Introduction
Maryland’s major city is one of the USA’s busiest ports. Restoration of the city’s Inner Harbor area has created one of the major tourist destinations in the mid-Atlantic region. Baltimore has a cosmopolitan population of 650,000 (more than 2.5 million in the metro area) and an attractive village-like atmosphere.
The Inner Harbor area contains the Top of the World Observation Level at the World Trade Center, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Maryland Science Center and two pavilions on the water’s edge, filled with shops and restaurants. It is also the site of the Port Discovery children’s museum. The open-air Harborplace Amphitheatre is the site of the annual summer-long street performers’ festival. Nearby is the Charles Center with 9 hectares (22 acres) of offices, tower blocks, overhead walkways, fountains and plazas, including the Morris Mechanic Theater. Also nearby is the Baltimore Arena, which is the site for indoor soccer and other special attractions. The beautiful Pier Six Concert Pavilion, at the Inner Harbor, hosts concerts during the summer months (June to late September). City art museums include the Baltimore Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum and the American Visionary Art Museum. Mount Vernon Place contains 19th-century houses and squares, and various cultural institutions, such as the Peabody Conservatory of Music. It also includes the Washington Monument, which can be climbed for a panoramic view.
A short water-taxi ride or drive away from the Inner Harbor is the star-shaped, brick-built Fort McHenry National Monument, whose bombardment in 1814 inspired the writing of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and where special drills and military ceremonies are performed. The neighbourhoods of Fell’s Point and Little Italy can also be reached by water taxi.
A town of quaint brick buildings and parks, Frederick is an excellent starting point for a tour of Civil War sites, which are found in and around the city. Gambrill State Park, just west of the town, offers outstanding panoramic views from the Catoctin peaks. Camp David Presidential Retreat, near Thurmont, is the traditional retreat for US Presidents. The public is not allowed inside, but visitors can experience the same lovely landscape in Catoctin Mountain Park, which surrounds it. Cunningham Falls State Park is also nearby.
The State capital has an attractive harbour, the impressive campus of the US Naval Academy and beautiful period architecture. Annapolis makes a good starting point for a tour of the Eastern Shore, since it is just a few miles from the famous Bay Bridge. The bridge leads to St Michaels, a quaint town that highlights life along Chesapeake Bay; Crisfield and Smith Island, home to huge populations of Maryland blue crabs; Salisbury, where visitors will find the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art; and Ocean City, a lovely beach resort boasting an expansive white sand beach, a 5km- (3 mile-) long boardwalk, amusements, tram rides, boating and deep-sea fishing.
More rugged than the rest of Maryland, this part of the State extends into the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. The forested peaks and valleys offer all manner of summer and winter activities for the outdoor enthusiast.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, stretching 295km (184 miles) from Washington, DC to Cumberland in Western Maryland, is where the young Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington began his military career. His headquarters can still be seen here. The canal was once a major avenue of commerce. The towpath for mule-drawn barges now serves as a popular hiking and biking trail. Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County is the State’s four-season resort, with skiing, golf and many water-based activities.
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