Weekend Travel – Baltimore Magazine

Wildlife Weekend

Lydia Woolever — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:52:00 +0000

There are a slew of things going on in the city this weekend, but it’s already the middle of November. The days are getting shorter. Our sleeves are getting longer. The temperatures are dropping fast and before we know it, we’ll be in a three-month, bundled-up slump of never leaving the house. So now’s the time to go—to get out of dodge and get up to the mountains or out into the fresh country air.

To do just that, take a short drive across the bay for the 44th annual Waterfowl Festival, which celebrates the Eastern Shore with a three-day weekend of wildlife arts, culture, and activities in the historic tidewater town of Easton.

A region rich in heritage, history, and tradition, people come from near and far to see the wildlife artwork—the paintings, photography, sculptures, and carvings on view and for sale by regional artists—and to observe or participate in the bucolic, bay-oriented activities—like goose- and duck-calling contests, dock-jumping dog competitions, retriever demos, live bird demos, and fly-fishing demos.

“It’s a true celebration of who we are as a community,” says Amy Steward, a longtime festival volunteer and public relations consultant for one of the event’s main venues, the Academy Art Museum. “The Eastern Shore has developed and changed but there’s still a real element of tradition here and a conscious effort to retain our way of life and our environmental heritage.”

Since it began in 1971, the festival has grown from 4,000 visitors to as many as 20,000, with attendees hailing from all across the state, up and down the Mid-Atlantic, and beyond. Like the shore itself, it has evolved, but also like the shore itself, it has stayed true to its roots.

In the early 70s, the Eastern Shore of Maryland was a quiet, beautiful, but rapidly changing place. The Bay Bridge had been erected in 1952, followed by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and new interstates, and with the country in a state of suburban sprawl, developers saw the lush, local region as a prime opportunity. They started moving in—draining and filling wetland; razing forest; converting farmland for new buildings, houses, and businesses—and before long, plans were under way for a second span of the bridge, with an expected completion by 1973.

At that point, the Eastern Shore’s fate started to look like a foreshadowing of much of its future wildlife—exposed, endangered, maybe one day even extinct—but a small group of Talbot County sportsmen and women had devised a way to share the East with the West. On the opening day of goose hunting season, they gathered 50 exhibitions of carvings, paintings, and artifacts at three local venues in Easton. Their aim was to teach the outsiders the insides of the region—the heart of it, the history, the deep-rooted heritage—and consequently help preserve it, along with its wildlife and habitat. Unbeknownst to the founders at the time, that’s exactly what it would do.

That first year, the festival raised $7,500 for Ducks Unlimited, and ever since, it has raised more than $5 million for hundreds of conservation projects up and down the East Coast, with an emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay. In 2011, the festival launched its own fundraising arm—Waterfowl Chesapeake—devoted to the creation, restoration, and conservation of waterfowl habitat throughout the watershed.

“I think people from the Western Shore really appreciate the provincial community feel of the Eastern Shore,” Steward says. “When they come over, they can experience the small-town charm and some of those open spaces and farmland that maybe doesn’t exist as much over there anymore.”

After a swing by the decoy auction or a peruse of the town’s shops, you can head to the wine and beer pavilion and, with a $10 wristband, taste local wines from the likes of Crow Vineyard in Kennedyville, Casinelli Winery in Church Hill, Far Eastern Shore Winery in Easton, or Linganore Winecellars in Mt. Airy, and imbibe in local beers from Reale Revival Brewery in Cambridge and Eastern Shore Brewing in St. Michaels.

And then there’s the food.

“People love coming for a cup of crab soup or a plate of raw oysters,” says Steward.

Vendors include local restaurants, churches, and fire departments, plus the Ruritan, Lions, and Elks clubs, who, in addition to crab soup and raw oysters, will be slinging the shore’s very best bites: oyster stew, rockfish corn chowder, soft-crab sandwiches, crab cakes, etc.

“It’s just a great tradition for people to get together,” says Al Silverstein, president and CEO of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.. “Every year, we meet people who say, ‘Oh, this is my 20th year coming,’ or ‘Oh, I was here 30 years ago,’ or ‘Oh, we’re meeting friends and going back and staying at the same B&B we always do. There’s something for everyone. You can even bring your dog.”

