Tour the coast here and you’ll find secluded sandy bays and working ports. Head inland and you’ll see lakes, forests, state parks and the Appalachian Mountains. Head offshore to find pretty resorts like Kent Island, or opt for city life in vibrant Baltimore. Wherever your travels in Maryland take you, you’ll find things to delight you.
Bold Baltimore
Call it Baltimore, call it Charm City or just call it B-More, this is a city that has played a key role in American history. As a port town, it’s importance cannot be underestimated and as you wander the waterfront here you’ll be stepping back in time. Tread the cobbles of Fell’s Point or make a beeline for Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner’.
The Inner Harbor is a lovely place to stroll and dine, with plenty of seafood restaurants. Sport lovers should book ahead and get a ticket for the three-time World Series winning Baltimore Orioles. Even if you don’t understand baseball, the experience is one not to be missed.
The Underground Railroad
Visit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park and Visitor Centre in Cambridge. You’ll learn about her life and the risks she took to help almost 70 enslaved people to freedom. For more about her life, drive the Harriet Tubman byway which covers 125 miles and takes you to relevant museums, safe houses, waterways and churches.
Another moment in American history is captured at the Antietam battlefield in Western Maryland – home of the largest and deadliest battle of the American civil war. There’s a visitor centre and numerous plaques and graves that tell a deeper story of US life.
Onshore and off
The sea looms large in Maryland life. Head to state capital Annapolis, home of the US Naval Academy, and you’ll see naval students everywhere, while the docks are full of different ships. This is a picturesque coastal town full of perfectly preserved colonial buildings and crab shacks where you can get your hands dirty tucking into a crustacean fresh from the sea.
There’s more fun offshore, where you can head out to Assateague Island, which spans a couple of states including Maryland. Chill on the beach here and keep an eye out for beautiful wild horses. At Kent Island, you’ll find 19th century buildings and part of the American Discovery Trail. Park up and eat up at The Narrows Restaurant with yet more crab cakes, oysters and lobsters.
Coastal towns with seafood shacks. Cities with world-class sport teams. Mountains capturing the sun’s rays just so. Car hire in Maryland gives you the freedom to head in your own direction and discover just what makes this state so charming.