Travel and Adventure by Various Travel Authors

By Robert Selwitz

Baltimore typifies the schizophrenic geography of so many America cities. Inside the "go-zone" — the playground that is the Inner Harbor and portions of the area around Johns Hopkins University — all is prosperous, charming and accessible. Outside are devastation, poverty and despair. Having said this, Baltimore offers plenty of reasons to visit.

Three hours south of New York and an hour north of Washington, D. C., Baltimore's pluses include its maritime base, intriguing and quirky historic sites, one of America's most user-friendly baseball stadiums and several museums.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is one of America's greatest examples of urban gentrification, and its anchor attraction — the National Aquarium — is a must-see.

Opened in 1981, its multistory tanks are home to a fascinating mix of sharks and rays, dozens of individual habitats displaying all manner of fresh and saltwater fish, a re-creation of the Atlantic Shelf, a dolphin display, and presentations of fluorescent electric eels, coral reefs and jellyfish. The $25 entry fee is steep, but it pays for hours of entertainment and is one of the city's most family-oriented destinations.

There's also lots to do along the Inner Harbor waterfront — restaurants, shopping and attractions such as the USS Constellation, a 19th century vessel available for tours. The Union used this vessel to interrupt slave trade routes before and during the early days of the Civil War.

When you're done there, consider the harbor water-taxi service, which covers a number of shore-side attractions. Among them are trendy boutiques at Fels Point and another of Baltimore's favorite attractions, Fort McHenry. Now a national monument operated by the National Parks Service, the fort was heavily bombarded by British forces on the night of Sept. 13-14, 1814. Britain hoped to add Baltimore to its roster of U.S. cities they successfully invaded during the War of 1812. However, when dawn broke, the fort had withstood the heavy pounding and ultimately the British withdrew, unable to repeat the success they had enjoyed in Washington, D.C.

What also makes this battle special is that poet Francis Scott Key observed the bombardment from a ship in the harbor, and when he saw the U.S. flag still flying, he penned the poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner." Today visitors can see the partially reconstructed fort and enjoy an informative movie detailing the battle and the intriguing circumstances that brought Key to his unique vantage point. At the time of the attack, he was on a British ship, negotiating to gain the release of an acquaintance who had become a prisoner of war. That endeavor also proved successful.

The Phoenix Shot Tower dates back to 1828, when its 13-floor tower, which resembles a giant chimney, used the power of gravity to shape molten lead into shotgun pellets and other ammunition. The lead was heated to a liquid state, then poured through a colander-like form, then dropped from the top. When it hit a bucket of water below, gravity had shaped the mass into perfectly round lead pellets. This was America's tallest building until the 1846 erection of the steeple of New York City's Trinity Church.

Today you can see the dumbwaiter-like contraption that brought the lead from the ground floor to the top as well as the sheets of glass used to sort the lead pellets by size. During its busiest years it produced 2.5 million tons of "drop" shot each year.

The structure survived an 1876 fire and a 1924 effort to demolish the structure. One of only three remaining U.S. shot towers, today it is one of Baltimore's iconic attractions.

Nearby is Carroll Mansion, the elegantly appointed home of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Then there is Westminster Hall, a former church that is the burial site of Edgar Allan Poe and his family. The hall sits cantilevered atop a cemetery with catacombs in its basement. Poe's home, about a mile away, is also open to visitors.

Railroad buffs will want to visit the B&O Railroad Museum. Occupying a former roundhouse that was part of a passenger car repair facility, today the museum boasts original engines — including an 1837 unit that's regarded as America's oldest — passenger cars, post office cars and a segregated passenger car showing the inequality of 19th century accommodations.

The home where the city's most famous native son was born is also of interest. The Babe Ruth House, actually his grandparents' home, features the actual birthing room, films and descriptions of his life and career, and details about his unusual upbringing. Because he was regarded as "incorrigible" at the age of 7, his parents placed him in a Catholic orphanage where a priest who acted as a surrogate parent befriended him and encouraged him to play baseball. Ruth starred on the home's baseball team, and when word of his prowess spread, he was eventually signed by a Baltimore minor league franchise in 1914. The team's owner ran out of money and sold his contract to the Boston Red Sox. The rest, as they say, is history.

The house is a great stop for anyone heading for a game at nearby Camden Yards. Home of the modern Baltimore Orioles, it is one of the nation's best major league stadiums while remaining a bargain. A grandstand seat equivalent to one costing more than $80 at Yankee Stadium in New York costs just $30, and seats are almost always available, right up until game time.

Baltimore's art museums range from the unusual to those with world-class appeal. The Museum of American Visionary Art features mosaics made from pieces of glass and mirrors. Objects on display include a glass-speckled multicolored giant elephant, a bluebird of happiness and a wildly decorated school bus in mosaics. Also here are examples of folk art made by prisoners and people in mental institutions.

The Walters Art Gallery offers a traditional sampling of major worldwide artists, but the star of Baltimore's art scene is the Baltimore Museum of Art, located on the Johns Hopkins University campus. What makes this particularly special is its Cone Collection that features the world's largest collection of works by Henri Matisse, as well as masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and August Renoir. Another plus is its excellent restaurant, particularly pleasant during warmer weather when outdoor dining is available.

IF YOU GO:

The Tremont Plaza Hotel is affordably priced, offers comfortable accommodations and is close to Baltimore's major attractions: www.tremontsuitehotels.com

Baltimore Tourism Information: www.baltimore.org

National Aquarium: www.aqua.org

Baltimore Orioles: www.orioles.mlb.com

Baltimore Museum of Art: www.artbma.org

Robert Selwitz is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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