BALTIMORE - CHARM CITY

Baltimore is located about an hour northwest of Washington, D.C., on a harbor in the Northwest Branch of Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is known primarily for the beauty of its inner harbor, which contains the National Aquarium among other sights. At one point the harbor was a collection of decaying old buildings, but it is an example of urban renewal that has gone right - it now attracts tourists from around the world.

Just north of the inner harbor is the downtown area, which has a lot of historical buildings, as well as the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. As you move west, you enter residential areas, some of which have interesting architectural designs, but others which have seen the blight of the 60s and have not recovered. The industrial area of Baltimore lies just south, the large Domino Sugar sign that marks the area is now a Baltimore landmark. Fort McHenry, the inspiration behind the national anthem, is on a point just southeast of this area.

Baltimore is a good sports town, at least for the two teams that it supports. Beside the Orioles and Camden Yards, the NFL's 2001 Champion Baltimore Ravens play in PSINet Stadium.

Our impressions: Driving in Baltimore is not difficult if you have a good map, but roads are narrow and one-way streets abound, so you need to be alert. Parking in the inner harbor can be hard to find. The meters in this area were the first that we saw that were enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which would lead one to assume that the area is a nightspot - this isn't the case however, as most restaurants are shut down by midnight. 

Baltimore has a light rail system, but it wasn't operational when we were there, at least around Camden Yards. In fact, a lot of Baltimore's roads were under construction, which just adds to the confusion of driving around.

The best thing about Baltimore is the preservation of its history. Although plenty of new skyscrapers have been added in the past few years, old areas of the town have been preserved and history buffs should appreciate the wide variety of historical museums.

The inner harbor is a great place to walk around and grab a bite or do your souvenir shopping. The shuttle bus to all the attractions is a good deal for $5/day. During 2001, there were lots of fish on display around the area, each painted with a different design. This added to the colour of the area, and with a list of all of the fishes available, a good walking tour would take you to all of them.

Baseball fish

Overall, Baltimore is a nice town with a lot to do for anybody. With Camden Yards and the Babe Ruth Museum, both the casual and serious baseball fan will find something to do here. Obviously anyone interested in baseball should make a stop at Camden and then spend a couple of days touring the other parts of the city.