You can enjoy even more attractions outside of the Inner Harbor. Nearby, at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum at 844 East Pratt Street, you can visit the 1793 home of Mary Pickersgill, who made the 30- by 42-foot Star-Spangled Banner which flew…Read More

You can enjoy even more attractions outside of the Inner Harbor.

Nearby, at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum at 844 East Pratt Street, you can visit the 1793 home of Mary Pickersgill, who made the 30- by 42-foot Star-Spangled Banner which flew over Ft. McHenry and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to our national anthem.

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum at 901 Pratt Street, with its steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and 19th century passenger and freight equipment is interesting even if you aren't into trains. The dramatic Roundhouse was built in 1884 by an architect who always wanted to construct a cathedral, and it shows.

Fell's Point, the oldest working maritime district in the U.S., is also a great place to dine, shop, and just sit outside and enjoy the busy harbor atmosphere.

Charles Street - Hop on and off the Trolley which runs from the Inner Harbor to Pennsylvania Station to shop at fine galleries and antique shops, as well as savor an assortment of international cuisine.

You could spend days at the Walters Art Gallery, at 600 North Charles Street, to see everything from Egyptian mummies, and armor and weaponry from prehistoric times to the 19th century, to masterpieces by Raphael and El Greco.

Baltimore has something fascinating for every member of your family.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Bureau 101 Light Street - 12th Floor
1-800-343-3468
www.baltimore.org

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At the Maryland Science Center, just a block southwest of the Inner Harbor, three floors of captivating hands-on activities and live demonstrations await. Don't miss the incredible five-story IMAX movie theater or the Davis Planetarium. There's even more learning fun at the National Aquarium at…Read More

At the Maryland Science Center, just a block southwest of the Inner Harbor, three floors of captivating hands-on activities and live demonstrations await. Don't miss the incredible five-story IMAX movie theater or the Davis Planetarium.

There's even more learning fun at the National Aquarium at Pier 3 and Pratt Street. Soothing sounds of the sea surround you as you literally walk with sharks, dolphins, rays, and exotic tropical fish. Stepping into the steamy tropical rain forest is a definite highlight, and, at the Marine Mammal Pavilion, there are whale and dolphin presentations.

The newest exhibit, the Amazon River Forest, lets you wander along a 57-foot stretch of riverbank and spot anaconda, piranhas, and dwarf caimans, as well as turtles, reptiles, amphibians, tropical birds and thousands of fish. Particularly fascinating is the side-by-side display that shows the forest when it's dry and when it is flooded.

At Pier 1 and Pratt Street, dip back into history by boarding the U.S. Frigate Constellation, the first commissioned ship of the Navy (1797) and the oldest American warship continuously afloat.

At the World Trade Center, at Pier 2 and Pratt Street, the tallest pentagonal building in the country, you can enjoy a dramatic panoramic view of Baltimore from the observatory at 27th floor, as well as an interesting display of Baltimore's past.

And these are just the highlights.

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Those of us who grew up "down de Ocean" in the 50's and 60's remember some of the older family owned hotels in the center of town. They ranged from the larger ones to the small cottage type. Many of them are still…Read More

Those of us who grew up "down de Ocean" in the 50's and 60's remember some of the older family owned hotels in the center of town. They ranged from the larger ones to the small cottage type. Many of them are still around and have not changed much except for the paint colors. Some, especially the ones on the boardwalk, have redone their facades. Some, unfortunately, (or fortunately if you are not a fan) have given way to the condos that are creeping into the "Old Town" section. We try to stay in the older buildings because of the atmosphere and they are usually quite a bit cheaper. That leaves us more "Crab Money".

If you choose to stay in an older building, be prepared for lumpy plaster walls and low pressure plumbing. The rooms are usually clean and have a small fridge and/or microwave (check on website or at front desk to be sure). The porches are great places to get a breeze and most are close to restaurants and variety stores. Some even have their own bike rentals. The residents of these older hotels are usually very friendly and will share a beer or Coke with you. It is easy to make friends with your fellow travellers when you share a porch.