So this weekend, grab a friend. (And your pup.) Throw on a sweater. Drink a St. Michaels ale from Eastern Shore Brewing. Eat as many oysters as you can. Marvel at all the wildlife. Winter is coming but for a little while longer, we’ll still have those perfect days of fall.

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Pittsburgh puts on quite a show for visitors

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When the Ravens head to Heinz Field stadium to
take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, dedicated Baltimore fans will be in hot
pursuit to cheer on their team. But rivalry and team loyalty aside,
there’s plenty to do in The Steel City before and after the game. About a
four-hour drive from Baltimore, Pittsburgh is an ideal destination for a
three-day weekend or longer getaway. Stay in one of the many hotels in
town (The Westin Convention Center, 1000 Penn Ave., 412-281-3700, starwoodhotels.com/westin,
is lovely) for access to incredible museums, beautiful rivers,
restaurants, bars, and streets that invite poking around and bargain
shopping. Whether you wear your purple is up to you. (Fortune favors the
brave.)

Situated between the East Coast and the Midwest, this city of
about 307,000 has a distinctly American infatuation with
self-improvement, innovation, and achievement. And it happens to be a
city with a desire to make sure its visitors and citizens know and
appreciate its history. On nearly every street, it seems, there are
signs explaining the historic significance of certain locations: A labor
strike started here, the site of the first professional football game
in 1892, and even one dedicated to Johnny Unitas, a Pittsburgh native.
(Nice try, Pittsburgh. He’s ours.)

Perhaps the best way to get an overview of the city is to make the slow, steady ascent up the steep Duquesne Incline (1197 W. Carson St., duquesneincline.org),
as we did, in an 18-seat car pulled by a thick metal cable. There’s PNC
Field; there’s Heinz Field; and there’s the PPG building, looking like a
fairy-tale castle made of crystal as the sun sets over the city and the
Monongahela River.

But, for now, we’re more concerned about the cable that seems
to be groaning with the effort of lifting the half-full car, with its
opaque transoms and ornate wooden trim up the hill. Of course, the car
makes the 794-foot journey with its 400-foot elevation gain.

The Duquesne Incline, one of many examples of Pittsburgh
ingenuity, has been in operation almost continuously since 1877. These
days, riders pay a standard $2.50 fare (exact change required) to get to
Grandview Avenue and the ritziest restaurants in town. Or families ride the car for the adventure of it and the great views of the city.

A history museum at the top of the Incline is another place for
Pittsburgh to tell its story, matching views from the wide windows with
photographs from the 1800s, showing fires, floods, and the infamous
Pittsburgh smog. In keeping with the city’s affection for ingenuity, the
massive gears of the Incline are also open for viewing for 50 cents.

The city’s history lesson begins at the Fort Pitt Museum (601 Commonwealth Pl., 412-281-9284, heinzhistorycenter.org),situated at Point State Park,
a green wedge formed where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet.
These rivers made Pittsburgh a valuable “gateway to the West” and the
object of acquisitive affection for France and England as well as the
western headquarters of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary
War.

The site includes the oldest structure in western Pennsylvania, the Fort Pitt Block House,
which was built in 1764 and is open free of charge. A sliding admission
fee (from free-$6) buys a trip inside the two-story museum, which
details the site’s history through exhibits and a movie.

From Point State Park, a short walk along the Allegheny River
and over the Seventh Street Bridge brings visitors to a museum that’s an
entirely different can of soup-—The Andy Warhol Museum (117 Sandusky St., 412-237-8300, warhol.org).

The museum opened in 1994, seven years after Warhol’s death
following gall-bladder surgery at the age of 58, and does an admirable
job of capturing the brilliance and contradictions of an artist who
turned the relationship between art and commerce on its head.

The stately 1911 building houses Warhol’s various prints—including
the famous Marilyn and Soup Can works, when they’re not out on loan—but
also has an entire room of televisions talking at once and another area
with movies on continuous short loops, many unsuitable for young
viewers. (I’m looking at you, Mario Banana.)

For an afternoon of quintessential Pittsburgh strolling, head over to The StripDistrict
for shopping and lunch. Though its name sounds like the plot of one of
those Andy Warhol films, The Strip is a charming jumble of restaurants
and bars, offbeat and super-cheap stores, wholesale and retail food
outlets, and flower shops.

