Waterfront Invasion - Chinasaurs Put the Bite on Baltimore!

It seemed like they came out of nowhere. One day the folks in Baltimore's Inner Harbor area were going about their business as usual; the business of having fun. You see the Inner Harbor is a welcoming place where people can take a relaxed stroll among the cafes and shops that line the waterfront; a place where sailboats and water taxis bob placidly on the sparkling water. No one would ever expect anything less from this place where Baltimore comes to let its hair down. Then it happened! Under cover of darkness the hideous hulks came ashore, one after another, stomping and snorting with glee---a surprise Chinasaur invasion! And soon all of Baltimore would be theirs, one bite at a time!

The invasion of Baltimore's Inner Harbor this summer is not so far off from pulp fiction. It's absolutely true that a seventy-foot long Mamenchisaurus has been sighted in the area. As scary-looking as the big fellow is though, he's not in the mood to cause any trouble. Actually he just wants to introduce you to all his buddies that are for the time being camped out at the Maryland Science Center.www.marylandsciencecenter.org The center is currently hosting an exhibit of dinosaur fossils from China that's the world's largest traveling display of its kind. 

The Chinasaur: Dinosaur Dynasty display features a mixture of actual dinosaur skeletons as well as replicas made by referencing actual fossils. Some are gigantic like the Mamenchisaurus while some are no bigger than a medium sized dog. There's also a display of animatronics Chinasaurs---robots if you will--- that are a combination of cute and creepy. The animatronics dinos move their heads and necks and blink their eyes but they also move their jaws and bellow like they're just a little bit hungry! You can't touch these of course but there is a hands-on area where you can feel dinosaur bones, "skin" and eggs.

The Maryland Science Center is just one of many attractions located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor area. The USS Torsk SS-423 submarine is moored here and open for tours as is the USS Constellation, the last Civil War-era vessel still afloat. The fish tanks are always bustling at the National Aquarium www.aqua.org and they also have a special display of odd creatures right now; jellyfish! A walk through the aquarium's The Jellies Invasion: Oceans out of Balance exhibit is mesmerizing with its tanks full of every variety of the dangerous blobs. 

You can easily spend an afternoon at the aquarium; stick around to see the rays being fed or for the dolphin show after you're done marveling at the jellies. Everything in the waterfront area is very easily navigated by foot; a beautiful, wide promenade hugs the water and you'll find dozens of shops, eateries and attractions along the way. Adjacent to the promenade is the boarding point for the Ride the Ducks tour; this is an hour-long journey on land and at sea aboard a specially-built amphibious vehicle that splashes right into the harbor at the end of the tour. Once it's in the water the Ride the Ducks vehicle provides an unparalleled view of the Inner Harbor area but before you get there you'll ride by some famous inland landmarks like the grave of Edgar Allen Poe. 

The Inner Harbor area keeps rockin' after dark, too, especially at The Power Plant Live. The Power Plant Live is a cluster of restaurants and nightclubs that are all behind one gate so you only have to show your ID once to gain access to all the venues. There's a dueling pianos bar, a concert hall and a large nightclub called Angel's Rock Bar at The Power Plant Live so you'll generally have several choices for your evening's entertainment. Angel's is definitely the hippest of places; no doubt even the Chinasaurs would love to see the show when the line-up features hot bands like New York's Sex Slaves and Baltimore's very own Dicktaters. So there you have it---visit Baltimore's Inner Harbor and mingle with rockers, jellies and dinos! Don't make the Chinasaurs wait too long though; they'll be moving on to invade new territory at the end of the summer.

www.baltimore.org
 

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