Even I scratched my head at my pick of Baltimore for this past year’s baseball trip destination. Sometimes the shackles of airline points make for interesting trip planning ideas. I’m a firm believer that there’s plenty of good and fun anywhere if you look for it, and in Baltimore, there were two things that I knew would help round out my trip. First, their harbor (it pains me to write that in the American spelling, I’ll revert to the Canadian and correct spelling for the remainder) would give me some salt water exposure that I’m sorely lacking now that I live in Saskatoon. And secondly, the crab. Oh the glorious, glorious, Maryland crab.

The best single meal I had in Baltimore was also the most simple. Sitting down at a harbour-front patio, I was brought a brown paper bag of steamed Maryland crabs coated in Old Bay, a traditional local beer and a small mallet. I did what came naturally and spent an hour or so working through the crab and picking the shells clean of meat. This was a simply delicious meal.

There was much more to see along the harbour than just stopping for feeds of crab. One of the more famous attractions in Baltimore is the USS Constellation. Commissioned in 1855, this is the last sail only war ship built by the Americans.

I enjoyed exploring the harbour in Baltimore as it reminded me of the harbour in my old hometown of Halifax. A little further along the boardwalk I came across the USS Torsk. This submarine was launched in 1945 and is credited with sinking two enemy warships in WWII, including the last Japanese warship sunk before the end of the war.

Another interesting ship docked in Baltimore is the American Coast Guard Cutter Taney. This ship is the last warship still afloat today that saw action at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941.

While walking around the harbour and getting my necessary doses of sea air and the sound of the water, I also enjoyed the views of Baltimore from across the harbour.

It’s just a fact. A waterfront makes every city prettier.

But maybe what makes a city the most attractive to me is its food. I don’t get any reasonable seafood at home, so a trip to a coastal city takes on new meaning these days. When I pressed “Confirm” on the Baltimore flights, I knew I’d be cramming a few of these beauties in my face. Maryland crab cakes were my default meal choice for most of my visit. The one at the ballpark (upper left, below) was reasonable, the other two at downtown restaurants were heavenly. Lightly fried and seasoned with Old Bay, these lived up to my expectations. Delicious!