On a Sunday morning, the lines are long outside two restaurants known for their breakfasts, DeLuca’s (2015 Penn Ave.) and Pamela’s Diner (several locations, including 60 21st St., pamelasdiner.com), a Cafe Hon-like spot heavy on the retro decorations. Good smells waft from ThePittsburgh Popcorn Company (several locations, including 209 21st St., pghpopcorn.com),which sells fresh-popped kernels in a variety of flavors, including peanut-butter-and-chocolate kettle corn.

After your meal, search through colorful board shorts and scarves, $5 each, on tables and racks outside Sunny’s Fashions (2100
Penn Ave.). Elsewhere, a table with T-shirts includes one with a very
Pittsburgh slogan: “Yinz is proper. Y’all is stupid.”

Pittsburgh, like Baltimore, is one of the few places left in
America with a distinct accent and dialect, and Yinz is part of that. If
the classic Baltimore phrase is, “Yew gowin downy ocean, hon?” the
classic morsel of Pittsburghese is “Yinz gowen dahntahn fer a sammitch?”

One highlight of The Strip is the Pittsburgh Public Market (2401 Penn Ave., pittsburghpublicmarket.org), a collection of stalls selling local beer, organic produce, clothes, soaps, and more.

There are tables in the center for eating the lunch you purchased at Sito’s,Gosia’s Pierogies, or Soup Nancys. It’s
all fresh and inexpensive. You can hand the woman at Sito’s a $10 bill
and walk away with an herbal iced tea, a Greek salad, three vegetarian
grape leaves, tabbouleh, and a dollar in change. For dessert, wander
over to the Enrico Biscotti Co. (2022 Penn Ave., 412-281-2602, enricobiscotti.com) for handmade biscotti.

Of course, it’s impossible todiscussfood
in Pittsburgh without mentioning the H.J. Heinz Co. Henry John Heinz
founded the ketchup juggernaut in the mid-1800s that still bears his
name, selling horseradish, pickles, and vinegars in and around
Pittsburgh. The company, now global, is still headquartered here, though
the beautiful red-brick buildings that were once food-processing
factories have been converted to riverside condos.

The Heinz name is prominent on museums and other buildings
throughout Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra plays at Heinz
Hall, and there’s the aforementioned Heinz Field.The Senator John Heinz History Center (1212 Smallman St., 412-454-6000, heinzhistorycenter.org)
also houses the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Together, they
provide a heart-stirring overview of Pittsburgh history and innovation,
including sports triumphs that might rankle Baltimore fans just a
little. (But then we remember we’re the reigning Super Bowl champs, and
all is right with the world.)

Pittsburgh sports lovers can shout themselves hoarse for their teams at relatively new stadiums. Both Heinz Field and PNC Park, where the Pittsburgh Pirates play,opened in 2001.

Two stories of the seven-story History Center are devoted to
Western Pennsylvania sports, highlighting nearly every form of athletic
endeavor imaginable, including archery, rowing, mountain climbing, and
speedboat racing. One room practically throbs with stirring music and
televised moments of Steelers’ and other Pittsburgh sports teams’
triumphs. Another display shows a row of lockers filled with the
uniforms and equipment of some of Pittsburgh’s brightest athletic
luminaries.

Pittsburgh’s importance in American and world history is
highlighted through the stories of Pittsburghers who changed the world,
including David McCullough, Andrew Mellon, Andrew Carnegie, and George
Ferris (inventor of the eponymous wheel). Parenting was transformed
mid-century by a triumvirate of Pittsburgh men: Dr. Jonas Salk, who led
the team that invented the polio vaccine; Dr. Benjamin Spock, author of Baby and Child Care; and Fred Rogers, who launched his children’s television show from Pittsburgh’s WQED in 1968.

While Pittsburgh rightly celebrates its rich history, it is also a
city that now frequently tops national and international lists of
“most-livable cities.” The downtown is vibrant with restaurants, bars,
and interesting shops.

One relatively new addition is the August Wilson Center for African American Culture (980 Liberty Ave., 412-258-2700, augustwilsoncenter.org),
which opened in 2009. It’s a stunning, light-filled structure honoring
the famous playwright, who based most of his plays in Pittsburgh’s Hill
District, where he grew up. The venue is part performing-arts center,
part museum, and part school of the arts. It’s definitely worth visiting
for its exhibitions exploring African-American culture in Pittsburgh.

