|
|
 |
Maryland Travel GuideBook a Room and Make Reservations at a Place to Stay |
 |
| [ Home | B&Bs | Books | Condos | Gear | Cameras | Golf Clubs | Luggage | Magazines | Grills | Posters | Property | Sunglasses | Tickets ] |
Travelwithall Maryland destination, getaway, and travel guide is where you can book a room, make hotel reservations, find places to stay, and find information and tips on travel to Maryland. This hotel guide will help our readers find the perfect lodging accommodations in Maryland, where you can shop and compare rates. Whether you are traveling with your family on a leisure holiday vacation or visiting for corporate business, our Maryland hotels guide will help you find a hotel room that suits your specific needs. This is where you can find our free searchable list of available luxury five star Maryland resorts, comfortable four star Maryland hotels, clean three star Maryland lodges, convenient two star Maryland inns, and budget one star Maryland motels.
|
|
|
Founded as the sole Catholic colony in strongly Protestant America, and isolated as the northernmost slave state, Maryland has always been unusual. Within its small, irregularly-shaped area, its attractions range from the frantic, boardwalk beaches of Ocean City to the sleepy fishing villages of the Chesapeake Bay, and the bustling urban center of Baltimore to peaceful Appalachian hill country. Once one of the world's most productive fishing areas, Maryland's Chesapeake has recently been brought back from the brink of complete annihilation due to pollution and overfishing. Its abundant oyster stocks are a thing of the past, but legendary soft-shell blue crabs and sweet rockfish are more plentiful than ever, and now support a diverse, decentralized economy, buoyed by the hundreds of weekend boaters who cruise from one to another of its colonial-era towns.
Maryland's heritage isn't quite as obvious as Virginia's, with nowhere near as many historical sites, but it boasts plenty of firsts for the United States, including the first Catholic Cathedral, gas-lit street and telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington DC. Kent Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore was the third permanent English settlement (behind Jamestown and Plymouth Rock) in 1631. And during the War of 1812, the British forces attempted a last-ditch effort to wrest back the colonies, in which they burned down much of Washington DC and moved onto the shipyards of Baltimore. In a valiant battle, they were staved off at Fort McHenry; the fort's resistance inspired an onlooker, Francis Scott Key, to write the words to the United States' national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.
|
Maryland's largest city is the busy port of Baltimore, a quirky and engaging metropolis with a revitalized urban waterfront, thriving cultural scene and eclectic neighborhoods that characterize its diverse residents. Western Maryland stretches over a hundred miles to the Appalachian foothills, its rolling farmlands noteworthy chiefly for the Civil War battlefield at Antietam. Just twenty miles south of Baltimore, along the Chesapeake Bay, picturesque Annapolis has served as Maryland's capital since 1694. Some of the state's most worthwhile destinations, from the pretty fishing and yachting town of St Michaels to the untouched wilderness of Assateague Island, are across the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore, connected to the rest of the state by the US-50 bridge but otherwise still a world apart - except for the sprawling resort of Ocean City.
|
|
|
Baltimore is among the more enjoyable stops on the east coast, and its closely knit neighborhoods and historic quarters provide an engaging backdrop to many diverse attractions, especially those along its celebrated waterfront, like the Inner Harbor's National Aquarium and the Pier 6 Concert Pavilion and Power Plant entertainment complex. The city also boasts top-rated museums, like the Walters Art Museum and the child-oriented, interactive Port Discovery, which cover everything from fine arts through black history to urban archeology. That Baltimore has been home to such diverse figures as writers Edgar Allan Poe and Anne Tyler and civil rights activists Frederick Douglass and Thurgood Marshall goes some way towards explaining its sometimes bizarrely varied character.
The best way to get around Maryland is by boat, sailing around the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay. If you lack either the money or the good fortune needed to do this, you can hop aboard the Chesapeake Flyer catamaran, which cruises the bay from Baltimore to Annapolis and the eastern shore towns of St Michaels and Rock Hall. Cycling is also a good option, especially on the eastern shore, where the roads are wide-shouldered and little-traveled, winding through cornfields from one colonial-era hamlet to another - the state tourist office puts out an excellent free map of the safest and most scenic routes. Baltimore is on the main Amtrak line between New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, and is linked by regular buses with Annapolis.
|
|
|
Maryland offers a number of outdoor adventures, including hiking, backpacking, boating, fishing, bicycling, and more. The ability to walk considerable distances without becoming overtired (an ability generally acquired through practice) also enhances the enjoyment of such other Maryland activities as bird watching, nature walks, field trips, and sightseeing.
Cannot find it here? Search and find what you need with the power of Google:
|
|
|
|
|
This article was derived fully or in part from the Maryland article from Travelnow.™ Fullfillment services by Hotels.com.™
Other States: [ AK |
AL | AR |
AZ | CA |
CO | CT |
DC | DE |
FL | GA |
HI | ID |
IL | IN |
IA | KS |
KY | LA |
ME | MD |
MA | MI |
MN | MS |
MO ] |
