Getting to the Arctic - The Journey is Part of the Adventure!

3 days ago

2 min read

Baltimore, Maryland

September 16, 2026

Mr. Trash Wheel! Isn't he cute? More information below.

On Our Way!

So far, our trip to the arctic has started off very appropriately. Everywhere we have been has been very cold! The San Diego Airport, our flight to Chicago, the Chicago Ohare Airport /Lounge were all really cold!

Walking from one terminal to another at Ohare was a beautiful (and cold) experience. The terminals were connected by a architecturally impressive walkway that made you feel like you were in an old train station. Both the architecture and art work were reminiscent of old Chicago. Then we traveled through an area with a moving walkway with a colorful light display overhead; all of which made me think about the wide range of styles and experiences of airports around the world. (Sorry there aren’t pictures, it was 4:00 a.m. and my brain was not functioning.)

Our next stop was Baltimore, where we will spend the night before getting on a charter flight Wednesday morning to fly to Nuuk, Greenland. Unfortunately, our suitcase did not make it to Baltimore with us… sigh. Viking was awesome and helped us get back to the airport and pick up our suitcase when it finally arrived on a later flight.

Fun Facts About Baltimore:

The Baltimore Ravens are named after the poem by Edgar Allen Poe
Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore
The first Dental College in the world started in Baltimore

More Information on Mr. Trash Wheel:

Baltimore has four floating, trash eating, solar powered machines that help keep the water in the harbor next to Baltimore clean. Mr. Trash Wheel, the most famous trash interceptor, pulls hundreds of tons of trash out of the water each year. There are three other members of the Trash Wheel Family. Unfortunately we didn't see any of the Trash Wheel family, but you can learn more by checking out the website - https://www.mrtrashwheel.com/

We only had a few hours to see the sights in Baltimore, so we chose to go to the Inner Harbor and walk around. Here are some of the sights we saw:

Science Center - We didn't have time to go inside - but it looked like fun!

Contrasting Skyline - Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a fascinating combination of old and new architecture and buildings, all set against a backdrop of blue water and sailboats

Historic Ships:

The Constellation - The Constellation is the only ship still afloat that served during the American Civil War. The Consellation is also known for participating in the US African Squadron (1859-1861), when it captured 14 slave ships, liberating almost 4,000 captive Africans.