A New Destination? Better Make It Baltimore

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Photo by Bill Chizek - Getty Images

Inner Harbor - Baltimore

The lightship Chesapeake, belonging to the National Park Service, moored at Baltimore's Inner Harbor (2017)

Have you ever been to Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city? If not, you may have been saving one of the best destinations for last. And it’s a direct flight from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport (MKE).

Just 38 miles north of Washington, D.C., and 106 miles south of Philadelphia, Baltimore is tucked neatly into the western end of Chesapeake Bay and wrapped around a very active waterfront area called the Inner Harbor. The city of roughly a half-million falls well within the sphere of influence of our nation’s capital and played an active role in the early history of the United States. In a very real sense, you might say Baltimore has just about everything travelers’ need and want, much of it still to be discovered.

It's easy to fly from Mitchell to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), also known as Thurgood Marshall Airport. Southwest Airlines offers multiple nonstop flights per day for you to choose from.

One you reach Baltimore, nicknamed “Charm City,” your activities can be nonstop if you let them. Good planning will help you maximize your stay. Here are some recommendations:

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Photo by Daniel Hanscom - Getty Images

National Aquariam - Baltimore

The historic USS Torsk docked beside the National Aquariam in Baltimore

• Baltimore was the birthplace of both macabre author Edgar Allan Poe and baseball legend Babe Ruth. The homes of both men have been turned into museums filled with personal mementos and lore well worth a visit. Ruth’s home is a mere two blocks from Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, making baseball season the best time to stop by on your way to a game. During the first weekend in October the city hosts the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards, including a bevy of Poe-themed performances, family friendly activities, and other events. The late author’s grave, also a popular stop, is just blocks from his home at the Westminster Hall & Burying Ground.
• A cornerstone of the city’s Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium, considered one of the best in the country. Home to 20,000 aquatic animals, visitors can get up close and personal with everything from sharks and crocodiles to jellyfish and two-toed sloths. The bravest among you can even pet a stingray!
• Like many cities, Baltimore has a wealth for galleries and museums, including the Maryland Center for History and Culture, the American Visionary Art Museum, the Maryland Science Center and others. The city even hosts The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, devoted to the African Americans who helped shape the country.
• History buffs will enjoy Fort McHenry, where colonists defended the city against British forces and during which battle Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Other historic sites include historic ships in the harbor and even the very first George Washington Monument, constructed in 1829 and predating its counterpart in Washington D.C. by almost 50 years.

And believe it or not, Baltimore has almost a dozen world-class beaches within easy driving distance of the city center. Kayak, swim, play volleyball, or just lie by the Atlantic Ocean and listen to the waves. There is all that and more in Baltimore.