Things to do in Baltimore, MD "We are back in ALABAMA!!"

[wdwmom0f3]

Don't limit yourself to just Baltimore either - the Inner harbor is awesome - so much to do but go also to Annapolis as well. They have an awesome Amish market that I visit each time we go visit our relatives.

(We lived in Glen Burnie, MD so 5 miles outside of Baltimore for 4 years.) Also Arundel Mills is an awesome indoor outdoor mall with tons of stuff to do.

Have an awesome time! I'll be in Maryland myself for a couple of weeks this summer visiting my ILs.

Thank you!! I guess I need to get a map of that area and just google information about it. Having never been there, I have no idea where to start. I need to find some things to do during the day while my DH is at work, that's why I was thinking Washington. On the weekends we will all be together to do other things as a family, like Six Flags & Hersey Park.

Do you know of some good places to eat there in town or close by? I know that we are going to try the Blue Moon Cafe that was talked about on here. Are there any more must do places?

I just pulled up Arundel Mills and it looks GREAT! Thank you for that.

 

[jenb1023]

I live near Hersheypark and wanted to chime in that May is a great month to go and June is pretty good. Weekends in July and August are a zoo and there are no fast passes! Feel free to PM if you want any specific info.

 

[pwdebbie]

Have to jump in and say my dad was a Loyola grad -- class of '53 I believe. (He's got you all beat!) I grew up in Baltimore, four blocks north of the stadium (which isn't there any more). Don't forget to go down 'ee oshun, hon. Ocean City is just three hours away.

And if you drive about 90 minutes north, you'll be in Lancaster county, PA, where there is plenty of Amish-related things to do. Also, Hershey Park is a nice amusement park and if your kids are younger, then try Dutch Wonderland. (No, these don't even begin to hold a candle to WDW, but they are nice one-day parks.)

Did anyone mention the Baltimore Zoo? I haven't been there in years, but our kids have great memories of it. Then again, the zoo in DC is free and probably bigger (it is part of the Smithsonian -- all Smithsonian sites are free).

And yes, you must try the Berger cookies. We bring some home every time we make a trip to Baltimore to visit family. I have to hide them from my adult children who don't even live here or there won't be any left for me.

And you must try steamed crabs at least once. If you go to Ocean City, just after you go over the Bay Bridge, there is a place called Harris's Crab House. I don't think I've ever had crabs better than theirs, and the atmosphere is perfect. With family in Ocean City, we deliberately stop at Harris's every trip.

Now I have to go eat a few Utz crab chips (yep, we keep them on hand!).

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I live near Hersheypark and wanted to chime in that May is a great month to go and June is pretty good. Weekends in July and August are a zoo and there are no fast passes! Feel free to PM if you want any specific info.

Thank you for the heads up. We watched some videos on youtube last night of some of the rides and the kids got excited. I HATE big rollercoasters, but they love them.

Have to jump in and say my dad was a Loyola grad -- class of '53 I believe. (He's got you all beat!) I grew up in Baltimore, four blocks north of the stadium (which isn't there any more). Don't forget to go down 'ee oshun, hon. Ocean City is just three hours away.

And if you drive about 90 minutes north, you'll be in Lancaster county, PA, where there is plenty of Amish-related things to do. Also, Hershey Park is a nice amusement park and if your kids are younger, then try Dutch Wonderland. (No, these don't even begin to hold a candle to WDW, but they are nice one-day parks.)

Did anyone mention the Baltimore Zoo? I haven't been there in years, but our kids have great memories of it. Then again, the zoo in DC is free and probably bigger (it is part of the Smithsonian -- all Smithsonian sites are free).

And yes, you must try the Berger cookies. We bring some home every time we make a trip to Baltimore to visit family. I have to hide them from my adult children who don't even live here or there won't be any left for me.

And you must try steamed crabs at least once. If you go to Ocean City, just after you go over the Bay Bridge, there is a place called Harris's Crab House. I don't think I've ever had crabs better than theirs, and the atmosphere is perfect. With family in Ocean City, we deliberately stop at Harris's every trip.

Now I have to go eat a few Utz crab chips (yep, we keep them on hand!).

Where do we find the Berger cookies?

 

[pwdebbie]

Where do we find the Berger cookies?

Grocery stores carry Berger cookies as well as convenience stores like High's. You can check the Berger Cookies website to see what they look like.

Oh, another Baltimore treat you must have is a snowball -- ice with flavoring -- but do not confuse this with a snowcone, totally different. My favorite is chocolate with marshmallow topping.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Grocery stores carry Berger cookies as well as convenience stores like High's. You can check the Berger Cookies website to see what they look like.

Oh, another Baltimore treat you must have is a snowball -- ice with flavoring -- but do not confuse this with a snowcone, totally different. My favorite is chocolate with marshmallow topping.

Sounds weird... my kids would LOVE it!