After soaking up history, feast at some of Pittsbugh’s finer restaurants. Seviche (930 Penn Ave., seviche.com),serving
a combination of Latin and Asian food, is jammed on weekend nights with
dressed-up crowds thumbing their iPhones as they wait for their sushi
and mojitos to arrive. Habitat (510 Market St., habitatrestaurant.com) has a stylish interior, open kitchen, and a focus on organic, local ingredients.

But the old-school eateries are still best. Pittsburgh is best known for its enormous sandwiches. Sammy’s Famous Corned Beef (217
Ninth St.) is an order-at-the-counter hangout, scuffed and dark inside,
with plenty of beer on tap and sandwiches fat with salty, delicious
meat. But no trip to Pittsburgh is complete without a sandwich from Primanti Bros.,with locations in and around Pittsburgh, including the original Strip District restaurant(46 18th St., primantibros.com), which opened in 1933.

A Primanti sandwich usually starts with a mound of meat
(pastrami, steak, and chicken are some of the more popular choices)
fried up on a griddle. Then it’s placed on a fat slice of Italian bread,
topped with French fries, coleslaw, tomato slices, and the second wedge
of bread. According to eyewitnesses, some people are able to open their
mouths wide enough to bite into these behemoths without disturbing the
contents.

Brewing equipment fills the apse at The Church Brew Works (3525 Liberty Ave., churchbrew.com),
a restaurant and brewery in a former Baptist church. Diners sit under
soaring ceilings and enjoy crowd-pleasing fare like meatloaf, pulled
pork, and many salads, including a “traditional Pittsburgh-style” salad,
which means it has French fries nestled among the greens.

If you have time, consider taking a short drive to the Oakland neighborhood, home to the awe-inspiring Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History (4400 Forbes Ave., carnegiemuseums.org)and the University of Pittsburgh campus with its famous Nationality Rooms (nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/about).

The combined Carnegie museums are truly world-class. The art museum
bulges with big-name works, including spectacular Degas and Van Gogh
paintings. The natural-history museum is a wonder of reconstructed
dinosaurs, fossils, and interactive fun.

The University of Pittsburgh campus, just across the street, is home to the serene Heinz Memorial Chapel, but the real draw is the 42-story, thrillingly gloomy Cathedral of Learning with
its 29 themed rooms, decorated to represent ethnic groups of the
region, from African to Yugoslavian. The majority of the rooms are real
classrooms, and adult visitors pay $4 to tour at their leisure, with
recorded messages that explain the significance of what they are
seeing.

As it turns out, Pittsburgh is much more than the home of
zealous black-and-gold football fans. After a visit, you just may gain a
new perspective on the world. (But it’s still okay to boo the
Steelers.)

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Events for 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812

Mike Smith — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

here’s a ton of events for all ages on tap in Baltimore for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. Here’s a roundup:

Wednesday, June 13

Head for the harbor to see a massive fleet of 13 towering tall ships, with their uniformed sailors lined up on the yardarms, arrive in Baltimore. Add the modern warships visiting town and there’ll be close to 40 in all, and the biggest include such majestic vessels as the Cisne Branco, a 250-foot-long, full-rigged tall ship of Brazil; the Dewaruci, a 191-foot barquentine crewed by Indonesian Navy cadets; the Cuauhtémoc, a 270-foot tall ship from Mexico; the Colombian Navy’s four-masted (23 sails), 257-foot-long Gloria; the Guayas, a 257-foot long tall ship of Ecuador; and our very own USCG Barque Eagle, the 290-foot globetrotting ambassador and sail training ship of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Baltimore’s Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard did the most recent refit of her), as well of lots of smaller ships like The Pride of Baltimore II and the Lady Maryland. The tall ships will be joined by modern warships from several countries and will be docked at the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, and Locust Point. Tours are available, but anyone touring a modern naval vessel will need to go through security similar to that at the airport, so leave your jack knife and ammo belt at home. Go to http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details about the participating ships.

Thursday, June 14 (Flag Day)

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Flag Day celebration at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House , 844 E. Pratt St., 410-837-1793, info@flaghouse.org.