Since the older section of town is fairly small, you can walk to the fishing boat marinas on either side of the bridge and go deep sea or bay fishing. Be prepared to catch something - it is very seldom that a boat comes back empty.

Fishing is also available on the bridge that connects the "Old" part of town to West Ocean City (Rt. 50 Bridge) and on the pier behind the amusement pier off the boardwalk. You can surf fish in the early morning hours in the ocean when the beach is empty. Some of the bayside accomodations have canals and private piers for fishing. Check with the front desk at check-in if you are staying on the bayside. Most of the bayside piers also allow crabbing - bring your own traps and pots.

There is always something to do in Old Town Ocean City - even if it is only "vegging out".Close

Confession: Though I'm usually a salty snack kind of gal, sometimes I cannot get enough of dessert! Dental problems are the pits, but if your problem is a sudden attack of the sweet tooth, I've got you covered. Join me for a moment as I take…Read More

Confession: Though I'm usually a salty snack kind of gal, sometimes I cannot get enough of dessert!

Dental problems are the pits, but if your problem is a sudden attack of the sweet tooth, I've got you covered. Join me for a moment as I take you on a tour of the sweet side of Frederick. Calorie-counters beware!

Here are my awards for the best desserts, and there's nothing fair about the selection process. Sorry!

Best chocolate malt: Snow White Grill. 7 East Patrick Street. 301-662-9709. Also serving teensy-sized hamburgers, fries, and more. Get a malt to go so you can walk around town.

Biggest desserts: Mountain View Diner. 1300 W. Patrick. 301-668-8562. Good googly-moogly! Those things are huge! That's more or less what everyone says when they peer into the dessert case for the first time. Big and tasty pies and cakes will tempt you shamelessly. Choose at your peril, though, because something that size might do you in! Also a good place to get Greek food. Surprise! If you've got a picky eater, try here, because they've got darned near everything on the menu.

We all scream for ice cream!: Depending on your mood, you've got some choices. My personal favorites are Baskin Robbins at 1023 West Patrick Street, Cheeseburgers N Paradise at 1201 East Patrick Street, and the Frederick Ice Cream Factory at 45 Waverley Drive. Baskin Robbins, of course, has their famous 31 flavors, and the Frederick Ice Cream Company serves Hershey's Ice Cream and Via Veneto Italian Ice. Cheeseburgers 'N Paradise is soft-serve heaven with tons of flavors on the menu.

Gourment treat: John Hagan's Tavern. 5018 Old National Pike, Braddock Heights, Maryland 21714. 301-371-9189. Always a romantic dining experience, Hagan's is a great place to mix sweets with sweet nothings. You might have trouble deciding which dessert to try.

Okay, you've got the info. Now get out there and get snacking! Don't worry -- I won't tell your dietician or your dentist.

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St. Michaels dates back to the early days of colonial America when shipbuilding and tobacco farming were all the rage on the Eastern shore. The most famous story about St. Michaels, however, comes from a much later time--the 1800s. In connection with the War of…Read More

St. Michaels dates back to the early days of colonial America when shipbuilding and tobacco farming were all the rage on the Eastern shore. The most famous story about St. Michaels, however, comes from a much later time--the 1800s. In connection with the War of 1812, a group of British ships had planned to bombard St. Michaels with a storm of cannonballs in August of 1813. The town residents somehow found out about this plan and hatched a scheme to save their homes and families. Ever inventive, the townspeople gathered up lanterns and strung them up in high places outside of town, creating the illusion of civilization. When the British finally ceased their volley, they found that only a single house had sustained any damage, and that was only from one cannonball. The residents of St. Michaels had caused the British cannons to overshoot the town, preserving their homes. This is how St. Michaels became known as "The Town that Fooled the British."

