Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
That commitment to diversity has always characterized this state, despite a mixed re-
cord on slavery. Although state loyalties were split during the Civil War, a Confederate
invasion was halted here in 1862 at Antietam. Following the war, Maryland harnessed its
black, white and immigrant work force, splitting the economy between Baltimore's in-
dustry and shipping, and the later need for services in Washington, DC. Today the answer
to 'What makes a Marylander?' is 'all of the above': the state mixes rich, poor, the
foreign-born, urban sophisticates and rural villages like few other states do.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Baltimore
Once one of the most important port towns in America, Baltimore - or 'Bawlmer' to loc-
als - is a city of contradictions. On one hand it remains something of an ugly duckling -
a defiant, working-class, gritty city still tied to its nautical past. But in recent years Bal-
timore has begun to grow into a swan or, more accurately, gotten better at showing the
world the swan that was always there, in the form of world-class museums, trendy shops,
ethnic restaurants, boutique hotels, culture and sports. 'B'more' (another nickname) does
this all with a twinkle in the eye and a wisecrack on the lips; this quirky city spawned
Billie Holiday and John Waters. Yet it remains intrinsically tied to the water, from the
Disney-fied Inner Harbor and cobblestoned streets of portside Fells Point to the shores of
Fort McHenry, birthplace of America's national anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
There's an intense, sincere friendliness to this 'burg, which is why Baltimore lives up to
its final, most accurate nickname: 'Charm City.'
Sights & Activities
Harborplace & Inner Harbor
This is where most tourists start and, unfortunately, end their Baltimore sightseeing. The
Inner Harbor is a big, gleaming waterfront renewal project of shiny glass, air-conditioned
malls and flashy bars that manages to capture the maritime heart of this city, albeit in a
safe-for-the-family kinda way. But it's also just the tip of Baltimore's iceberg.
National Aquarium
AQUARIUM
