Baltimore in December with Toddler
 

I may have the opportunity to visit Baltimore for 3 days in December. I have a 2 1/2 year old child. My husband will be there on business, so it will be mainly me and my child exploring during the day. Is it usually too cold in early December to do much around the city? Does anyone have any specific recommendations on indoor activities for kids? Does one need to rent a car, or is public transportation adequate? Is it possible to day trip into DC from Baltimore with a young child, and if so, what would be the recommended route? Thanks!

The National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center are the first activities that come to mind. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum (with very inexpensive train rides) might also be a fun activity. This might be enough to fill three days with a young child. The website baltimore.org has a great listing of attractions, etc. to help you plan your visit.

Depending on where you're staying, you may have to take a taxi to these places.

The weather may be pleasant, or it may not be. You'll have to monitor that closer to your travel.

The aquarium and science center are good ideas. Also Port Discovery Childrens Museum-

http://portdiscovery.org/

All are located right around the Inner Harbor.

It is likely to be cold, but you might get lucky and have some temparatures around 50, if it is sunny.

> Is it possible to day trip into DC from Baltimore with a young child
> what would be the recommended route?

Such a day trip is best done by taking rail from Baltimore to DC, then riding the DC Metro with a day pass.

http://mta.maryland.gov/services/mar...nSystemMap.cfm

Unless you have experience in both NASCAR racing and demolition derby, then I do not recommend trying to drive in DC traffic.

I would agree that taking the MARC train to Union Station in DC would be the best way to go. But if you want to drive, the best route is probably US 295 south from downtown Baltimore into DC, then US Route 50 - New York Avenue - west into downtown Washington. Drive time is about an hour in light traffic (i.e. weekends or non-rush hour). There is parking all over downtown, but of course you would want to be as close to the mall as possible. One possibility that is close to New York Ave is a large parking garage at Union Station, which is about 4-5 blocks south of NY Ave along 1st Street, NE. The advantage is that this location would be just before you would be going into downtown, so you could avoid the downtown traffic, which is going to go a lot slower, though it's not bad on weekends. From there you can walk to the Capitol, or you can take the Metro from inside Union Station to other locations.

Definitely for that age the Aquarium and Maryland Science Center. And although we have a membership to both, your toddler might actually enjoy the Maryland Science Center more (if you had to choose just one).

The reason is that they have "toddler's play room" with all sorts of things to discover and play with.

We've been to Port Discovery, but weren't impressed and thought it was overpriced for what you get. But some people really like it.

Thank you all for your input!

DCAreaMom - have you been to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum? My son loves trains, but not sure if it's good for his age group.

Also, does anyone have recommendations for family-friendly restaurants? My husband and I are real foodies -- good ethnic food but also places that will let our toddler in the door!

Thanks!

Try Lebanese Taverna in Harbor East, just the other side of the National Aquarium by the Waterfront Marriott Hotel. They have great food and are very family friendly.

Lebanese Taverna is a good idea. If you like Italian, La Tavola and La Scala in Little Italy are good choices, both with very good food, and not too fancy. Little Italy is very close to the Inner Harbor, within walking distance.

Bertha's, in Fells Point on S. Broadway, would be another good choice. It's a pub, and they have excellent mussels, and have a good reputation for their crab cakes too, though I personally can't vouch for the crab cakes.

Three very popular places for foodies - one in Fells Point, one in Butcher's Hill, and one in Canton. Might require some short cab rides.

Peter's Inn - Ann Street in Fells Point
http://www.petersinn.com/

Salt - Pratt Street in Butcher's Hill
http://www.salttavern.com/index.php

Jack's Bistro - Elliott Street in Canton
http://jacksbistro.net/

Another place for seafood that seems very popular, in Canton, is Mama's on the Half Shell. It's on O'Donnell Square, which is a nice place to go for the evening.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-on-the...hell-baltimore