Even today, the colonial and maritime charm of St. Michaels lives on. No longer in danger from the British, residents have staved off any threat of encroachment of large-scale tourism and have instead maintained a town full of quiet charm. Devoid of large chain hotels, historic St. Michaels offers accommodation in upscale inns, charming bed and breakfasts, and numerous boat slips. There is even a harbor taxi for those who prefer to occupy moorings for the night. This is definitely a destination for the boating crowd. It is also a destination for the shopping crowd. The charming "downtown" streets are lined with delightful and upscale boutiques, peddling art and antiques, boat gear and boat-a-bilia, jewelry, and sportswear. Rover is welcome to come along too--there are many doggy spots set up outside of the stores with water dishes and a place to tie up. Dining is a real treat in St. Michaels, as this Bay town has been in the seafood business for over a century. You cannot leave without sampling fresh, authentic Maryland crab cakes or dining on a dozen steamed crabs. Oysters here are about as fresh as they come, and there are more than a few places to slurp them.

Of course, after all that dining, a nice long walk is in order. A stroll through the streets of St. Michaels is the perfect way to spend a late summer afternoon or evening. The architecture here has been preserved through the ages so that colonial homes stand side by side with elegant Victorians. The lawns are perfectly manicured and the homes kept in stunning repair. There are also points of interest and historical markers here and there that teach about the town's long and distinguished past. The streets are quiet and enveloped in cool, green shade. I could not help feeling that I had wandered into a storybook when I was there.

Along with its historical character, St. Michaels also has some real "people character" that can make it seem almost quirky at times. I found the locals here to be disconcertingly friendly compared to most other Marylanders. That alone was a shock. It reminds me of the hospitality and manners I was accustomed to in my native state of Georgia. Residents of St. Michaels will not look at you like you have two heads if you nod and say hello to them in the grocery store. They will just smile and say hello right back. There are all sorts of people here, including artists, fishermen, and itinerant boaters who all mesh together in a fascinating human tapestry. It seems that any and all are welcome--and welcomed with great enthusiasm. Little unexpected surprises such as a bar full of beckoning karaoke enthusiasts or a restaurant owner who offers to come pick you up from the marina for dinner can really make your stay memorable.

St. Michaels is not a town that time forgot; it is a town that has aged with grace and beauty, and a place that continues to grow into its future with great wisdom and a respect for its roots.

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I decided not to drive from New York to Baltimore, but to rely on the convenience of Amtrak. I booked a round-trip ticket with a discount code found online and saved 25% of the full fare. The train trip south was incredibly enjoyable. The…Read More

I decided not to drive from New York to Baltimore, but to rely on the convenience of Amtrak. I booked a round-trip ticket with a discount code found online and saved 25% of the full fare. The train trip south was incredibly enjoyable. The train was not overly crowded and the conductor was very helpful. I was clearly looking for a seat where I wouldn’t have to disturb someone in order to sit next to them. He informed me that there were seats up farther in the food car. I ventured ahead to the car he indicated to find large pleather seats with an enormous amount of legroom. These were unlike any Amtrak train I had been on before. I chose a seat along the wall that had single seats rather than the usual double seats. Plugged in (my laptop with a movie), I was all set to go. When I got off the train, I felt relaxed and rested, unlike after most travel on public transportation.

I was all prepared for another pleasant trip back north. I arrived at the train station in Baltimore to find out that someone had been hit on the tracks, causing major delays of all the scheduled trains. In order to alleviate some of the scheduling delays, Amtrak decided to combine the passengers from two trains into my scheduled train. The result of this was that the only remaining seats on the train were in the quiet car. For those of you who, like me, were unaware that Amtrak offers quiet cars, this basically means the car is darker than most and that you are not allowed to use your cell phones (impairing one’s ability to let others know that the train’s arrival will be delayed). However, they do allow loud talking among passengers. They also allow passengers to bring smelly food into the car and eat it noisily. This seems like a bit of a contradiction to me, but I will move on.

The seats on this train were much more cramped and the power outlets did not work, at least on my car. The conductors were cranky and unhelpful, unlike on my trip down.

