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During your Baltimore vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Port Discovery
This is a kid-powered museum where in exhibits covering three floors, kids of all ages (though mostly ages 6-12) can cross the Nile to explore ancient Egypt, climb through a kitchen drain as they solve a mystery in Miss Perception's Mystery House, and climb and play on the three-story-high Kidworks. Walt Disney Company "Imagineers" designed most of the exhibits. Adding to the activity are some high-tech toys in the PD Kid Club, where children use computers to compose music, shoot videos, or produce their own cartoons. Oasis Story Times are offered at 11am Monday through Saturday in summer and Tuesday through Saturday during the school year.As part of a visit -- or on its own -- visitors can take a trip on a tethered helium balloon that rises 450 feet above Baltimore. The HiFlyer (tel. 410/949-2359) can carry 20 passengers (including up to three wheelchairs) for the 20-minute ride. It flies 11:30am to 8pm (until 10pm Fri and Sat) daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with weekend hours September through May whenever the weather's agreeable. You can see to the city's limits.
Great Blacks in Wax Museum
The first thing you hear when you enter this museum is the sound of moaning, coming from the Slave Ship exhibit. This wax museum doesn't shy away from the tough topics -- a lynching exhibit is in the basement -- but it revels in the African Americans, indeed all people of color, who made a difference. Some you expect: Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, and Crispus Attucks, as well as famous athletes, artists, and entertainers. Some may be people you weren't aware of: rodeo star Bill Pickett, Matthew Henson at the North Pole, African Americans who made advances in medicine, science, law, and politics. The second floor is devoted to Marylanders and an exhibit of children's efforts to secure freedom from oppression both in the United States and elsewhere. Parking is available in a supermarket lot across the street.
Fort McHenry
The flag that flies at Fort McHenry is 30 by 42 feet, big enough for Francis Scott Key to "see by the dawn's early light." The flag's 15 stars and stripes still fly as boldly as they did that terrible night when soldiers here stood once again to reclaim American independence.The star-shaped fort looks much as it did in 1814, the year of the British attack. Its buildings, repaired in the days following that attack, still stand.The Star-Spangled Banner is central to this fort, which is a national park. Visitors are invited to take part in the daily changing of the flag. In fact, because the flag is so big, about 20 people are needed to keep it off the ground and fold it. Stop by at 9:30am or 4:30pm (7:30pm June-Aug) to join in. The large flag flies only during daylight hours, but a smaller flag flies at night. The rangers conclude the flag-raising ceremony with a short historical talk about the fort, the flag, or the national anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner Weekend held in mid-September recalls the British attack on the fort. On selected Sundays, from 6 to 8pm, military bands perform with a color guard, drill teams, and the Fort McHenry Guard dressed in 19th century uniforms, a ceremony which began in 1803. Admission to the ceremony is free. Call or visit the website for a schedule. Exhibits recall Baltimore under siege during the War of 1812, the fort's Civil War service, and its use as an army hospital during World War I. A visit takes about 90 minutes. The fort sits on a point in the harbor, where visitors can see the Inner Harbor, the Patapsco River, and down to the Chesapeake Bay. Visits to the park outside the fort are free, and picnicking is allowed.
Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown
The hotel designed by business travelers Courtyard surrounds you with all the conveniences that make business and pleasure travel easy. The Courtyard Baltimore Downtown is conveniently located two blocks from the attractions, dining and shopping of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, one half mile from Fells Point and one mile from the convention center and Johns Hopkins hospital. Numerous other attractions are within walking distance of the hotel or are a short taxicab ride away. Indoor parking is ...
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