Sometimes it's the little known spots that are the most fascinating. Check out the following natural wonder in Maryland that's unlike anything you've ever seen. It blows all other roadside attractions out of the water.
If you ever find yourself in the Boonsboro area, be sure to stop by Crystal Grottoes Caverns.
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Congress Heights playground. (Austin Graff/City Cast DC Contributor)
Congress Heights is a mostly residential neighborhood east of the river that has emerged as a hub for Black culture and arts. It’s also home to the Entertainment and Sports Arena which holds many concerts and basketball games. So if you’re heading there for an event, make a day of it!
First, Coffee:
Start with an Ethiopian coffee from Buna Talk Cafe in Sycamore & Oak, a small retail village with over a dozen Black-owned local businesses. For something more untraditional, grab an Oreo milkshake from Corner Cafe, which also serves perfectly greasy breakfast sandwiches.
What to Eat:
Do yourself a favor and splurge on the crab cake sandwich at MLK Deli, a small deli in the basement of a rowhouse. Triceys D.C., an Afro-Caribbean food stand inside Sycamore & Oak, has unreal mac & cheese, jerk chicken, and fried white fish. And of course, you have to try the mumbo sauce at Hong Kong Delite, a carryout made famous by Keith Lee.
Call box mural in Congress Heights. (Austin Graff/City Cast DC Contributor)
What To Do:
Shop for Black art, decor, and clothes from the woman-owned Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique. Walk around and see murals, like the Go-Go music one on the side of Liff’s Market, or paintings of Black heroes along the wall outside Eagle Academy.
Grab cocktails from the bar inside Sycamore & Oak, then learn to line dance (only on Tuesdays). If you’re looking for something a little more intense, Ace Lounge has sugary cocktails and strobe lights to match for a weekend night you’ll probably regret.
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One thing I love about Maryland is that the state is brimming with abandoned places. Over the years, we have introduced you to many of these dilapidated locations including spooky mansions, creepy state parks, terrifying hospitals, and ghost towns, just to name a few. But did you know that there's an abandoned fort in Maryland that can be found in the middle of the Patapsco River?
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You may have spotted Fort Carroll from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and many passersby wonder what this hexagonal structure is, including me. After some research, I discovered that it was originally a fort, built in 1847. Once the fort was no longer deemed necessary as a defense spot for Baltimore, it was left abandoned. Today, Fort Carroll Baltimore only inhabitants are migratory birds and overgrown plant life.
YouTube user Pat Gavin took a kayak trip to the abandoned fort near Baltimore, Maryland, and captured some amazing Fort Carroll photos. Check out the video at the end for the spectacular images and eerie footage.
There's only one way to reach Fort Carroll these days, and that's by kayak or canoe. Use caution, as this area is the main route for large ships. It's also considered trespassing, but that didn't thwart our adventurous videographer as you will see when you watch the footage below. The sight as you paddle up to the fort is surreal, as it's completely surrounded by water and offers a great view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. If you don’t know, a portion of this bridge collapsed after a cargo ship collided with it.
While most of Fort Carroll crumbles away, many of the walls and archways are in surprisingly good shape. If you can get close enough to the fort, you'll see that trees and vines have overtaken this structure, claiming it as their own. I find it quite beautiful when nature reclaims abandoned places. This neglected and historic place is a far cry from what it once was, yet somehow, there's something eerily peaceful in it all.
Fun fact: The fort was named after Charles Carroll who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
For more views and footage of Fort Carroll, an abandoned fort in Maryland, check out the below video.
Abandoned places can be fascinating because they show us a slice of history. What are your thoughts on this abandoned fort in Maryland? Have you visited before? If so, be sure to share your experiences with us — we’d love to hear from you!
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Are you fascinated by abandoned places like Fort Carroll Baltimore? Then, check out these abandoned places in Maryland.