Overall, based on my experience, I think this is usually a reliable method of transportation. I hope that a person being hit on the tracks is a highly unusual occurrence. I would recommend traveling on the Amtrak Metroliner based on my trip to Baltimore, and chock the trip back up as not indicative of their regular service.Close

I remember going to rural county fairs when I was a child and staring in fascination at the lurid pictures of sideshow freaks painted on canvas banners. Outside the tent, a barker delivered his spiel, megaphone in hand: SEE! The Petrified Man!MARVEL! At the…Read More

I remember going to rural county fairs when I was a child and staring in fascination at the lurid pictures of sideshow freaks painted on canvas banners. Outside the tent, a barker delivered his spiel, megaphone in hand:
SEE! The Petrified Man!
MARVEL! At the Bearded LadyTHRILL! To the inhuman feats of the Human Blockhead!

The days of the sideshow freak have vanished. Modern sensibilities rightly find the idea of putting human deformity on display distasteful. However, there’s still a market for outrageous displays of virtuoso insanity, as the success of acts such as The Jim Rose Circus and Penn and Teller attest. Many of these hip performers owe a considerable debt to the tradition of sideshow performers, however--the fire-eaters, knife-throwers, escape artists, contortionists, snake charmers, mesmerists, and magicians who perfected the art of showmanship.

"How would you like to go to a sideshow?" I asked my twelve-year-old son as we drive to Baltimore one weekend. He looked up from his Gameboy, "A what?"

"A sideshow," I repeated. "You know, like circus performers."

He heaved a great sigh of long-suffering martyrdom. "Alll riigght. If there’s nothing else that’s better to do. But I want to go to the Science Museum first, like you promised."

It was nearly sunset when, after a long day at the Inner Harbor, we drove to the campus of the Maryland Institute College of Art. I’d seen flyers for "The World-Famous Insanitarium!" earlier in the month at the American Dime Museum, which was co-sponsoring the event with the college. The Insanitarium was to run for an entire week, with shows held from the late afternoon until midnight, roughly every other hour.

We had no difficulty finding the large tent that had been set up on campus to house the Insantitarium. It was, miraculously, the sideshow tent of my childhood memories, complete with enormous banners depicting the wonders within. The sideshow spiel was, alas, a taped recording, but even so it featured all the hallmark patter of old.

In a reversal of sideshow tradition, the friendly carny-selling tickets ($2) out front seemed reluctant to take my money. "Kids are free," he declared, waving us onward into the tent. "But he’s twelve," I protested. "Never mind that; kids are free." And so, unexpectedly, I found the only place in town not trying to buck off me was, of all places, a sideshow.

The show hadn’t yet started, so we spent time looking over the exhibits on loan from the American Dime Museum, most of which we’d seen on our visit there earlier in the month: an enormous mummy, a collection of two-headed animals, the Devil Man, and other now-familiar wonders were ranged along the side of the tent. Facing the entrance was a particularly fine specimen: a buck with a machine-gun nozzle grafted onto his nose. Yes, it was a hunter’s worst nightmare: a deer that could shoot back.

The crowd was sparse on a Sunday evening, but soon a handful of local kids and art students from the college filtered into the tent. Several people emerged from the back of the tent; I recognized James Taylor, one of the curators of the Dime Museum, and guessed that the older man he was deep in conversation with was King Bobby Reynolds, "The Greatest Showman in the World." However, it wasn’t Reynolds or Taylor that announced the show, but a genial fellow who promised to show us secrets of card swindlers. Standing not on stage, but gathering the audience around him in a tight circle, he performed trick after trick: three card monte, for instance, and other sleight-of-hand passes that went by too quickly for me to fully grasp. While I am always somewhat stupefied by card tricks, this guy made me feel particularly dull-witted.

The next performer was Matt Hely, an astonishing fellow who, as near as I could tell, had mastered the full gamut of sideshow acts. Now, the thing that always surprises me, but shouldn’t, is how normal sideshow artists appear. Hely, for example, looked like he could be a minister, or perhaps a junior high school science teacher. He had the open, guileless look of a person with nothing up his sleeve. That look, I suppose, is either a natural-born talent or takes years to perfect; either way, it is an undeniable asset for a sideshow performer.

He opened with a demonstration of fire eating. After soaking several torches in lighter fluid and igniting them with an impressive POOF!, Hely placed them in his mouth, passing them back and forth over his tongue, all the while keeping a pleasant, "How about this, boys and girls?" expression on his face. His demonstration was casual, almost off-the-cuff, and as he put the fiery ends out with a flourish (and audible sizzle) on his tongue, he barely acknowledged the gasps from the audience.