10:30-noon. Navy Ceremonial Band concert and welcome ceremony at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater. Starspangled200.com.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free Public Ship Tours in Inner Harbor and Fells Point, Sailabration Villages open, check sailbaltimore.org for details.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free public ship tours in North Locust Point, checkhttp://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

Friday, June 15

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free public ship tours in Inner Harbor and Fells Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free public ship tours in North Locust Point, checkhttp://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

Saturday, June 16

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Star-Spangled Festival and Aircraft Display at Martin State Airport, Eastern Ave, Middle River. The main attraction will be the six FA-18 Hornets, flown by the U.S. Navy¹s Aerobatic Demonstration team, the Blue Angels, and the C-130 (Fat Albert) flown by the Marine Corps. When the Blues land after the air show, pilots will be signing autographs. There also will be other FA-18s, a E-2C Hawkeye, a T-45C Goshawk, a T-6B Texan, a T-34C Mentor, a P-3C Orion, MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter, TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopter, and a MH-60 Seahawk helicopter. The Maryland Air National Guard will have one of their A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft on display as will the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum. Aircraft will begin departing Martin for the show in the early afternoon.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free public ship tours in Inner Harbor and Fells Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free public ship tours in North Locust Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

Afternoon TBD. Star-Spangled Air Show over Baltimore, featuring the Blue Angels. Best viewing location is Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

6-10 p.m. Celebration of the American Flag with concerts and fireworks at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

Sunday, June 17

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Star-Spangled Festival and Aircraft Display, Martin State Airport. See Saturday description above.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free public ship tours in Inner Harbor and Fells Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free public ship tours in North Locust Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

Afternoon TBD. Star-Spangled Air Show over Baltimore, featuring the Blue Angels. Best viewing location is Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

7-8:30 p.m. Star-Spangled Symphony by the BSO featuring the premiere of a new symphonic work, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Bsomusic.org

Monday, June 18 (Actual anniversary of the Declaration of War)

Morning TBD. 200th anniversary event.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free public ship tours in Inner Harbor and Fells Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free public ship tours in North Locust Point. Sailabration Villages open, check http://StarSpangled200.com/ for details.

Tuesday, June 19

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Parade of Sail departure.

All weekend

On June 10, the Maryland Historical Society will open a new 1812 exhibition. The museum is at 201 W. Monument St., 410-685-3750. Check mdhs.org for hours, details.

Crystol Moll Gallery, 1030 S. Charles St., is hosting an exhibition of paintings, photographs and prints of Ft. McHenry, Flag House, and tall ships in honor or the War of 1812. May 23-July 7 with a reception June 15. See crystolmollgallery.com for details.

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Best Bed & Breakfasts

Jess Mayhugh — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Every B&B has a story, or, at least, its owner does. “It’s a
personality-driven industry,” says Joe Lespier, president of the
Maryland Bed & Breakfast Association and owner of The Annapolis Inn
with his partner Alex DeVivo. Lespier, a retired human resources
director, jokes, “I do far more human resources here than I ever did in
my career.”

Indeed, as we searched for the Baltimore area’s top 10 B&Bs, we
became fascinated with the innkeepers’ stories. For many, it was a
longtime dream to own a bed-and-breakfast. For others, the stately, old
buildings were the attraction.

But whatever the reason for owning a B&B—there are about 17,000
in the U.S., according to Mary White, founder of bnbfinder.com—we
discovered that our local proprietors are passionate about their homes
and their guests, offering them an assortment of comforts, from free
Wi-Fi and well-appointed rooms to deluxe bathrooms.

White agrees that B&Bs are closer to boutique hotels in both
accommodations and amenities these days, with more than half offering
whirlpool tubs and most providing luxury beds and linens and premium
bath products. They still remain a good value, says Marti Mayne, a
spokeswoman for bedandbreakfast.com. “When you take into account the
free breakfast, parking, and Internet that most B&Bs provide,”
guests save a substantial amount of money per day compared with hotels,
she says.

We think you’ll agree that our B&B picks offer a lot more than
just a place to rest your head. They’re also a nice way to take a
vacation in your own backyard—a getaway without going away.

Inside the City

Blue Door on Baltimore

2023 E. Baltimore St., 410-732-0191, bluedoorbaltimore.com. Rates: $145-180.

Cecelia
Bellomo makes sure that there’s a yoga mat in every room of the Blue
Door, the Butchers Hill B&B that she and husband Roger opened in
2007. Cecelia, a licensed yoga and Pilates instructor, offers private,
in-room sessions to guests. (She also teaches fitness at the Canton
Club.)

