Step Away from the Beltway – Part 2
Want to head somewhere new on your Washington, D.C. vacation? Maybe you and yours have already visited Annapolis. Never fear, stop by Baltimore for more fun and adventures.
Baltimore
Baltimore has a plethora of sports to offer visitors and residents. Home to the Orioles (MLB) and the Ravens (NFL), Washington residents travel an hour north to get their fill of sports. If making a day trip, visit Inner Harbor, just a short jaunt from the Orioles Park at Camden Yards. Inner Harbor is dominated by a bi-level shopping mall that’s restaurant-heavy, but where visitors can also sign up for a paddleboat ride on a dragon-shaped boat.
Have kids with you? Perfect. Here are just a few options:
- The National Aquarium across the harbor from Inner Harbor
- The Maryland Science Center – it even boasts an IMAX theater
- Port Discovery Children’s Museum
- Fort McHenry – where Francis Scott Key penned the national anthem
- Geppi’s Entertainment Museum – chock full of comic books and superhero stuff
There are plenty of attractions in Baltimore to keep visitors entertained for days. Here are a few options:
- American Visionary Art Museum
- Walters Art Gallery
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Edgar Allen Poe House
- Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
On second thought, maybe a whole vacation to Baltimore is in order?
About Ft. McHenry:
Fort McHenry – Baltimore
Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem from a ship anchored offshore is a must visit. Plan to be there for at least 2 hours. Make sure you catch the 10-minute orientation film shown twice per hour and visit the fort in a self-guided tour. At 9:30 a.m. and at 4:20 p.m the flag is changed. Don’t miss it. Young people are invited to help folding the giant flag. Special events are held regularly and are very moving.
The summer months include daily ranger talks and weekend living history in the fort. The Fort McHenry Guard performs drill, musket and artillery demonstrations. Check the parks website for special events.
We cover Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens in an other bloogpost and for more interesting suggestions check out the Unofficial Guide to Washington D.C.
Picture by National Park Service Digital Image Archives [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
