Feel the spirit of freedom in all places to visit in Maryland

Having got acquainted with the history of this small state of the United States, it is possible to tell that Maryland has the fighting character. Its inhabitants fought against the “dry law”, against stamp duty, for tolerance, territory, its own constitution and independence. No wonder it is also called a “free state”!

Today Maryland is one of the thirteen states-“founders” of the United States, which committed the American Revolution. Here, on the Atlantic coast, there are several resort areas, including the famous Ocean City, which is called the “family resort number 1”. In the west of Maryland, in its mountainous part, there are excellent ski resorts. Maryland is full of places to visit for every taste: enjoy the Germantown wine tours, feel the charm of a trip to the big shops in Rockville, devote the day to getting acquainted with Silver Spring and do not miss Bethesda, where there are more restaurants and cafes per capita than anywhere else in the country!

If you are active and curious, then in the tourist arsenal of Maryland, there are a lot of interesting trips and hikes just for you. If you like staying in one place, reducing the trip to a minimum and relaxing to the maximum, then you are able to choose from a lot of options. Vacation in Maryland can be arranged in accordance with any of your wishes, providing benefits for family holidays. The multifaceted, exciting and intriguing state of Maryland will leave an indelible mark on your memory.

Contents

• Place to visit number 1: Baltimore
• Place to visit number 2: Sculpture “Awakening”
• Place to visit number 3: The Baltimore-Washington International Airport
• Place to visit number 4: The M & T Bank Stadium
• Place to visit number 5: 1st Mariner Arena
• Place to visit number 6: The Dutch Island
• Place to visit number 7: Fort Carroll
• Place to visit number 8: Abandoned power station
• Place to visit number 9: Ocean City
• Place to visit number 10: Catoctin Mountain Park
• Place to visit number 11: Inner Harbor
• Place to visit number 12: Mount Vernon
• Video

Place to visit number 1: Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland.The history of Baltimore began not with one but with several villages, which ran erratically on the Atlantic coast in the region of the 17th century. In 1729 they were united into one, named after the first colonial lord, Lord Baltimore.

Baltimore has a very clear division into zones. The northern districts of the city are blocks of “white rich”. And the south – this is the focus of industrial buildings interspersed with the housing of the working class. Here you can meet the most diverse audience. Unlike the eastern and western parts of Baltimore, here the population consists almost entirely of African-Americans.

The main historical sight of the city is the so-called Baltimore Basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception, which became the first US

Cathedral. The architectural appearance of the Basilica is therefore specially made not resemble the dark Gothic and medieval European churches: it is a light classical cathedral, majestic and symmetrical, which at the time of construction could compete with the Washington Capitol. In 2006, a large-scale restoration of the Basilica ended, and today it is open to visitors, as well as a small museum near it.

5 things to do in Baltimore:

• Visit Edgar Alan Poe’s museum in a two-story mansion on Emiti Street, where the writer lived for two years.
• Eat crab cake (The most famous local dish is crabs. Actually, specifically the blue crab with its juicy and sweetish tender meat – the pride of Maryland).
• Go to the Cross Street market, which has been operating here since the 19th century. Buy fresh meat, baked goods and flowers.
• Look into the gallery of Tradestone, which specializes exclusively in decorative and applied art, in particular – on lacquered boxes.
• Ride along the Chesapeake Bridge, better known as Bay Bridge, connecting the eastern shore of the bay with the western one. Actually there are two bridges, each with a movement in its direction, so that you can immediately go back. And moving west, you will go straight to Washington.

Interesting: 40 km from Baltimore there is the old city of Annapolis, the former capital of the United States and is still the capital of Maryland. It is one of the oldest cities in the country, and here there have been enough buildings dating back to the 18th century.

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Place to visit number 2: Sculpture “Awakening”

Sculpture “Awakening” is located in the National Harbor, in Maryland. It is a composition depicting a giant who unexpectedly wakes up after a century of sleep and struggles frantically to get out of the ground and surprise the people around with its frightening appearance and size.