Then, in rapid succession, he ran through an astonishing repertoire. He lay shirtless on a bed of nails, for example, and invited an attractive young lady from the audience to come up and stand on his chest. Next, a scruffy-looking student wearing long johns and a skirt (this was a guy, mind you), enthusiastically volunteered to lace him into a straight jacket and secure him with padlocks and chains. Sheepishly, I raised my hand when Hely asked for a volunteer to time him while he escaped. To make the escape a little more interesting, as he put it, he stood on shards of broken glass as he heaved, shrugged, and wriggled his way free. "A minute and forty-five seconds!" I called as the straight jacket fell to the floor.

Next came an eye-watering series of apparent body mutilations, which seemed to arouse the particular admiration of the members of the audience with multi-body piercings. However, instead of anything as mundane as rings or studs, Hely proceeded to sew a button onto his bare forearm. Then he inserted a ten-inch nail up his nose, but not before beaming at my son avuncularly and proclaiming, "Kids, don’t try this at home!"

The finale was an electrical feast. Running an electrical current through his body, Hely lit up a long fluorescent light tube he held in his hand. Then, obviously feeling that the audience had not squirmed sufficiently, he volunteered, in much the same tone of voice as someone might offer to get you a beer from the fridge, to eat a light bulb. He held the bulb aloft, regarding it with apparent relish. Crunch, crunch, crunch . . .

"Mom! Is that real?" whispered my son, aghast. "Well, it sure looks like it is," I answered. "But even if it isn’t, I think it’s great."

"Yeah."

The third and final performer was Johnny Fox, billed the "World’s Greatest Sword Swallower." Fox was a more somber character. Rather than humoring the audience, he seemed to relish baiting them a bit. "Why are you laughing?" he asked when several members of the audience tittered nervously as he brandished an enormous sword. "I’ve got your money!" He then proceeded to give the audience its money's worth, swallowing that sword, an even longer sword, and several swords simultaneously. By the end of his act, I’d little doubt that Fox was indeed possessed of a rare gift.

"So, what did you think of the sideshow?" I asked my son as we left the tent.

"That was AWESOME!" replied my formerly blasé offspring. "Can we come back and see it again?"

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The first time I went to the Fells Point neighborhood in Baltimore (Oct. 1999), I wasn't impressed. Maybe I was hoping for more, maybe I thought it was too earthy, maybe I expected it to be more "gentrified", maybe it seemed a little more edgy…Read More

The first time I went to the Fells Point neighborhood in Baltimore (Oct. 1999), I wasn't impressed. Maybe I was hoping for more, maybe I thought it was too earthy, maybe I expected it to be more "gentrified", maybe it seemed a little more edgy that what I was used to. I recall thinking "this is it?".

A year-and-a-half later, Fells Point has really grown on me. With all too many urban centers in the US becoming big sprawling places that roll up the carpet after the workday's over. There are notable exceptions: the big 4 northeast corridor cities (NYC, Boston, Philly, DC), San Fran, and Chicago come to mind). With the population declines in Baltimore and desolate nature of many neighborhoods on weekends, I was afraid Baltimore was rapidly degenerating that way.

Fells Point gives me hope...this neighborhood seems to be defying the trend of exodus to the suburbs. On the northern edges between Fells Point and Johns Hopkins Hospital is apparently a sizeable Latino community (restaurants, stores, churches with displays only in Spanish) I didn't even know existed in Baltimore. A vibrant area, worn-at-the-edges, but interesting to see.

Fells Point itself, with its seafood and diverse restaurants (sushi, Chinese, Latin, Italian), historical rowhouses (Paddy Whalen, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Billie Holliday all lived here at one time), antique/record stores, seems like THE neighborhood to live in in Baltimore for those of us who like dynamic urban ambience (stores for all needs within easy walking distance). Some of my initial perceptions were correct: true, it IS very earthy with a large working-class element, and it IS moderately touristy (but not overly so); but Fells Point is a diverse, real urban neighborhood that exudes a uniquely Bawlmore charm and now I've learned to appreciate it for THAT.

