Possibly the most weirdly-shaped state on the planet, Maryland offers mountains, ocean and a massive government infrastructure. Museums and historic sites abound here in this state so close and yet so far from national power.
History
In 1608, Captain John Smith explored Chesapeake Bay and likely became the first white man in Maryland. The King of England granted a royal charter for Maryland to Lord Baltimore, giving a haven for Catholic settlers in the New World. In the aftermath of the American Revolution, Maryland donated its own land to make the new national capital, Washington, D.C. Today the suburbs sprawl into Maryland, making up some of the wealthiest counties in the United States.
The historic neighborhood of Fell’s Point in Baltimore. Many of the houses and buildings here date from the 18th-early 20th centuries.
In 1814, a battle over Maryland’s largest city inspired the American National Anthem, the “Star-Spangled Banner”. While this song became a testament to freedom, Maryland remained a slave state right up to the Civil War. The state fractured between the Union and Confederacy, and this boundary between North and South can still be seen today.
In the aftermath of the war, Maryland’s economy grew and diversified into what it is today. Agriculture, bounty from the sea, and benefits from all those federal tax dollars keep this state humming even during recession. Maryland’s naval heritage is alive and well in Annapolis, while literary sites pockmark Baltimore.
History abounds in diverse Maryland.
Tips
The crazy shape of Maryland leads to different weather conditions, colder in the mountains and hot and muggy near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast.
Watch for traffic, especially around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.
There is a not so nice toll on I-95 going into Delaware from Pennsylvania, be prepared to spend. However coming into Maryland on I-95, there is no toll, maybe because you already got scalped by the tolls going through Delaware.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge charges by license plate heading towards Delaware and the coast if you don’t have a EZpass.
BWI airport (outside of Baltimore) is connected by train to both Baltimore and Washington, D. C. and is a much cheaper alternative to D.C. airports.
Top Attractions
Baltimore – Home to several museums, Fort McHenry, and the National Aquarium.
Antietam National Battlefield – Site of the American Civil War’s bloodiest day.
Annapolis – Home to the U.S. Naval Academy and a strong historic heritage.
C&O Canal – A 184.5 mile long park preserving America’s early transportation history.
Assateague Island National Seashore – Maryland’s Atlantic coast is home to a very long and very marshy barrier island, famous for its long sandy beach and wild ponies. (They are really just feral horses with a lot of attitude.)
Assateague Island sunset.
Map of Maryland
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