Let's face it. The economy sucks. For many folks, especially those here in Michigan, the summer getaway of yesteryear simply isn't an option. So we're rounding up the best 2-day stays money can buy your green self. Read on for my top-pick 2009 summer destination: Baltimore.
"People go to Baltimore for business travel." That was the response I received more than once before packing up and heading eastward. Turns out, if the only thing you're bringing to Baltimore is a suitcase of loafers, you're out of luck.
On Maryland's coast, Baltimore boasts a palatable blend of historic charm and modern must-haves. Most appealing of all is the walkability of the Inner Harbor, where I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, a perfectly comfortable hotel that's best feature was its prime location (check out their sustainability policy here.)
If you're heading to the city this July or after, check into the new LEED-certified Fairfield Inn & Suites, which I was treated to a hardhat tour of, courtesy of general manager Patric Leary. For the full scoop on this 154-room hotel, housed in what was once the Baltimore Brewing Co., read on at Alternative Consumer.
Day One
What better way to stretch out of a car or airplane-induced cramp than on bicycle? Make the pedaling truly worthwhile by joining a bakery bike tour with Monumental Tours, run by daytime pediatrician RS Brown. Delightfully droolworthy, the tour constitutes as breakfast and serves up an equally satisfying helping of city history.
Afterwards, hop aboard a water taxi and travel over historic Federal Hill where you'll find Spoons Coffee Cafe. This is the place for lunch, offering up a mile-long menu of locally-sourced, natural options. Find a tucked-away table to chat or admire local artwork while you sip on organic coffee and await a Blue Crab and Asparagus Frittatta or a Strawberry Fields Salad.
Heading back toward the Inner Harbor, you'll pass the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center. They're both worth a look - even more so if weather isn't on your side. Or, if you're interested in more mindless entertainment, head on over to Harborplace and the Gallery for some seaside shopping. As you'll see, the harbor is a people watcher's dream. Find a grassy space and park it for a while... the view of the water is gorgeous and I recommend soaking it up.
For dinner, take a cab to Clipper Park and visit Woodberry Kitchen, a farm to table experience that mates seasonal foods from local growers with the chef's creative, homestyle flare, for a meal that's rich in Chesapeake tradition. Expect a crowd to fill the dining room on the weekends, where stacks of chopped logs, brick walls and candlelight create a cozy atmosphere. While you're waiting for your meal to be served, enjoy a view of the chef as he artfully adds the finishing touch to each dish at the cook's table. (Pictured above.)
Day Two
Start your day with breakfast at Ze Mean Bean Cafe in Fell's Point, a city dweller favorite that's known for their Sunday Jazz Brunch. Once a coffeehouse and cafe (hence, "mean bean"), the two-story restaurant now features a wine bar. It's easy location on Fleet Street also makes it an ideal starting point for a walk through the cobbled stone streets and alleyways of historic Fell's Point, founded in 1763.
The Preservation Society offers guided walking tours or you can embrace electricity and climb onto a self-balancing Segway for a two-hour, two-wheel tour through Fell's Point and the inner city.
Whatever you do, make sure you take a moment to swing into Pitango Gelato on Broadway, where you can sample all-natural gelato until your heart is content. Made with organic milk and local produce, this gelato is the real deal. I recommend a cup of half Nocciola (hazelnut) gelato and half Bourbon Vanilla. Positively delicous.
Across the harbor, in the Mount Vernon cultural district, you can visit the Futurefarmers exhibit: The Reverse Ark - In the Wake through August. Part art installation, part community project, this collection of recycled resources makes a social, political and environmental statement. Peek into George Peabody's Library too, where you'll bear witness to the most magnificent display of books in the nation.
Finish up your two-day stay with dinner at family-owned Lebanese Taverna, offering a wide variety of healthy Middle Eastern meals, or Pazo, specializing in Mediterranean dishes - and boasting a 100-label wine list.
For more info, visit http://www.baltimore.org/ or check out the city's green guide.
"People go to Baltimore for business travel." That was the response I received more than once before packing up and heading eastward. Turns out, if the only thing you're bringing to Baltimore is a suitcase of loafers, you're out of luck.On Maryland's coast, Baltimore boasts a palatable blend of historic charm and modern must-haves. Most appealing of all is the walkability of the Inner Harbor, where I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, a perfectly comfortable hotel that's best feature was its prime location (check out their sustainability policy here.)
If you're heading to the city this July or after, check into the new LEED-certified Fairfield Inn & Suites, which I was treated to a hardhat tour of, courtesy of general manager Patric Leary. For the full scoop on this 154-room hotel, housed in what was once the Baltimore Brewing Co., read on at Alternative Consumer.
Day One
What better way to stretch out of a car or airplane-induced cramp than on bicycle? Make the pedaling truly worthwhile by joining a bakery bike tour with Monumental Tours, run by daytime pediatrician RS Brown. Delightfully droolworthy, the tour constitutes as breakfast and serves up an equally satisfying helping of city history.
Afterwards, hop aboard a water taxi and travel over historic Federal Hill where you'll find Spoons Coffee Cafe. This is the place for lunch, offering up a mile-long menu of locally-sourced, natural options. Find a tucked-away table to chat or admire local artwork while you sip on organic coffee and await a Blue Crab and Asparagus Frittatta or a Strawberry Fields Salad.
Heading back toward the Inner Harbor, you'll pass the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center. They're both worth a look - even more so if weather isn't on your side. Or, if you're interested in more mindless entertainment, head on over to Harborplace and the Gallery for some seaside shopping. As you'll see, the harbor is a people watcher's dream. Find a grassy space and park it for a while... the view of the water is gorgeous and I recommend soaking it up.
For dinner, take a cab to Clipper Park and visit Woodberry Kitchen, a farm to table experience that mates seasonal foods from local growers with the chef's creative, homestyle flare, for a meal that's rich in Chesapeake tradition. Expect a crowd to fill the dining room on the weekends, where stacks of chopped logs, brick walls and candlelight create a cozy atmosphere. While you're waiting for your meal to be served, enjoy a view of the chef as he artfully adds the finishing touch to each dish at the cook's table. (Pictured above.)
Day Two
Start your day with breakfast at Ze Mean Bean Cafe in Fell's Point, a city dweller favorite that's known for their Sunday Jazz Brunch. Once a coffeehouse and cafe (hence, "mean bean"), the two-story restaurant now features a wine bar. It's easy location on Fleet Street also makes it an ideal starting point for a walk through the cobbled stone streets and alleyways of historic Fell's Point, founded in 1763.
The Preservation Society offers guided walking tours or you can embrace electricity and climb onto a self-balancing Segway for a two-hour, two-wheel tour through Fell's Point and the inner city.
Whatever you do, make sure you take a moment to swing into Pitango Gelato on Broadway, where you can sample all-natural gelato until your heart is content. Made with organic milk and local produce, this gelato is the real deal. I recommend a cup of half Nocciola (hazelnut) gelato and half Bourbon Vanilla. Positively delicous.
Across the harbor, in the Mount Vernon cultural district, you can visit the Futurefarmers exhibit: The Reverse Ark - In the Wake through August. Part art installation, part community project, this collection of recycled resources makes a social, political and environmental statement. Peek into George Peabody's Library too, where you'll bear witness to the most magnificent display of books in the nation.
Finish up your two-day stay with dinner at family-owned Lebanese Taverna, offering a wide variety of healthy Middle Eastern meals, or Pazo, specializing in Mediterranean dishes - and boasting a 100-label wine list.
For more info, visit http://www.baltimore.org/ or check out the city's green guide.
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