Baltimore special ??
 

<BR>Is there any rides at Inner Harbour ? What else to see here ??

The only things that can constitute a "ride" that I can think of are the water taxis and the paddle boats. The water taxi is a nice way to see Baltimore Harbor and visit historically important Fort McHenry and Fell's Point from the Inner Harbor. <BR> <BR>The best-known sites at the Inner Harbor are the Baltimore Aquarium, well worth a visit simply for the diversity of its flora and fauna. The Maryland Science Center is also recommended, although I've never been. Other than that, there's shopping and a few good restaurants. <BR> <BR>If you're asking what else there is to see in Baltimore, there's a fair amount. There are historical residential neighborhoods to stroll around in, such as Fell's Point, Federal Hill and Mount Vernon to name three I know well: each have cafés and restaurants to get a feel for REAL Baltimore. There are a number of high quality museums such as the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and the Walter's Art Gallery; there are lively markets such as the Lexington Market and the Cross Street Market. <BR> <BR>Enjoy Baltimore aka Charm City. This is a city on the rebound and it only keeps getting better!

Thanks Daniel !

Daniel-I always thought "Charm City" was tongue-in-cheek title. Am I right?

Jim-- <BR> <BR>Funny you say that because when I first moved to Baltimore, I too thought it must be tongue-and-cheek. Having seen Baltimore at first only from the train and the boarded-up rowhouses and desolate streets, I thought "who could find this charming?" <BR> <BR>But Baltimore really does have a rich maritime-influenced history and a gritty, working-class- influenced charm, epitomized by John Waters movies such as "Hairspray" and "Pecker". Then there's the distinctive Bawl'mer accent, the "how you doin'", the melange of North & South, the (to-my-eyes) relatively better race relations and neighborhoods with their own individual charm. It's a relatively compact city, one with a fair amount of civic pride to boot. <BR> <BR>When they say Charm City, they mean it! <BR> <BR>DAN

Be sure and count how many times you're called "hon" by just about anyone you deal with. Bawl'mor is just a friendly, charming place, hon. Have a good visit!

Interestingly enough, I've not been called "hon" anywhere I've been in Baltimore after living here 20 months. Possibly I'm not going to the right restaurants (or maybe I don't look like a "hon"? Sniff...). I know that's supposedly a Baltimore trademark phrase that has even made its way to a Baltimore institution, Café Hon in Hampden, but personally I've never heard it. In my experience it's more a "how you doin'" to which the typical response is "good. how YOU doin'?".