What's New

Arriving by plane? You'll now be landing at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (tel. 800/I-FLY-BWI; www.bwiairport.com). State legislators approved the name change in 2005 to honor the Maryland native and the first African American to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Accommodations in Maryland and Delaware never seem to stop updating their rooms. The newest thing is high-speed Internet access -- most hotels now offer it in guest rooms as well as public areas. Often it's wireless; often it's free. Check when making reservations, as policies keep changing.

Both Maryland and Delaware have a number of new museums -- or newly refurbished museums.

Baltimore

Baltimore's Heritage Walk (tel. 877/BALTIMORE; www.heritagewalk.org) gives visitors another way to stroll around the city. Using new maps and brochures, guides, and signage all around the downtown area, visitors can learn a little about the history and culture of Charm City.

Don't want to walk? The Big Bus Company (tel. 410/396-6611) operates new double-decker buses that tool about town, enabling visitors to get on and off as they please -- and going far beyond the Inner Harbor to must-see attractions in western and northern Baltimore.

The city welcomed several new hotels this year, including a Residence Inn, 17 Light St. (tel. 410/962-1220), right in the heart of the business district. Over in Fells Point, the Henderson's Wharf Inn, 1000 Fell St. (tel. 800/522-2088), suffered mightily when Hurricane Isabel blew through in 2003. We're happy to report that after months of reconstruction, the inn on the harbor is welcoming guests back with style.

Baltimore diners have become an adventurous lot in recent years -- but the city and its visitors still like a thick steak and a good pub. One of the new Irish eateries isn't your usual Guinness-and-corned-beef place. With a gleaming oak bar -- no, make that two bars -- plus white tablecloths and sweeping city views, Tir Na Nog, newly opened at Harborplace (tel. 410/483-8968), is worth the hassle of finding a parking space. If beef is what's for dinner, stop at either downtown branch of Ruth's Chris Steak House, at 600 Water St. (tel. 410/783-0033), or at the Pier 5 Hotel, 711 Eastern Ave. (tel. 410/230-0033). Or you can try the terrific new Capital Grille, 500 E. Pratt St. (tel. 443/703-4064), right downtown. Sadly, the Joy America Cafe, at the American Visionary Art Museum, shut its doors in 2006 after 6 years in business.

With a brand new exhibit, "Australia: Wild Extremes," Down Under has come to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 E. Pratt St. (tel. 410/576-3800). Anyone walking past the giant glass cube in the past year or so couldn't help but marvel at the contents visible from outside. Timed, advance-purchase tickets are now available online at www.aqua.org.

Baltimoreans are justly proud of their newest museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. (tel. 443/263-1800). It's the East Coast's largest museum chronicling African-American history. Architecturally, the soaring black, red, and yellow edifice is breathtaking; inside, the exhibits are designed to inspire young people.

The B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. (tel. 410/752-2490), is back. Heavy snows a few years ago made a mess of the building and its priceless contents, but the staff has revived this jewel in West Baltimore. Some damaged pieces are still on display, but the place looks as good as new -- maybe even better.

Sports fans will revel in the new Sports Legends at Camden Yards, 301 W. Camden St. (tel. 410/727-1539), right beside Camden Yards. It's a delight for anyone who loves Bawlamer's local teams.

Just 14 miles from Baltimore, Ellicott City, the country's first railroad town, is a great place to spend a day antiquing, sightseeing, and eating out. Havre de Grace, a Colonial crossroads at the top of the Chesapeake Bay, has plenty of shopping, attractions, and water activities, as well as a handful of delightful bed-and-breakfasts.

Annapolis

In Annapolis, walking is so 18th century. The Segway, the newfangled way to get around, has come to Maryland's capital thanks to Segs in the City (tel. 800/SEGS-393).

The Annapolis Maritime Museum, Second Street and Back Creek (tel. 410/295-0104), was pretty much ransacked by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. It has now reopened with exhibits on the Thomas Point Lighthouse and the venerable oyster.

The Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St. (tel. 410/216-6180), has added new space, doubling its capacity and enabling its staff to add changing exhibits to its permanent displays about local African Americans.

The Historic Annapolis Foundation spent 2005 readying its newest museum, HistoryQuest at the St. Clair Wright History Center, 99 Main St. (tel. 410/267-7619). The restored 1790s building will be home to exhibits that highlight the capital's history, architecture, and culture.

The Eastern Shore

The Tidewater Inn, 101 E. Dover St., Easton (tel. 800/237-8775), has been the centerpiece of Easton's downtown district for, well, forever. The aging lady wasn't looking her best, though, when she was auctioned off in mid-2005. The good news is that new owners are giving her a major makeover, with elegant results promised by 2007.

Motorists can follow in the path of Harriet Tubman by taking the 105-mile "Finding a Way to Freedom" self-guided driving tour, available from the Route 50 Visitor Center in Cambridge (tel. 410/228-1000; www.tourdorchester.org). The route visits Underground Railroad sites around Dorchester County.

Maryland & Delaware's Atlantic Beaches

Ocean City has gotten too big for its barrier island -- so development has spread across the bay to what's been dubbed "West Ocean City." Housing and shopping outlets have been around for years; now the local restaurant scene is getting tasty. The Southern-inspired Plantation House, 12308 Ocean Gateway (Rte. 50), West Ocean City (tel. 410/213-7786), is one of the most welcome new additions.

Frederick & the Civil War Crossroads

Antietam National Battlefield, a place with sad history but sweeping mountain vistas, has several new attractions. Its licensed Battlefield Guides, similar to those at Gettysburg, will take families and groups on tours of the battlefield. A new field hospital exhibit has been set up in the house where Gen. George McClellan had his headquarters. And hiking aficionados should look for the trails now marked around the battlefields. It's a new way to look and learn -- and to enjoy the scenery.

Western Maryland

Mush! Anyone who has ever dreamed of running the Iditarod can now try dogsledding in the parks of Western Maryland with two local outfitters, Husky Power Dogsledding (tel. 301/746-7200) and Yellow Snow Dog Sled Adventures (tel. 301/616-4996). Since snow can be a chancy proposition here, some sleds are even outfitted with wheels. Okay, so maybe it isn't quite the same experience as sledding across the snow . . . but those furry creatures are still hauling you around at top speeds.

Maryland's only ski area, Wisp Resort, at Deep Creek Lake (tel. 301/387-4911), is expanding again. Open now for 50 years, the resort has added 10 trails and two quad lifts to the north side of the mountain. Skiers will rejoice at the chance for new trails -- and a new view.