So we found out yesterday that he will be there for 4 months, not 3 like we thought. I think it will be from April thru July. We should know more soon. This will be the longest that we have been apart, but it will help when the kids get out of school and we can come up there. They can't wait to see some of the things that I have told them about.

Please keep the ideas coming.

 

[pwdebbie]

Lexington Market -- Did anyone mention that? This is an experience unto itself. Your kids might get bored quickly but it is unique and interesting.

 

[happymommy]

I live near Baltimore, and yes, you can (and should) definitely go into DC as well! Plus, please do not miss the newer Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport - I am not into flying at all, but was simply blown away at it. I definitely recommend going there for a day!

I'd look into taking the metro into DC - it's tough for me to drive in cities, though!

I don't know where you're staying, but parking at the Inner Harbor is expensive. I think you get a break if you are staying at a hotel at the Inner Harbor. We just suck it up, for one day it's worth it, but I think it's quite high in the safe lots (like $25 or more). I'm sure there is cheaper parking, but I don't go often.

There are many yummy places to eat - I highly recommend The Black Olive for a special meal - but it would be boring for kids. Roy's is excellent - and they have an awesome kids' menu too! Plus, they have valet parking and a shuttle, so if you're in the Harbor area, they will pick you up. Very cool!

A nice thing to do near here also is to take a day and drive up through some of Pennsylvania to see some covered bridges. We took a picnic and did that once when the kids were little.

I agree - head to Annapolis also one day.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

in two weeks and headed that way. My DH has been up there for two months but has had a hard time finding good places to get Pizza and Mexican food. Any suggestions??

Also, if there are any family friendly places to eat that can't be missed, please please let me know. We will be there for 6 weeks so I would like to try several places.

DH has fallen in love with the UTZ chips!! I cant wait to get there and try them!!

 

[cadd10]

Our family likes La Palapa in Ellicott City. It is an old mill town in Howard county just over the Baltimore County border. They have specials during the week like all you can eat tacos. It is also a nice place to walk around after dinner. Antique shops and other resturants. The is one of the original B&O train stops there and sometimes the have people in costumes (Civil War). There is also some trails in the area.

If he likes the UTZ chips, take a trip up to the factory in Hanover PA. Nice drive. There is a littler diner there called Victory. Haven't been in years, but remember going with my Mom and Dad.

Gettysburg is also nice, but beware of July 4th weekend.

 

[pwdebbie]

Where in Baltimore will you be living?

As for pizza -- Man, when I moved out of Baltimore and later Maryland, it took me forever to get used to pizza elsewhere. Baltimore pizza was the best and we could get it everywhere. Drip-down-your-arms greasy and loaded with cheese, now that was pizza. Most neighborhood sub shops sell pizza. Skip the chains and go for local.

My cousins have a favorite Mexican restuarant. I'll FB them and get the name for you.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Our family likes La Palapa in Ellicott City. It is an old mill town in Howard county just over the Baltimore County border. They have specials during the week like all you can eat tacos. It is also a nice place to walk around after dinner. Antique shops and other resturants. The is one of the original B&O train stops there and sometimes the have people in costumes (Civil War). There is also some trails in the area.

If he likes the UTZ chips, take a trip up to the factory in Hanover PA. Nice drive. There is a littler diner there called Victory. Haven't been in years, but remember going with my Mom and Dad.

Gettysburg is also nice, but beware of July 4th weekend.

OK, we will try La Palapa because he said that is not far from where we will be. That's a great idea too, to tour the factory. I think the kids would LOVE that. Thank you so much.

Where in Baltimore will you be living?

As for pizza -- Man, when I moved out of Baltimore and later Maryland, it took me forever to get used to pizza elsewhere. Baltimore pizza was the best and we could get it everywhere. Drip-down-your-arms greasy and loaded with cheese, now that was pizza. Most neighborhood sub shops sell pizza. Skip the chains and go for local.

My cousins have a favorite Mexican restuarant. I'll FB them and get the name for you.

We will be staying in the Owingsmills area.

Any help would be great.

 

[lastminutemom]

Is your 17 year old a rising high school senior and is she headed to college? If so, why not take a day or two to tour some schools?

college tours can be helpful even if they aren't schools your child (or you) would consider. They can give her a sense of what she likes and doesn't like (size of school, urban, suburban, rural, etc) and I think you learn a lot from the types of questions people ask.

Goucher, John Hopkins, University of Maryland at College Park, Georgetown, etc aren't to far away.

 

[debbi801]

Luca's Pizza!! 410-833-5008 It's in a little strip behind the Exxon station at Reisterstown Road and Franklin Blvd. It's a carry out place, you can't eat it there but their pizza is amazing!