Incidentally, I had the best calzone (veggie!) I think I've ever eaten at Lucia's in Broadway Market (on Broadway between Thames and Fleet), and got a good coffee in the Market too. Paul Stevens Ltd. on Thames St. one block east of Broadway had decent crab cake sandwiches ($9.95) and simple, charming old-world decor but was a little overpriced in my opinion.

Fells Point is about a $8 taxi ride from Baltimore Penn Station or may be reached by water taxis from the Inner Harbor ($5/day pass). Buses run from downtown/inner harbor (go to MTA Maryland for schedules) but I find the frequency leaves something to be desired on the weekend.

If I could do my time (I'm here on a 2-year contract) in Baltimore all over again, I think I would choose to live in Fells Point.

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Wanna know a cheaper way to get from the West or Midwest to Philadelphia or Washington? Here’s what I do: * Buy a cheap Southwest Airlines ticket to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. * For another $1.35, take a light rail train to the Pratt St. (Convention…Read More

Wanna know a cheaper way to get from the West or Midwest to Philadelphia or Washington? Here’s what I do:

* Buy a cheap Southwest Airlines ticket to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

* For another $1.35, take a light rail train to the Pratt St. (Convention Center) stop and have dinner at City Lights or another of the superb seafood restaurants along the Inner Harbor.

* Take the light rail, bus or Metro to Penn Station, then take the first Amtrak train that comes along to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Your Amtrak ticket will be honored on a commuter train from there to Philadelpia City Center.

You obviously can’t do this if you work until 5 p.m. But if you have a free afternoon, you’ll have a more varied travel experience, enjoy a waterfront dinner instead of airline food, and probably save enough money to make the roundabout itinerary worthwhile. This alternative is especially attractive when other airlines are matching Southwest’s fares.

You don’t HAVE to visit downtown Baltimore to enjoy the city’s cheaper airfares. There’s a free shuttle bus from the airport terminal to the nearby BWI Amtrak station. Service is reasonably frequent to Philadelphia and Amtrak service to Washington is supplemented by MARC commuter trains. For Amtrak schedules, click on this web address:
http://reservations.amtrak.com/jumppage.htm .

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My last two visits to Baltimore have been stopovers for dinner while en route to somewhere else. My most recent hotel stay there was in 1998, not recent enough to justify a full-fledged review. Here, however, are brief recollections of properties I’ve used in the…Read More

My last two visits to Baltimore have been stopovers for dinner while en route to somewhere else. My most recent hotel stay there was in 1998, not recent enough to justify a full-fledged review. Here, however, are brief recollections of properties I’ve used in the past and, after reviewing a more-current hotel directory, could probably recommend:

-The Clarion at Mt. Vernon Square, 612 Cathedral St.
-Days Inn Inner Harbor,100 Hopkins Place.

The Clarion, stayed at in 1998, is only a few minutes’ walk from the light rail line and, if you like walking, within walking distance of downtown. It’s within reasonable walking distance of Penn Station (AMTRAK), but, alas, the walk isn’t safe at night. My principal memory is arriving in a heavy rainstorm, hungry, and being told that since the hotel didn’t have a full-service restaurant for dinner, I could have their courtesy van take me to a restaurant of my choice. When I was done for the evening, I was invited to call and have their driver come fetch me. Class. I paid approximately $90/night at the Clarion in 1998 but a Year 2000 directory shows their rates for a single starting at $109.

The Days Inn is barely a quarter-mile from Harborplace and the restaurant I like so well there. It’s a seven or eight minute walk from the light rail line and there’s a ‘Metro’ station about the same distance away. It’s not convenient to downtown but one of the next-to-last stops on the bus from downtown to BWI Airport. My stay there was in 1992; I recall it as being about what you’d expect of a high-rise Days Inn in a downtown location in a major city. My year-old hotel directory shows their published ‘rack’ rate for single rooms as $59-139. I’m dubious about the $59 figure but, since I’m not staying there anytime soon, didn’t call to test its availability.

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