I am going to Baltimore for the first, and probably only, time, on Saturday. I will be staying in the Inner Harbor area. Are there any wonderful sights, restaurants, drives, etc. that I shouldn't miss?

Anna,

I've only been to Baltimore a few times. The Inner Harbor is nice--though not nearly as interesting as I expected--and a good place to while away a few hours. If you have a car, why not drive up to Annapolis for the day. It's not far and it's a charming little town. For a meal, I'd go to Little Italy in Baltimore where you can find some great restaurants. (Ask a local for their favorite).

How long will you be in B-More? There's plenty to keep you there. Defintiely hit Little Italy for dinner. Fells Point for the college age social scene. Go up Charles Street to Mt. Vernon Place to see the first monument to George Washington, the Walters Gallery (a gem of a small museum which started as a personal collection), the Peabody Convervatory (not sure if it is open to public, but it must have a website); farther out Charles is the Baltimore Museum of Art, just north of that is Johns Hopkins University; closer to downtown on Charles is the Pratt Library and across from it is the first (I think) Catholic cathedral in U.S.; visit the Science Center in the Inner Harbor; see the Visonary Museum on the other side of the harbor. The Baltimore Office of Tourism has a website with lots of info. Annapolis is beautiful as the previous poster said, but if you are in Baltimore, do Baltimore!!

I have been to the Baltimore/Annapolis area approx 25 times on business. I always stay in Annapolis. It has a beautifully preserved colonial downtown with many good bars and restaurants. It also has the Naval Academy and some good shopping. You can go for a sail on Chesapeake Bay. Annapolis is only about a half hour drive from Baltimore. I have never found the city of Baltimore to be particularly interesting. I agree with the above post - the innner harbor is just OK. A couple hours there was plenty for me. Do check out little Italy and also Fells Point. It is the neatest area I have found in the city - historic old buildings and interesting pubs and shops.

Here's the link to the Maryland Office of Tourism, so you can check out both Baltimore and Annapolis.

http://travel.org/maryland.html

Keep in mind that the Inner Harbour is a commercial undertaking, but there's more to my original home town than Inner Harbour. I couldn't believe how many things I had forgotten until I went to the above site.

Anna,

You've been given good advice above. A few more ideas:

On Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., a tour of Annapolis by candlelight will be held. I costs $28. Call 410-267-7619 if you're interested.

On Sunday Johnny Mathis will perform at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Call 410-481-SEAT.

The Baltimore Orioles offer tours of their facility, which is interesting. Call 410-685-9800.

The weather should be very nice on Saturday. In the Inner Harbor, you can tour the Constellation. Also, I think you can still rent paddle boats, which is a lot of fun.

Phillips Restaurant in the Inner Harbor has great crab cakes. Shula's Steak House, in the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel, serves incredible portions of delicious beef. The Rusty Scupper offers great views of the Inner Harbor while dining.

Also in Baltimore: Fort McHenry, the National Aquarium, the B & O Train Museum, the Babe Ruth Museum, the observation room on the 27th floor of the World Trade Center, the zoo.