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8-night Natural and Cultural Discoveries in the Celtic Lands Cruise

Price: $6,230 - # of Days: 8 days

 Package Details

Overview

Introduction

Baltimore, Maryland, is a special blend of historic and contemporary, as development around the city suggests. And the city offers plenty of things for visitors to see and do.

There is quite possibly no better example of this than Camden Yards, the baseball stadium for the Baltimore Orioles, which has become one of the key elements in renovating the central city. Camden Yards works because it manages to be both contemporary and historic—its vintage styling was the prototype for several other "throwback" stadiums.

This kind of new-old blending happens a lot in Baltimore. Up-to-the-minute restaurants and clubs inhabit vintage neighborhoods. Historic figures such as Babe Ruth are celebrated in museums. It's a city that keeps an eye on its past without ever getting stuck there.

A great place to see the mix of tradition and innovation is at the lively Baltimore Inner Harbor, a close neighbor to Camden Yards. Once a run-down warehouse district, it has been transformed into a colorful, thriving area that serves as the heart of the city and contains several first-rate visitor attractions.

Must See or Do

Sights—Spectacular water views from Fort McHenry; the museums and shops lining the Inner Harbor; the classic architecture of Oriole Park at Camden Yards; Fells Point's historical buildings and pubs.

Museums—The stained glass and tapestries at the Walters Art Museum; impressionist paintings at the Baltimore Museum of Art; works by self-taught artists at the American Visionary Art Museum.

Memorable Meals—Maryland's farm-to-table finest at Woodberry Kitchen; prime rib at the Prime Rib; Afghan specialties at The Helmand; the signature Cap'n Crunch French toast at Blue Moon Cafe; breakfast soul food at Miss Shirley's; Italian cookies at Vaccaro's.

Late Night—Dining and clubbing in the Power Plant district; a frosty mug at The Brewer's Art; a water-taxi cruise around the harbor; blues at Cat's Eye Pub.

Walks—A stroll through historic Mount Vernon Place; a walk from Harborplace to Federal Hill; a waterfront promenade from Fells Point to revitalized Canton; a pilgrimage past the museums of Charles Street; circling the seawall around Fort McHenry.

Especially for Kids—Fun, interactive exhibits at the Maryland Science Center and the Baltimore Museum of Industry; animals at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore; antique trains at the B&O Railroad Museum; playing at the Chinese Pagoda in Patterson Park; Port Discovery children's museum; marine life at the National Aquarium.

Geography

The Inner Harbor is where most visitors to Baltimore begin their visit. A square-shaped waterfront just south of the central business district, it's lined with museums, shops, restaurants and other attractions. Downtown fans out from the harbor, with Charles Street dividing the east and west sides of the city. Just to the east of downtown is Little Italy, a neighborhood of ethnic eateries and colorful, well-kept row houses.

East of Little Italy is Fells Point, a historic maritime community with some of the city's most popular restaurants, bars and shops. East of Fells Point is Canton, another hip neighborhood pulsing with new restaurants, boutiques and evening activity.

South of downtown is Federal Hill, an enclave of renovated houses that perches on a hill overlooking the harbor. North of downtown is Mount Vernon, a stately neighborhood of elegant row houses, tree-shaded parks and one of the country's first monuments to George Washington. This is Baltimore's cultural corridor—The Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Library and Conservatory of Music, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Modell Lyric performing arts center and Baltimore Center Stage are found there.

Farther north is The Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus. Ringed by the neighborhoods of Charles Village, Waverly and Hampden, this part of town offers a good view of the city's less-touristy side. It is also home to the Baltimore Museum of Art and its peaceful sculpture garden.

History

Though the area was first settled in the early 1600s, Baltimore Town was founded in 1729. From the start, it was the site of bustling commerce, thanks to its deep harbor on the Patapsco River, a major tributary of Chesapeake Bay. Shipping and shipbuilding were some of its earliest industries, and the famous Baltimore-built clipper ships were the scourge of the British navy during the War of 1812.

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad boosted Baltimore's prosperity in the mid-1800s, making the city a portal to the U.S. interior. In the decades following the Civil War, the city grew, industry boomed and The Johns Hopkins University and hospital were founded. In 1904, most of the downtown area fell victim to the Great Fire, and more than 70 blocks were completely rebuilt in the years following.

The city's latest renaissance began in the early 1980s, with the transformation of the Inner Harbor. Gone are the ancient piers and crumbling warehouses at the water's edge. The rebirth continues: Areas adjoining the Inner Harbor, such as Canton, Federal Hill and Fells Point, boast 21st-century architecture and industry along a waterfront mapped out more than 250 years ago.

Baltimore has evolved as a "bedroom community" for the nation's capital. The resultant influx of newcomers has transformed Baltimore into a thriving cultural destination in its own right with quality restaurants, high-end shopping and varied entertainment. In addition, the presence of several world-class hospitals has attracted a great number of medical-research professionals to Baltimore.

Potpourri

Edgar Allen Poe was buried in a nondescript grave in what's now Westminster Church Cemetery in 1849. Years later, schoolchildren and the city teamed up in a "Pennies for Poe" campaign that resulted in a fancy headstone. Since then, it's become a tradition to leave pennies on Poe's grave.

Baltimore goes by such disparate nicknames as "Charm City," "Clipper City" and "Mobtown."

For a vision of Old Baltimore, visit the George Peabody Library, built in 1857. The stacks room contains five floors of ornate cast-iron balconies.

With its four faces, the Bromo Seltzer Tower Clock (21 S. Eutaw St.) can be seen from much of Baltimore. At one time, a giant, whirling blue Bromo Seltzer bottle capped the tower, but neighbors complained that the eerie light kept them awake at night.

The TV series The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street was filmed in Baltimore.

Next to Ellis Island, Baltimore was the second-most popular spot for immigrants to enter the U.S.

Baltimore is home to the first railroad station in the country. It's now a museum honoring the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

The baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, is named for the bird; the city's NFL team, the Ravens, is not named for the bird, but rather the famous poem by Baltimore resident Edgar Allan Poe.

Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday was born in Baltimore. There is a monument to her at the corner of Lafayette and Pennsylvania avenues.

Michael Phelps, the winner of 22 Olympic medals, was born in Baltimore.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and deceased rapper Tupac both attended Baltimore’s School for the Arts.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi grew up in Baltimore's Little Italy and has a street named in her honor there.

Location

Cruise ships dock at Baltimore's South Locust Point Terminal near Fort McHenry. The cruise terminal is equipped with restrooms. For detailed information about the cruise terminal, visit https://cruise.maryland.gov.

Long-term parking for passenger cars (US$15 per day), recreational vehicles under 30 ft/9 m (US$30 per day) and recreational vehicles over 30 ft/9 m (US$40 per day) is nearby; a shuttle to the terminal is available.

Cruise-ship passengers who fly to Baltimore usually arrive at the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Most cruise lines offer transportation from the airport to the cruise terminal. You can also take a taxi, rideshare or use the shuttle service—tell the driver you're headed to Locust Point Cruise Terminal. https://theairportshuttle.com/baltimore_cruise_terminal.

Shore Excursions