Baltimore Inner Harbor - with 2 year-old
 

Hi. We are planning a weekend trip to Baltimore. <BR>We wanted to take our 2 year-old son to the Aquarium. We got a wonderful weekend rate from Marriott inner harbor which comes w/breakfast. <BR>But other than going to the Aquarium, what should we do? Is there a good lunch/dinner place where we can take our son?

The inner Harbor has a number of fast food and conventional restaurants in its two pavilions. Probably the best known is Phillip's, a sea food restaurant. Just a few blocks east of the inner harbor is Little Italy which has any number of family oriented Italian restaurants. Your two year old might be too young to enjoy it, but Baltimore has a B & O Railroad museum with a large collection of locomotives and a roundhouse.

Thank you for response. Seafood sounds great. But so does Italian food. Now, are they real authentic italian restaurant serving real italian food? If so, what do they serve? I have been to only American-Italian restaurants that serves meatball spagetti.....

How does black fettucine with arugula sound? Try Caesar's Den, 223 High Street, a nice trattoria. For white truffles in fall and wild mushrooms in summer try Boccaccio, 925 Eastern Avenue. For tortellini with peas and ham, try Amicci's, 231 High Street. For spaghetti and meat balls, go to Sabatino's, 901 Fawn Street. Baltimore's Little Italy has a couple of dozen restaurants that serve everything from northern Italian to Neopolitan to Sicilian cuisine.

My two year old has lots of favorites here in Balto. <BR>Wayne's BBQ is a fun, casual sitdown place right <BR>in the middle of the Inner Harbor (Pratt Street <BR>pavillion - water views) with kid friendly menu & staff. Ask to have the "Wayne-deer" turned on <BR>to greet your child . Tuck some leftover cornbread <BR>or crackers in your bag to feed the ducks right <BR>outside. There often are free street performances <BR>--juggler's, musicians, dancers,etc. just afew <BR>steps away in the outdoor ampetheatre between <BR>the pavillions. Walk alittle further across the harbor toward the Science Center (see if the Richard Scarry exhibit is still on - there's also a <BR>great kid's discovery room for hands on learning) <BR>to ride a carousel and play on some outdoor <BR>equipment. I would skip Phillips (too touristy, mediocre food, long lines not worth the wait) and instead hop on the water taxi to Little Italy or Fells Point (just 10-15 mins by boat & a fun way to enjoy the water) for lots of great restaurant choices. Fells <BR>Point is a waterfront area with lots of character - <BR>it's got artists, pubs, cobblestone streets & busy <BR>neighborhood life. The TV show Homicide sets <BR>its headquarters there and you can often see actors at work. Not far from your hotel you'll find <BR>Camden Yards - the Baltimore O's stadium. Even <BR>if there's no game in town it's a great treat to walk <BR>through the stadium's open concourse where you <BR>can get a good view of the ballpark's noteable <BR>design. There's a good giftshop for fun takehomes. Your hotel is also close to a famous <BR>landmark -- the Lexington Market. It's an old <BR>sprawling indoor/outdoor fresh food market that <BR>sells everything from freshroasted peanuts to <BR>raw oysters. There's a tremendous amount of <BR>hustle and bustle from vendors & shoppers. You <BR>can get every imaginable takeout lunch item. <BR>It's great fun for kids but keep your eyes open - <BR>there are sometimes pickpockets around. During <BR>your visit your little one has to have a snowball <BR>to cool off - Baltimore has stands on every corner <BR>kids love their snowballs topped with marshmallow <BR>or chocolate sauce. The Baltimore Zoo has <BR>an extremely well done Children's Zoo that is <BR>perfect for 2's. It's a short distance from the <BR>Harbor - within 3 miles. There's lots to see there <BR>& you can take a picnic lunch. Have a great <BR>visit - enjoy the town! <BR>