 

[rbork]

Little Italy - downtown baltimore. Was just there friday night.
Lots of good restaurants and don't forget to hit Vicarro's late at night. There will be a line but it's worth it. Also Kisslings Bar in Canton has great wings.
Crabs are a must. Cantler's in Annapolis on the broadneck is good. All of these places have good food and atmoshere.
Please beware of Lexington market, great places in there but a little dicey in that area so just take OFF your vacation blinders before you walk around there. Ace of Cakes are beautiful cakes but IMO don't taste that well. We had a piece of a '57 chevy' cake at a birthday party.
Wish you a fun trip.

 

[debbi801]

Some other stuff that I thought of.... For crabs, if you want to stay in the area where you will be living, there is Reter's Crab House on Reisterstown Road (Main Street).

For fun shopping, avoid Owings Mills Mall. It has more closed stores than open ones and it is not in great shape. Check out Towson Town Center or Hunt Valley Town Center for great shopping. If you go to Hunt Valley, you have to check out Wegman's. It's an amazing grocery store.

Not too far from where you are staying are several nice play ground type parks, and one of them has an indoor ice rink. And Tom Mitchell's golf course has mini golf.

I'm not sure where in Owings Mills you'll be staying but I am right on the Owings Mills / Reisterstown border (our schools are Owings Mills schools) and I can give you info on decent local restaurants/grocery stores, etc.

Also, in addition to all the great tourist info you've been given, another great place to go is into Catoctin Mountains/Thurmont. It's about 90 minutes west of where you will be located. There's beautiful park land out there (that's where Camp David is located) and it is close to several civil war battlefields as well as a really cool zoo.

http://www.nps.gov/cato/index.htm

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/cunningham.asp

For swimming, Cascade Lake is a lot of fun. And Hampstead is not too far from Owings Mills.

 

[emma'smom]

Grew up in Charm City:

Shot Tower- When I was a little girl (2nd grade) I thought this was the coolest thing ever. It's where they used to make shot. For some reason, I found this tour fascinating!

Fells Point- A great place to see how the city developed. Better in the day than at night for kids.

Cafe Hon- Gives you a real flavor of Balimer!

Of course, the Harbor and all of its attractions will keep you most busy! Other folks have posted about all of these great things. They used to let you paddle boat in the Harbor.

Now what to eat?

crab cakes (or just do a crab feast for the full experience, Berger cookies (yes, yes, yes), Utz Potato Chips (especially crab chips).

...and the snow balls!! With the marshmellow topping....Oh I miss Baltimore!

 

[emma'smom]

No..you don't want to do a tour. It's so easy to do DC. We usually just park near one of the subway stations in the suburbs and take the subway into the city. It's a very easy, clean system to use and takes you right to the Mall.

Then you can see/do things at your own pace....take subway out to wherever you want to eat, etc.

You could also just grab a MARC train from Baltimore's train station and take it into DC. This will cost you a bit more though.


Just remember that DC in the summer is HOT and CROWDED!

Question. Is it going to be hard for me to find my way around Washington to see the Smithsonian & all of that? Should I think about a tour group or something, or is it not that bad?

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Welcome to Baltimore!

Some of the things I will mention have already been mentioned. I can't remember where you said you were from but some of the local MD things are Old Bay which you will get on pretty much all of your seafood here. Crabs can be pretty overrun with them, but once you try Old Bay you will wonder how you could eat seafood w/o so pick some up at any grocery store to take home. Utz chips are only found on the eastcoast-- yummy. Berger cookies are like a shortbread cookie with choc icing on the top. MMMMM

Other places featured on DDD besides the Blue Moon Cafe were G & M's on Eastern Ave in Highlandtown, Broadway Diner on Eastern Ave, and Chap's BBQ on Pulaski Hwy.

There will be a couple of great events going on while you are there.
http://honfest.net/

Dundalk Heritage Fair --at Dundalk Elem School 7/2-7/4/10 and parade and fireworks on 7/4/10.

Edgestock-- Edgemere Sparrows Point Rec Councils answer to Woodstock. Lots of great bands. 6/12/10 at Fort Howard Park

Inner Harbor-- take a boat trip to Annapolis

Ocean City MD 2 1/2 hours away.

Here is a website that might help
http://www.tripinfo.com/festivals/md-festivals.shtml

Drive In: http://bengies.com/

Best crabs-- Salty Dogs in Edgemere or Costas Restaurant I believe both are on North Point Rd

Best Pizza-- Pizza John's in Essex

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want any other information.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Wanted to add more sites for you to check out

Ocean City MD-- http://ococean.com/

Arundel Mills Mall-- http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=1230

Towson Town Mall-- http://www.towsontowncenter.com/

Six Flags- http://www.sixflags.com/america/index.aspx

Zoo- http://www.marylandzoo.org/

Aquarium-- http://www.aqua.org/

Science Ctr- http://www.mdsci.org/

Port Discovery-- http://portdiscovery.org/#home

Fort McHenry-- http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

baseball- http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bal

MD in general http://www.maryland.gov/Visiting/Pages/Visiting.aspx

hope these help.