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The Great Literary Trip: Day 3

 I'm back! Welcome to the day 3 recap!


Day 3

CITIES

We were physically in three main cities today: Charlottesville, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. We only did activities/site-saw in one of those cities. Today, we visited the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University and another bookstore, Greedy Reads, in Baltimore, Maryland. 


LIBRARIES

We had the opportunity to visit the most Instagram-able library of every Pinterest girl's dreams: the George Peabody Library. Social media aside, it truly is breathtaking. As soon as we walked into the beautiful, heavy wooden doors, I knew this would be a memorable experience.

George Peabody's vision for this library during its conception in 1878 was for it to be a "cathedral of books." Peabody, philanthropist and patron of the humanities, created the library to be a center of arts and culture for the people of his beloved Baltimore. The George Peabody Library was America's first music conservatory. The Peabody Institute remains one of the world's best music schools. 

The space is designed as an open and airy atrium. Gorgeous light pours through the ceiling windows. Glossy marble floors provide a foundation for six floors filled with massive, wooden bookshelves. Ornate railings give the huge space a luxurious feeling. 

Most of the books in the library are reference volumes dating up to the late 19th century. The subjects are diverse, ranging from genealogy (we found my family's Scottish tartan in the first book we picked up) to Shakespeare companions to records of New Amsterdam. 

Now, the library is open to visitors and is under the jurisdiction of Johns Hopkins University. Television shows and movies are filmed on location in the library, and there is even a special feature on the website where you can book the famous atrium for events and weddings. George Peabody is booked solid until March 2024, so be sure to reserve your date asap if you wish to live out your wildest Instagram dreams. 


BOOKSTORES

We visited one bookstore today: Greedy Reads in Baltimore. We, unfortunately, did not get to go into this shop. We did not feel entirely comfortable leaving our car in the area of Baltimore where Greedy Reads is located. While we did not get to physically go inside the bookstore, I did snap a couple photos from the road of the storefront. 

We have found that quite a few of the bookstores on our route have been in questionable neighborhoods, and it is just day three of our trip. I believe wholeheartedly that everyone needs books, and every community benefits from literature; however, personal safety should be a top priority navigating some of the country's largest cities. So fair warning, if I were traveling alone, I would be unsure of some of my surroundings. 



I will check in tomorrow with another update!!

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