Baltimore and Fort McHenry

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I have some friends coming to town and during their visit they want to visit Inner Harbor and Fort Mchenry. Does anyone know of any organized tours that would do this for them?

Or is their best choice to drive to Owings Mills and take the METRO into town and use public transportation?

[lifesaver]

Nov 2, 2011 11:13:49 GMT -5 Fire Marshal Bill said:

I have some friends coming to town and during their visit they want to visit Inner Harbor and Fort Mchenry. Does anyone know of any organized tours that would do this for them?

Or is their best choice to drive to Owings Mills and take the METRO into town and use public transportation?

I don't know of any organized tours or if they are able to walk for a short distance but if you go to Owings Mills and take the Metro to (I think) Lexington Market it's only a few blocks to the Inner Harbor and everything there. I would definitely take the Metro anyhow, no worry about parking in Baltimore. Map Quest can even give you walking directions. I know they have boat tours and the Aquarium is right there for starters.

[orrtannaoracle]

I believe there are water taxis that can take you from the Inner Harbor to the fort. There are commercial garages available at the I.H. Get tickets in advance if you want to go to the Aquarium, well-worth it in my opinion.

Here's the link to the fort's website: www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

Here's a link about tours: www.forttours.com/pages/fortmchenry.asp

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Thank you all for your assistance. I had been to the site, and noticed both public transportation from the Inner Harbor by both water taxi, and bus, and have been to the METRO stop close to Inner Harbor.

I was just curious about someone running a bus trip like they do to Washington.

I’m sure they will make out OK and I may even go along, not that I will help with things any.

[lifesaver]

FMB, Baltimore is a very easy city to find your away around. At least the area around Inner Harbor. I will do anything to avoid driving in city traffic so I find the Metro very convenient.

[orrtannaoracle]

BTW, the commercial garage I used was almost directly across the street from the aquarium. Not cheap but then again, no METRO fee, no waiting for the train, downtown mobility if you don't want to walk. Baltimore Museum of Art is very good, southern edge of the Hopkins campus, 32 blocks north of downtown. Take N. Charles Street. Lots of good restaurants, great NYC-style deli @ Attman's @ 1019 E. Lombard St. Have dinner @ Johanson's (sp.?) in Westminster on the way home.

Just read lifesaver's note. We have found that driving downtown is no big deal as long as you avoid AM and PM rush hours. I-83 (aka JFX, Jones Fall Expressway) ends downtown within just a couple of blocks from the aquarium. We spent a lot of time on the JFX during my health issues in 2009 so we know the routine pretty well.

[lifesaver]

Nov 3, 2011 7:49:04 GMT -5 orrtannaoracle said:

BTW, the commercial garage I used was almost directly across the street from the aquarium. Not cheap but then again, no METRO fee, no waiting for the train, downtown mobility if you don't want to walk. Baltimore Museum of Art is very good, southern edge of the Hopkins campus, 32 blocks north of downtown. Take N. Charles Street. Lots of good restaurants, great NYC-style deli @ Attman's @ 1019 E. Lombard St. Have dinner @ Johanson's (sp.?) in Westminster on the way home.

Just read lifesaver's note. We have found that driving downtown is no big deal as long as you avoid AM and PM rush hours. I-83 (JFX, Jones Fall Expressway) ends downtown within just a couple of blocks from the aquarium. We spent a lot of time on the JFX during my health issues in 2009 so we know the routine pretty well.

For my husband it would be no big deal, for me I would be white knuckling the whole way once I got into the city traffic, more than three lanes and left hand exits. We got to know the area around Shock Trauma very well after my husbands accident a few years ago. He couldn't drive so he had to rely on me to get to his doctor appts. We used to walk by Edgar Allen Poe's grave every time we went to his doctor visits. When my husband had his accident it was a Friday evening rush hour and I had to drive to Shock Trauma, when I brought him home I had to drive back in a snowstorm. Which is why the Metro from then on was a breeze for me. And in case you ever need to know the last stop on the Metro will open the doors right into John's Hopkins.