Relive Onward State’s Road Trip To Baltimore
Wait…this isn’t a football road trip?
This past weekend, Penn State men’s basketball headed south to Baltimore, Maryland, for a neutral-site matchup with Virginia Tech. The Nittany Lions and Hokies faced off as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Series.
With the Charm City only a three-hour drive south of State College, four of our staffers made the trip to cover the game. Onward State rarely covers away games for any sport besides football, so most of our “road trip recap” articles are about football road trips, but we had so much fun on this little journey, we figured we’d share the tale.
Friday
Wanting to give ourselves plenty of time, we opted for a morning departure from State College. Aidan, Keeley, and I picked up Michael from his class at the Business Building around 10:30 a.m., and we hit the road from there.
A few hours of singing Phillip Phillips karaoke made the drive go by fast, and before we knew it, we were crossing into Maryland.
Our first stop was a fun one. Famed Irish brewing company Guinness has a brewery in Baltimore — who knew? The Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore is one of the brewery’s only locations outside of Ireland and one of only two in the United States.
As we pulled into the parking lot, the three 21-plus-year-old staffers were giddy. Unfortunately for 19-year-old Michael, he would have to settle for enjoying the ambiance. The outside area was decorated for the fall but was seemingly closed for the winter season.
Once we got inside, we poked around the gift shop, trying not to spend too much money, before getting seated at a table for a bite to eat and a few pints of black gold.
Michael and I both got the crab cake sandwich to eat. When in Maryland, right? It was very expensive, but I can’t complain because it was awesome. The chipotle aioli on top was amazing. Keeley got a sandwich and Aidan got a salad. Let’s be honest, we weren’t there for the food.
I’ve got to say, the beer was delicious. Of any beer I’ve ever had, Guinness probably has the widest range in quality depending on various factors (how well it’s poured, draught or bottle, etc.). Keeley, Aidan, and I enjoyed our pints while our underage friend Michael sipped on some water.
After poking around the gift shop one last time, we hit the road, bound for downtown Baltimore. We had been on the fence about whether to stay the night in Baltimore or push through and drive home after the game, but after some deliberation over a pint of Guinness, we landed on staying the night.
We found a relatively cheap room at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, which was much nicer than what we paid for. The lobby was luxurious and immediately made our motley crew of college students feel out of place.
The walls had plaques listing notable former residents like Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. Apparently, it’s one of the most haunted hotels in America, too. Maybe that’s why it was cheap. We dropped our stuff off in the room and headed for the arena.
— Aidan Conrad (@shotbyconrad) November 15, 2024
CFG Bank Arena, the host of the Hall of Fame Series, was only a block or so from the hotel. This year’s edition of the Hall of Fame Series featured a doubleheader. The first game was Villanova vs. Virginia, a matchup that would’ve been the game of the week about eight years ago.
Our media credentials were good for both games, so Aidan and I wanted to take pictures of the first game, too. Aidan grew up as a Villanova fan, so he was particularly excited to shoot this game. As writers, Keeley and Michael didn’t really have much to do during the first game other than watch and enjoy.
After the first game was over, we used the 30-minute break to grab a bite to eat and edit some photos. Then, it was the Nittany Lions’ turn. Aidan and I took photos while Keeley and Michael wrote articles and tweeted updates.
After the game was over, we returned to our luxurious (and haunted) room at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. Keeley and Michael wrote their post-game sidebars while Aidan and I watched the incredibly boring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. After everyone had done their work for the evening, we all settled into bed, incredibly grateful we had decided to stay the night and not drive home.
Saturday
We woke up Saturday morning and generally wanted to head back to State College, but before we left Baltimore, we wanted to grab a bite to eat and walk down to the inner harbor, Baltimore’s main touristy area.
We grabbed a bite to eat at Chick-fil-A for breakfast before walking past the National Aquarium, Baltimore’s most famous tourist attraction. We walked along the waterfront on the way back to the hotel, soaking in the harbor’s atmosphere before grabbing our bags and hitting the road.
We spent the ride home listening to Crab Rave, even more, Phillip Phillips, and the new Jason Kelce and Mt. Joy Christmas song “Santa Drives an Astrovan.” The music once again made the drive go quickly, and before we knew it, we were back in State College. Aidan and I will be back on the road next weekend along with the rest of the football beat as we venture north to Minnesota.
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