Each of the inn’s three spacious and airy guest rooms also has a
small waterfall, which creates a soothing backdrop. The Bellomos retired
early from careers at Hewlett-Packard and sold their New Jersey home
with the idea of operating a B&B. They decided on Baltimore, mainly
for the water—they own a 34-foot sailboat—and rented a house in Canton
while they searched for just the right location for their business.

The residential neighborhood near Patterson Park, says Roger,
“follows a more traditional European model” of a B&B, a bit off the
beaten path. The location is close to The Johns Hopkins Hospital campus,
whose visiting doctors, patient families, and prospective students
account for about a third of the guests, he says.

Roger prepares breakfast at the inn, though Cecelia does most of the
baking. On weekdays, there’s a continental breakfast with fruit,
homemade pastries, cereals, and eggs cooked to order. On weekends, the
Bellomos go all out with a spread of pastries and hot entrees.

Cecelia also makes sure that every guest has a homemade chocolate
(“dark chocolate only”) and fruit treat on his or her pillow each night.

Celie’s Waterfront Inn

1714 Thames St., 410-522-2323, celieswaterfront.com. Rates: $149-349.

The
inn is still named for the woman who opened the B&B in the late
1980s, but Celie’s is on its third owner. And even as the seven guest
rooms and two suites receive facelifts, Celie’s is part of a much larger
enterprise, having been bought by the newly formed Fells Point
Hospitality Management.

When the inn was for sale, “We thought, ‘What a great opportunity to
branch out,” says Bill Irvin, who runs the hospitality group with
Patrick Russell, the founder of Kooper’s Tavern, Sláinte Irish Pub and
Restaurant, and Woody’s Rum Bar & Island Grill.

The partners—working with local interior designer and architect Joe
Leatherman and furniture store Su Casa—plan to create an updated look in
the inn, using furnishings with clean lines and a more contemporary
color palette.

Breakfast traditionally consists of pastries, bagels, muffins,
granola, yogurt, fruit, and Zeke’s coffee. As part of the new synergy,
the owners are also planning special events—the first of these, a wine
weekend, is slated for July 23-25. The schedule includes a Champagne
tasting on the roof, a food tour of Fells Point, and a wine-and-cheese
reception in the courtyard.

4 East Madison Inn

4 E. Madison St., 410-332-0880, 4eastmadisoninn.com. Rates: $150-250.

Sandy Lawler and Betty Loafmann have known each other for more years
than either cares to admit. Betty was Sandy’s high-school guidance
counselor briefly at a boarding school near Chicago. Years later, Betty,
then an executive at a management company, called upon her old student,
who was an event planner and marketing consultant, to help her realize a
lifelong dream to own a bed-and-breakfast. They both wanted to move
east and settled on Baltimore to escape harsh winters. The women found
an 1845 building, originally a family home and more recently the
location of a medical practice.

They scoured antique and estate sales to furnish the nine guest rooms
(each with a private bath) and named them accordingly. The Louis XV
room, for example, has an elaborately scrolled antique headboard, a
French armoire, and needlepoint rugs.

Breakfast, prepared by Lawler or Loafmann, includes French-press
coffee, fresh fruit, and a sweet or savory dish—from blueberry pancakes
to a Creole omelet.

The inn hosts about 25 weddings a year in its grand front parlor and
romantic brick-walled garden. Not too long ago, Lawler opened a
restaurant that specializes in farm-to-table meals served in the inn’s
charming back parlor and, on warm days, the pretty garden.

Inn at 2920

2920 Elliott St., 410-342-4450, theinnat2920.com. Rates: $170-225.

Though the Inn at 2920 in Canton dates to circa 1890s, it is anything
but outdated. Once a tavern and a bordello (!), the space has been
transformed into a contemporary sanctuary, just a half-block from busy
O’Donnell Square. When Warren Munroe and David Rohrbaugh bought the
place in 2007, it was already an inn, but they added their own touches:
modern furniture, luxury bedding, and flat-screen TVs. “We wanted to
create a look of urban chic without losing the traditional touches of a
Baltimore home,” Munroe says. There’s a wall of exposed brick that runs
throughout the house, and the original pressed-tin ceiling is still in
the common area on the main floor—where the tavern once operated.

The rooms are luxurious, some with limestone-tiled, walk-in rain
showers, and Jacuzzi tubs. Each room also has its own betta fish,
swimming in a bowl. It’s “our signature,” Munroe says.

