Baltimore

Baltimore’s reputation as a top destination for seafood is well deserved. Steamed crabs, crab cakes, oysters, and rockfish are some of the must-try dishes, but the culinary landscape also includes Venezuelan arepas, Syrian small plates, and Spanish pintxos. 

Many Baltimore neighborhoods are walkable, though you’ll want to skip the heels for the cobblestone streets of Fells Point. Take the Baltimore Water Taxi for scenic stops on the harbor or the Light Rail, if you want to head downtown or to Mount Vernon. For trips out of the city, rent a car or take an Uber.

With so many neighborhoods to choose from, you'll need to pick a few to explore depending on your interests. Hampden’s 36th St., or the Avenue, contains numerous independent restaurants and boutiques while the waterfront Harbor East and Harbor Point contain tony shops and restaurants. Visit Federal Hill for the quirky American Visionary Art Museum and the namesake park.

Baltimore celebrates Black history with attractions like the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture and the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. AFRAM, a two-day music and food festival, takes place during Juneteenth weekend in Druid Hill Park. 

There's a lot of U.S. history in Baltimore. At Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, you can see where the United States defended the city against the British Navy during the War of 1812. At the Inner Harbor, you can see the USS Constellation, which participated in the Civil War. And in Mount Vernon, visitors can climb the Washington Monument, a nearly 200-foot-high Doric column and statue of George Washington.