The author of the statue is the American sculptor-realist John Steward Johnson. “Awakening” is one of his most vivid and impressive creations. John Johnson became famous for his work far beyond the country. His bronze statues in human growth are represented in the museums of:

• Canada,
• Asia,
• Europe.

The composition “Awakening” consists of 5 specially sculpted in the ground individual sculptures that represent the parts of the body of the giant and together create the impression of a single whole. Previously, the statue was located in the Potomac Park, on the banks of the river of the same name and was often flooded with water, which gave the giant a resemblance to Neptune.

Interesting: The total length of the composition is 30 meters.

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Place to visit number 3: The Baltimore-Washington International Airport

The Baltimore-Washington International Airport was built after the Second World War. Local authorities decided to develop a civil airport project to provide air communication of densely populated cities with other states.

Some facts about the appearance of the airport:

• In the northern part of Anne-Erundel in 1947 there was bought a plot of land with an area of 13 km2, which demolished the temple of the Baptist church.
• In May 1950, all the work on the construction of the airport was completed.
• on June 24, a grand opening was held with the participation of President Harry Truman.

In 1957, the airport began to be used to service jet Boeing 707. In 1974, the authorities carried out the first large-scale reconstruction, completing three new cargo terminals.

Interesting: Five years later, the passenger terminal was more than doubled, and the number of landings today is 27.

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Place to visit number 4: The M & T Bank Stadium

The M & T Bank Stadium is one of the largest in the National Football League of the United States. This place is the home arena of the football team “Baltimore Orioles”.

The stadium was opened in 1998, the cost of its erection was 220 million dollars.

What makes it special?

• The arena has the shape of a horseshoe.
• Its stands are located in three tiers.
• Besides, thanks to a thoughtful design, there are no so-called “dead zones” in the arena with poor visibility.

The total capacity of the stadium is more than 71 thousand spectators. The M & T Bank Stadium is also used for entertainment and concerts.

Interesting: In 2000 the legendary rock band Metallica performed there.

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Place to visit number 5: 1st Mariner Arena

The first Mariner Arena in Baltimore is the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex. It is within walking distance of the city center, which is a harbor of attractions.

The building was built in 1962 and represents a huge structure made in a combination of reinforced concrete slabs and glass. The capacity of the complex is 14 thousand people. The Arena is the venue for various sports events, including such as:

• hockey,
• figure skating,
• mini football,
• basketball.

On the territory of the complex there is a multiplex cinema, equipped with the latest technology. All sorts of competitions, fashion shows, cultural and musical events take place in the concert hall. You can eat and relax from the noise in numerous cafes and restaurants. There is a huge selection of traditional American food and drinks. Visitors are offered the big parking on 2000 cars.

Interesting: 1st Mariner Arena is a significant attraction of Baltimore, attracting locals and tourists.

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Place to visit number 6: The Dutch Island

The Dutch island is a swampy, rapidly collapsing island in the Chesapeake Bay, near the city of Dorchester, Maryland, in the west of Salisbury.

Some facts about the island:

• Once upon a time the inhabitants of this island were boatmen and farmers, but since then they have left the island.
• By 1910, the island had about 360 inhabitants.
• It became one of the largest populated islands in the Chesapeake Bay.

In 1914, the wind and the tidal wave gradually began to destroy the western part of the island, on which most of the residential buildings were located, what made the inhabitants move to the mainland.

Interesting: Nowadays the Dutch island is considered to be abandoned.

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Place to visit number 7: Fort Carroll

In Chesapeake Bay, in the US state of Maryland, near the city of Baltimore, you can see the man-made island called Fort Carroll. The island was built in the middle of the XIX century and was used as:

• an army training ground,
• a checkpoint for ships that flew here during the Second World War.

At the end of the war, the island was abandoned as a matter of inadequacy, after which a mass of proposals immediately followed for its further exploitation. Some suggested using it as a prison, others as a casino, but none of the proposals were ever put into real life.

At the moment, an abandoned island in the form of a hexagon, has become the habitat of many species of birds. More recently, it has been proposed to make the island a bird sanctuary.

Interesting: Sarah Ellen Harper and Colin Curley suggested build wooden sidewalks on the island and place an ecological park here.