Breakfast is fruit, freshly baked pastries, and a main dish with
sausage or turkey bacon that alternates between savory and sweet, such
as baked upside-down caramel French toast topped with seasonal fruit.
(Vegetarian and vegan diets are accommodated on request.) Cap it off
with Zeke’s “Hippie Blend” coffee.

Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast

801 S. Charles St., 410-837-0010, scarboroughfairbandb.com. Rates: $169-259.

When
Barry Werner was a little boy, he’d play B&B with his grandmother.
“She was a waitress at high-end resorts,” he says. “I’d draw what the
rooms looked like and design menus. Then, we’d make pancakes.”

This early training—combined with a degree in psychology, a variety
of retail jobs from floral and garden shops, and working in the pastry
department at Dean & DeLuca—constituted “my own informal education
in how to be an innkeeper,” says Werner, who owns Scarborough Fair in
Federal Hill with his partner Jeff Finlay.

When he and Finlay bought the inn in 2007, they embarked on a
five-year plan to change the name to Ex Libris (which is expected to
happen in the next several years) and renovate the six rooms, one at a
time, to reflect the themes and sensibilities of famous authors. “The
economy put the brakes on it somewhat,” Werner admits. “We’re now on
more like the 10-15 year plan.”

So far, one suite has been renovated in honor of Edgar Allan Poe, and
it’s an indication of the owners’ sense of style and the future look of
this traditional B&B. Graphite-and-lavender-colored walls and a
lavender velvet headboard create a lush and tranquil space. There are
also modern touches, like marble sink countertops in the bathroom and
free Wi-Fi.

The five rooms that await renovation are tastefully decorated: one
with handmade quilts, others with canopy beds and gas log fireplaces.
Each morning, Finlay makes breakfast, which can include scrambled eggs
with herbs and crimini mushrooms served with rosemary sweet-potato
biscuits, an oatmeal-yogurt parfait, or gluten-free banana bread.

Wilson House Bed and Breakfast

2100 Mt. Royal Terrace, 410-383-6267, wilson-house.net. Rates: $85-140.

When
Guy and Clelia Thomas bought the 40-room house in 1999, they knew
they’d have to do something with all that space—besides just living in
it themselves. So they decided to open a bed-and-breakfast.

But before they could get to work on the project, Guy, now a science
and technology advisor for the U.S. Coast Guard, was summoned to work in
Rhode Island. The couple relocated there, renting the Baltimore house
to graduate students. Returning to the city in 2004, the couple jumped
right back into their original plan. “We lived in dust for about six
months and opened as a B&B in 2005,” Guy says.

The renovations included stripping carpeting and tar from the floors
to reveal original hardwood and refinishing the elaborate carved details
on doors and mantelpieces. The couple added bathrooms and combined the
14 bedrooms into eight guest rooms and suites. The house also has two
apartments with kitchens for long-term tenants.

Guy loves to tell the story about how the house got its name: In
1912, Democratic leaders met there to decide on a candidate to run for
president that year. After the group, led by William Jennings Bryan,
picked Woodrow Wilson, the candidate made a speech from an upper
balcony.

The house is comfortable and old world with Oriental-style rugs,
flowered bedspreads, and eclectic furnishings. A highlight may just be
Clelia’s pancakes, a recipe that includes coconut and cornmeal. She also
makes heart-shaped pancakes and eggs to order, all served at the
stately, long dining-room table.

Outside the City

Gramercy Mansion

1400 Greenspring Valley Rd., Stevenson, 410-486-2405, gramercymansion.com. Rates $150-375.

When Anne and Ronald Pomykala bought the house and its 45 acres in 1985
for $723,400, “We were like two kids in love, without considering the
consequences,” Anne says. However, she laments, “It didn’t take long to
discover that the expenses were far more than a dentist’s salary could
cover.”

So while Ronald maintained his busy dental practice in D.C., Anne,
who had formerly worked as a volunteer for Girl Scouts of the USA,
rolled up her sleeves and took on the task of ensuring that the place
could pay for itself.

The 1906 Gramercy Mansion was built by Alexander Cassatt, president
of the Pennsylvania Railroad and brother of the American impressionist
painter Mary Cassatt. Later, the property was owned by the Koinonia
community, a group of spiritual activists. When the Pomykalas took over
the house, Anne set about restoring the chestnut and cherry woodwork,
marble mantelpieces, and sweeping stairways.

