Mini Road Trip from NYC to Baltimore

The West Coast is renowned for its scenic road trips; however, the East offers gems like New York City. But where do native New Yorkers escape this bustling city? With just three days to spare, my friend Kevin and I decided to road trip our way to Baltimore.

Pre-trip Spending

Gas: $20 estimate. We left NYC with about half a tank of gas.
Accommodation: $80.25 for two nights in an Airbnb in Baltimore (this was my half; total cost was $160.50)

Total: $100.25

On the Ground

Wednesday

Total: $145.49

8:30am: To kick off our mini road trip, we decided to make Philadelphia our first stop (via Holland Tunnel $12.50 toll). After parking ($5), we made our way to the Reading Terminal Market, where the warm aroma of food greeted us. We grabbed a melted, cheesy Philly cheesesteak ($9.79) at Spataro’s Cheesesteaks and ended on a sweet note with a chocolate chip walnut cookie ($2) and a fruit passion whoopie pie ($3) from Flying Monkey Bakery.

2pm: We made a quick stop at Philly’s Chinatown ($2.75 parking) for strawberries and blueberries ($3), and filled up on gas before we hit the road again ($43). We headed to Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens ($8 student admission) for the charmed works of Isaiah Zagar. The ‘garden’ is small, but definitely worth it! We snagged some cute buttons ($2 each) from the gift shop before bidding adieu to Philly. Our next stop – Baltimore ($3 toll).

5pm: We settled into our cozy home in Baltimore before Uber-ing ($9.90) to Hampden for dinner. We went to Holy Frijoles and got the three-taco platter with chorizo, chicken and carne falso ($12) and a chicken fajita ($14) to share. We were so full after dinner, but my sweet tooth could not resist dessert. We headed to Waffie for a waffle topped with honey graham ice cream and Oreo crumbs ($6.15). Delicious! We Uber-ed back home ($9.40) to rest up for our next day in Baltimore.

Thursday

Total: $119.16

8:30am: We drove to Papermoon Diner, a funky, colorful diner where I enjoyed the Monte egg breakfast sandwich ($12), an indulgent treat. Parking was much cheaper than in Philly – just one dollar for the whole hour.

10am: After breakfast, we explored Graffiti Alley ($1 parking) and admired the spray-painted art, including a newly painted mural of Toni Morrison. The alley was compact, which led us to our next stop: the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University. Though we couldn’t check out any materials, the architecture was breathtaking ($2.75 parking, free admission). Wanting to cool off on this hot day, we grabbed Bai drinks from 7-Eleven ($3.19).

1pm: For lunch, we chose LP Steamers to indulge in Baltimore’s renowned crab cakes. We ordered the fried sampler ($25), a bucket of PEI mussels ($10), and two steamed ($2.50 each) and two raw oysters ($2.50 each). To my relief, my slight seafood allergies did not trigger.

3pm: After finding rare (and free!) parking near LP Steamers, we opted for an Uber ($7.44) to continue to our next destination: Fort McHenry, a historical landmark that inspired Francis Scott Key’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ Though we didn’t enter the monument, we enjoyed a pleasant walk around the nearby trails.

5pm: After leaving the monument, we spotted two electric Lime scooters conveniently waiting for riders. Despite their tempting form of transport, we decided to bike around Inner Harbour instead, which cost us $8.90. The weather was perfect, allowing us to cycle back to our car.

6:30pm: We returned to the Hampden area for dinner, this time at Food Market for some American fare. Although we didn’t have a reservation, we opted for a community table to avoid a lengthy wait. This experience felt like a family dinner with locals! Since it was restaurant week in Baltimore, we enjoyed a three-course meal for $35 per person, featuring fresh salads, wild salmon, and the classic dirt cup for dessert. A food coma hit us hard afterward.

Friday

Total: $57.70

8am: On our final morning in Baltimore, we visited Pete’s Grille for breakfast. I had the special: a short stack of pancakes, two scrambled eggs, and sausage ($7.95). Kevin tried scrapple, a meatloaf-like dish made of mystery meat that surprisingly tasted better than it sounds. The portions were giant! There were only two pancakes, but I barely managed to finish one before admitting defeat. We said goodbye to Baltimore and headed towards our next stop – Ocean City, New Jersey.

1pm: Ocean City was somewhat off-route for us, but when we reached the beach ($5 toll), regret vanished. After parking ($4.50), we strolled along the boardwalk for some healthier options. We came across Bungalow Bowls, a charming shop selling smoothie bowls, where I ordered Island in the Sun ($11) to satisfy my cravings.

5pm: We enjoyed perfect beach weather and lingered for a few hours ($5 beach pass). As we prepared to leave the beach, we couldn’t resist getting ice cream from Kohr Bros, where I had the vanilla and chocolate swirl with rainbow sprinkles ($5.25). However, moments after snapping a photo, I found myself covered in sprinkles and ice cream as it melted unexpectedly! What a sticky situation to deal with.

8pm: We departed New Jersey, heading homeward ($19 toll at Verrazano-Narrows Bridge). Thanks to Mama Chen, we enjoyed a nice dinner at home.

The Final Tally

$100.25 + $322.35 = $422.60

Note: We used EZ-Pass for our trip, so toll costs are estimates.

For our first mini-road trip, I declare it a success! It was filled with fun and refreshing breaks from NYC. However, I must admit that food in NYC still surpasses that of other cities by a considerable margin.