Because of when we can travel I think we will visit Maryland and Deleware this October. Plan to fly into Baltimore and we will have 2 and a half days. We plan to visit Fort McKinley, historic ships, and maybe the aquarium, science museum or Walters art museum (thoughts on these last 3 choices??). We will also walk some of the neighborhoods.
then we will get a car and drive to Annapolis and stay one night there which will give us only one day. We have been there before. Plan to tour the naval academy and maybe the state capital. We could give up one of the above to tool the Hammond Howard house. he next day we will drive to St Michaels and stop at Wye Mills and Easton. the next day we would go toTilghman Island for a festival and the Rebecca Rourk boat tour. I have heard good things both about this boat tour and the Selina 11 in St. Michaels. seems like I t w old be a repeat to do both, any thoughts on this??? then we should have one day to visit the museum in St. Michaels, shop and just chill. Then we would drive to Chestertown, Chesapeake City and probably spend the night in Wilmington but certainly could stay elsewhere. the next morning we plan to tour the Wintherthur museum and then fly out of Philadelphia in the afternoon. any input on itinerary, restaurants, places to stop are all appreciated.

If you have been to Annapolis, it might be worth just going on to the Eastern Shore from Balto. Perhaps spend the night in the historic part of Easton before going on to St Michaels. Try to see Oxford while you are in the area. There is a seasonal ferry from near St M's, otherwise it is quite a drive. But I would not take two boat tours.

You don't say where you are from or when you are coming. I do agree with Winterthur and would add New Castle, south of Wilmington, an 18th century village tucked between urban congestion and the river. I would add Longwood Gardens while you are so near and perhaps a drive through the Brandywine Valley if you don't get to this part of the country too often.

I'm sorry but there is NO WAY anybody can really "do" Winterthur AND Longwood Gardens AND New Castle and then fly out the same afternoon.

Frankly, I am baffled by the OP's supposed "schedule" with 2 and a half days and about a week's worth of sightseeing.

dukes, what is OP??? which part are you talking about where there is 2 and a half days and a week's worth of stuff???
I am trying to rework some stuff to get more time when at Winterthur. The problem is that so far I always end there on a Monday and they are not open.

ackislander, forgot to say that we a from Colorado and we would be there about the 3rd week in October.what would the gardens be like then?

You could see really beautiful color then...or not. It's hard to predict. Our color in Southeastern VA generally peaks about the end of October, begnnning of Nov and MD and Delaware is usually about the middle of Oct. I think color is going to be early this year. That's my very unscientific prediction based on one oak tree in my neighborhood that has already started to turn.

So I think I am going to add a couple of days. I know that I want to see Winterthur so if I could choose 2 other attractions what wo und you commend... Hagley, Longsood Gardens, or Nemours???

I wondered about those 2.5 days, dukes, but I chose to conclude that those were the days in Baltimore itself, not in all.

Most post that I have read have said that 2 and a half days is plenty for baltimoree

ahhhh...don't just walk the neighborhoods in Baltimore !!
aquarium, little Italy, federal hill area....nothing else.
Annapolis....naval academy and the small downtown dock area...nothing else.

tidy--"OP" means "original post" or "original poster". I'd concur that don't have time to see more than Baltimore. It's got a lot to do. We like the Fells Point area; a little less hectic than the Harbor.