by the dawn's early light

view from my window this morning

The few minutes before dawn are my absolute favorite time for photography, and this morning was a delight. Woke up in time to capture this picture through the east-facing window in our wrap-around corner suite at Four Seasons Baltimore. In the foreground is a small marina, and the iconic 40 foot Dominos Sugars sign can be seen in the background. But what I love most of all is the surface of the harbor, luminescent with the dawn's early light.

Baltimore is a historic city, the place where the national anthem of the United States was penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Despite the onslaught of "bombs bursting in air" (the bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry in the War of 1812), onlookers could see "by the dawn's early light ... that our flag was still there."

A number of tourist attractions are within walking distance of the Four Seasons — the Civil War Museum, the National Aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Maryland Science Museum, and the American Visionary Arts Museum ... not to mention the Harbor East Shopping area with high-end national brands in a non-mall setting.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. As affiliates of Brownell Travel, we can provide our clients with Virtuoso amenities and amenities from other Brownell preferred hotel partners including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and more. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.