decided to continue searching for a suitable location to park. We decided to park in front of the venue to (at least) load in. While we were unloading our gear into the venue (which was up a short flight of stairs) we realized there were no parking signs or enforcement laws on the street we parked on. I did multiple checks around the area to make sure we wouldn’t be getting any parking tickets. Our RV door opened towards oncoming traffic, which was terrible to say the least.
Wasting time before the venue allowed us to load-in, we went to a nearby cafe. It was an excellent cafe filled with nostalgic memorabilia. The latest Star Wars movie was playing on the screen and the shelves were filled with toys from my childhood. There was also a Legolas cutout standee on the front display. What’s with our tour and LOTR cutouts? We squished onto both couches and sunbathed a bit indoors. A man walked in and started scoping each of us out. Eventually he sat on the same couch as Jessie and Jordyn and started whispering into their ears. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but Jordyn was clearly uncomfortable (with the biggest smile on her face). When the man walked out, the girls told me he was offering to bang them for a low price… A different man also tried to sell us a bunch of birdcages outside. Baltimore is a strange place.
After loading in and setting up to some Canadian music (the bar let me play “Purity Ring” over the speakers), We were able to relax and enjoy the progression of the night. The bar opened and served incredibly cheap beer. It was the obvious choice to save on cash by drinking the beer. This was the first show I brought out my 3DS, and I couldn’t remember if it was Chris or Rob that had their 3DS at the venue, but because they did we were able to have a few rounds of Mario Kart.
It was a strange performance where the “vibe” wasn’t completely there. I spent most of the set bottle flipping during a song, it really entertained the audience so I decided to go with it for the next few shows. Aleksei left a lot of things tucked away in a cupboard while we were packing up. There was a point where we wanted to see how long into the night until Aleksei lasted until he realized his stuff was missing. I remember the next venue being a bit further, and so we wanted a little head start on the drive. Towards the end of our time in Baltimore, we were trying to finish packing to drive off. Aleksei and Lauren were deep into conversation with fans and friends while Chris, Dom and I were playing Tetris with our gear. Jessie was also packing up as well. We decided to go to a Wawa, which was sort of like an alternative Seven-Eleven with a greater selection in hot foods. The folks in HH had been talking about visiting a Wawa for most of the tour and so it was finally time we went. A fan drove with us to the Wawa/gas station, he was a very nice guy that was going to College in Balitmore. The food was amazing (and cheap), so we stocked on up a few snacks for the next drive. We stood in the gas station eating our food and yelling- literally yelling- over how amazing the food was. I think it was this moment I realized Buffalo sauce is a favourable thing in the US. God bless America.
[http://jessielau.com]