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Place to visit number 8: Abandoned power station

In the United States of America, in Maryland, in Westport there is a large gray building. Once it supplied electricity to the whole city but the need for it disappeared and it was simply forgotten.

Now the abandoned power station does not bother anybody with its buzz, it does not create noise, but it looks very depressing. In 1995, people once again remembered the construction.

This gloomy structure with sad old windows turned yellow with time. Inside there are silent huge metal cars, which are difficult to see because of a thick layer of dust settled on them. And it is unlikely that the station will once again be useful to mankind, which cannot be said about extreme sportsmen, who now and then are rushing here, each time risking falling into some pit or getting into a more dangerous situation. So this building attracts:

• those visitors who like extreme kinds of sports,
• those who like historical buildings,
• fans of the film “12 monkeys”

Are you one of them? Then don’t miss a chance to visit this place being in Maryland.

Interesting: Here a fantastic film of Terry Gilliam called “12 monkeys” was shot.

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Place to visit number 9: Ocean City

If you come to rest in Maryland for the first time, then you will certainly have something to see. The entire eastern part of the state is a coastal zone and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. In early August in Ocean City, major competitions for anglers are held – the Tournament of white marlin, where you can win more than one million dollars!

This is a continuous resort area, however, Ocean City is the most popular place to rest. It is a huge sandy beach (25 km) with lots of amusement parks, cafes and restaurants.

What attracts visitors of Ocean City most of all?

• One of the main attractions of Ocean City is the Boardwalk, built as early as 1902, however, it underwent two renovations due to severe damage from two hurricanes.
• There is also a historical monument on the Boardwalk – the Anchor from the Sailboat Accident belonging to the merchant ship Starlight, which sank off the coast of Maryland in 1870.

Interesting: Ocean City is considered one of the best places in America for family holidays.

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Place to visit number 10: Catoctin Mountain Park

If you go to the northwest of the state, you’ll go to the Catoctin Mountain Park, where you can enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities:

• fishing,
• hiking,
• cycling,
• car trips to picturesque places,
• wildlife watching and much more.

Travelers can camp in the park and have all the amenities, such as equipped picnic areas, a clean bathroom with a shower, quiet cozy playgrounds. If you prefer to spend vacations in the open air, then this park is exactly what you need. A few minutes’ drive from here and you will find yourself in the friendly and pleasant town of Hagerstown. The unhurried course of its life enables to adapt in the transition from forest life to urban conditions.

Interesting: Here you can visit local exhibitions, museums and wander around Hagerstown, where there are many green spaces.

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Place to visit number 11: Inner Harbor

The historic port of Inner Harbor in Baltimore is one of the most popular areas of the city. Since the beginning of the XVIII century it was one of the main seaports of the USA, in the seventies of the XX century Inner Harbor became a flourishing cultural center of Baltimore.

From the picturesque promenade of the inner harbor, breathtaking panoramic views are opened. There are many historical, cultural and entertainment sights that attract the attention of tourists. Among them there is the National Aquarium, representing about 16 thousand species of tropical fish and marine mammals, as well as exciting dolphin game shows.

At the disposal of the visitors of the Inner Harbor there are:

• museums,
• the Science Center of Maryland,
• a planetarium,
• many boutiques and luxury restaurants offering a wide choice of delicious dishes.

Interesting: Along the coast, fascinating boat trips are taking place, introducing tourists to local attractions.

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Place to visit number 12: Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is considered a “cultural area” of Baltimore, initially the most prosperous and respected families settled here and today the most important urban cultural sites are located here:

• the John Hopkins University Peabody Conservatory,
• the Historical Society,
• the Museum of Modern Art,
• the Symphony Hall,
• opera,
• art school,
• library Enoch Pratt,
• the Methodist Church in a beautiful 1872 building, a fine example of Victorian Gothic.

The most famous monument of the city is the monument to George Washington, which became the first in the country and is now the oldest of the surviving ones. The construction of the monument began in 1815 and was completed in 1829. The monument is a more than 50-meter white marble column of the Doric order, at the base of which a small museum is opened.

Interesting: You can climb 228 steps to the top and enjoy the great view of the city.

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Video

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