The mansion is now a profitable 11-room B&B with luxury
accommodations, some with double whirpool tubs. The Cassatt suite has a
private courtyard , and all the rooms are decorated with reproduction
and antique furniture, lush fabrics, gilt mirrors, and artwork
(unfortunately, none by Mary Cassatt).

The B&B hosts about 120 weddings each year, and the elopement
package is among the inn’s most popular offerings, says innkeeper Bill
Duffy. It includes a ceremony by a licensed officiant (with up to 12
guests), dinner for two at a nearby restaurant (choice of Linwoods, The
Milton Inn, or The Oregon Grille), and a professional photographer.

Breakfast is an elegant affair with eggs Benedict, French toast, and
omelets seasoned with herbs grown on-site, all made to order, and served
in the grand dining room or garden terrace.

In 2007, Anne also opened the 1840s Carrollton Inn
(1840scarrolltoninn.com) in downtown Baltimore, a B&B as elegant and
popular as Gramercy.

The Inn at Peralynna Manor of Rose Hill

10605 Clarksville Pike, Rte. 108, Columbia, 410-715-4600, peralynnainn.com. Rates: $150-550 (for a weekend night in the honeymoon suite).

Cynthia
Lynn (then Kemplin) fell in love with a house outside of Frankfurt,
Germany, where she lived for a time while growing up. She drew pictures
and obsessed over the house, hoping one day to build it. Her dream came
true after she purchased land in Columbia and married David Lynn, who
encouraged her to reproduce the house that captivated her. The Lynns
moved into the home in 1996 with their blended family. When the four
children started going off to college and getting married, the Lynns
were left with an oversized empty nest.

The idea of a B&B was set into motion when someone inquired about
long-term accommodations at the house—and led to the Inn at Peralynna
in 2001 with 19 guest rooms and one apartment. Common areas with game
tables, oversized TVs, and fireplaces create a homey atmosphere.

Breakfast is served indoors or on the deck. A buffet featuring cold
items is served when the inn is full and includes fresh fruit, oatmeal,
cereals, yogurt, bagels, and more. The inn’s full-time chef prepares
eggs, pancakes, and sausage made to order.

The Wayside Inn

4344 Columbia Rd., Ellicott City, 410-461-4636, waysideinnmd.com. Rates: $159-219.

The Wayside Inn is in many ways the very model of a classic B&B.
It’s housed in a building of historical significance—the main house of
an 18th century tobacco plantation—and its rooms are impeccably
furnished with authentic and reproduction Federal-period appointments.
Owner David Balderson and his wife Susan live on-site.

After purchasing the property in 1998, Balderson resigned from his
executive position at McCormick, and became a full-time innkeeper. His
wife, a CPA who works for the Department of Justice, kept her day job.

The couple hired designers to help decorate the inn, and guests will
find needlepoint rugs, botanical prints, antique dressers, and
queen-sized beds as well as bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs and rain
showers.

Breakfast includes hot entrees such as Grand Marnier French toast
with orange rum sauce or eggs Benedict with ham and asparagus and
roasted rosemary potatoes. Side dishes can be sausage links, fresh fruit
with mint, and homemade scones.

The Wilderness

2 Thistle Rd., Catonsville, 410-744-0590, thewilderness.biz. Rates: $150 for one night, $135 per night for two to four nights, and $125 per night for five or more nights.

When
Ellen Sawaya was growing up in a contemporary house in Ohio, she
attended an auction at a home built before the Civil War. “The same
family had owned it for all those years, and they were selling all the
belongings in the house,” she says. “I watched them auctioning all these
things and realized I love old houses.”

Sawaya, who moved to Maryland after college to work in physical
therapy, bought her own historic house, a 1799 Catonsville farmhouse, on
two acres of what had once been a 101-acre farm in 2002. The house,
listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has an (unconfirmed)
back story that appeals to her: A woman named Harriet Dugan inherited
the house in the 1800s, but couldn’t take possession because married
women couldn’t own property. She went to court to fight—and won—her
case.

When Sawaya bought the house, she converted the 14 bedrooms into four
two-room suites with bathrooms, as well as living quarters for herself
on the third floor. She serves a hot breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays,
including baked omelets, breakfast bread puddings, or breakfast
sandwiches with fresh tomatoes and herbs from the garden. On weekdays,
the morning meal is continental, featuring her baked goods, fresh fruit,
and cereal.

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