What's New

Marylanders are an optimistic bunch. They continue to plan for a bright future. So they build: new hotels; an abundance of new, good restaurants; museums of all kinds. Both Baltimore and Annapolis have seen neglected parts of town come back to life in exciting ways. And at the beach and in the mountains, something fun and new is always happening, especially with the creation of more bike trails.

Baltimore

East side, west side, all around the town. .. Charm City is putting on a new face. The big news is the continuing redevelopment of the harbor east of the Inner Harbor, known now as Harbor East, and the sprucing up going on around the Hippodrome Theatre and Lexington Market, an area called Westside.

Neither was a place most people, especially tourists, wanted to stop in only a few years ago. But now Harbor East is home to some pretty good shopping and new apartment buildings and restaurants. The Baltimore Marriott Waterfront got the ball rolling. A new bed and breakfast is being built nearby and plans have been hatched for new hotels, including a Four Seasons (though not for several years). Even movie theaters and a bowling alley have gone up.

Meanwhile, the same kind of development is going on over on Eutaw and Howard Streets, on the western edge of downtown. The streets are busy again as new and refurbished buildings attract residents. Frankly, it's not as dark and daunting as it was when the Hippodrome opened a few years ago. There's a good restaurant, Lucy's Irish Pub and Restaurant (tel. 410/837-2100), and a coffee bar in the neighborhood now. The return of bright, bustling streets -- from Charles Street to Federal Hill to Canton to these two revitalized areas -- will thrill any Baltimorean who remembers the dark days of the 1960s and 1970s.

Another restoration that has everybody talking is the work done on the Basilica of the Assumption (tel. 410/727-3564) on Cathedral Street. Once a dim (though beautiful) cathedral, new paint, the restoration of skylights, and the removal of stained-glass windows has light flooding the sacred space.

When you check into your hotel room in Baltimore, you're also probably going to see white. Nearly every hotel was updated in the last year or two, and the color for bedding in 2008 is white. The Hyatt's redo has added luster to this gem (tel. 410/528-1234). Public spaces in the Renaissance (tel. 410/547-1200) and Sheraton Baltimore City Center (formerly the Wyndham; tel. 410/752-1100) have also been given new modern looks.

The Hilton (tel. 443/573-8700) was going up as this guide was being readied for publication. Located across the street from both the Baltimore Convention Center and Camden Yards, its location is bound to make it a popular spot. It's also a block from the MARC train station and right at a Light Rail stop. It opens in fall 2008.

The restaurant scene has seen some delicious additions. Nick's Fish House (tel. 410/FISH-123) in South Baltimore has great Baltimore-style seafood. Helen's Garden (tel. 410/276-2233) and Jack's Bistro (tel. 410/878-6542) bring casual style and seriously good eats to Canton.

Sadly, Baltimore saw the close of two small museums. The Fells Point Maritime Museum and the Baltimore Civil War Museum-President Street Station fell victim to budget cuts. President Street Station may reopen as a branch of the B&O Railroad Museum (an obvious match) in the coming years.

On the other hand, a fun new place opened on the floor above the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards. Geppi's Entertainment Museum (tel. 410/625-7060) celebrates pop culture with a historical look at comic books, collectibles, and toys.

Two historic buildings have reopened as part of the Carroll Museum (tel. 410/605-2964). The last home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of Maryland's signers of the Declaration of Independence, is now a resting spot along the Heritage Walk; it has an art gallery and some of the rooms have been restored as Carroll might have seen them. Nearby, the iconic Phoenix Shot Tower (tel. 410/605-2964) is also open. This brick tower was used to manufacture shot from hot lead dropped through the building's shaft.

Annapolis

The site of the 2007 Middle East peace talks has been spreading its charm westward with an updated visitor center (tel. 410/280-0445), sparkling Westin hotel (tel. 410/972-4300), and a string of exciting new restaurants, including the hot Lemongrass (tel. 410/280-0086).

The State House will close for most of 2008 for badly needed repairs. It will reopen in time for the General Assembly session in January 2009.

Washington, D.C., Suburbs

New to this edition of the guide is an expanded section of attractions located in the Washington suburbs. Accessible by the Capital Beltway, these are sites worth a visit, whether you're stopping in Baltimore or D.C. Some are historic: The National Colonial Farm (tel. 301/283-2113) consists of two homes, one where John Wilkes Booth stopped after he assassinated President Lincoln and one the home of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross (tel. 301/320-1410). Some are cultural: the Music Center at Strathmore (tel. 301/581-5100) and the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre (tel. 301/581-5100). And some might be bad for your credit card: the shops of Savage Mill (tel. 800/788-6455) and the antique shops of Kensington. Since most of these attractions are within an hour's drive of other major tourist destinations, lodging and restaurant information is not included. The new section will focus on these sites as day trips from Baltimore, Annapolis, and elsewhere.

Public rides resumed on a new canal boat, the Charles F. Mercer, on the C&O Canal near Great Falls (tel. 301/767-3714).

Route 40, the National Road (tel. 877/263-4673), has been taking people west since the days of the wagon train. Now "the road that built the nation" has a "historic" designation and signs recalling its storied past from Baltimore's Inner Harbor to Cumberland and on into Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Look for the signs in Ellicott City west of Baltimore, near the Casselman River Bridge in Western Maryland, and elsewhere.

Maryland & Delaware's Atlantic Beaches

Biking has always been a popular pastime along the Eastern Shore's flat roads. Delaware now has a new, safer alternative. The 6-mile Junction and Breakwater Trail connects Rehoboth and Lewes near the water's edge and has a crushed-stone trail suitable for walkers, joggers, bikers, and wheelchairs.

Frederick & the Civil War Crossroads

Antietam Battlefield Guides (www.antietambattlefieldguides.com), similar to those at Gettysburg, will take families and groups on tours of the Civil War battlefield. And hiking and biking aficionados should look for the trails now marked around the battlefields. It's a new way to look and learn -- and to get some exercise.

Gettysburg National Military Park was set to open a new visitor center in April 2008, with plans to put the Electric Map and Cyclorama back on exhibit later in 2008.

Western Maryland

Maryland's only ski area, Wisp Resort, at Deep Creek Lake (tel. 301/387-4911), has added something new. The Adventure Sports Center International's new white-water rafting and kayaking course at the top of Wisp Mountain gives newbies and experienced white-water fans a chance to get their feet wet.

Fans of the great outdoors have some other exciting new places to check out in Western Maryland. The Great Allegheny Passage (tel. 301/777-2161), a biking and hiking trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, winds over mountains, through caves, and past some terrific scenery. It connects to the C&O Canal towpath, making it possible to walk or bike all the way from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh.