Baltimore

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is the centre of the city for visitors, with the National Aquarium, historic ships, and the old Harborplace pavilions clustered along the water. The cruise terminal at South Locust Point is just minutes away. Fells Point, a short water taxi ride from the harbor, has 18th-century pubs and cobblestone streets. Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem during the War of 1812, is also reachable by water taxi. Lexington Market has been running since 1872 and still serves proper crab soup and pit beef sandwiches. The free Charm City Circulator buses connect the harbor to neighbourhoods like Federal Hill and Little Italy. For souvenirs, Harbour East has local jewellery and Chesapeake Bay-themed gifts. You should try a Baltimore crab cake while you're here, and Smith Island cake, the state dessert, layers of thin yellow cake with chocolate icing.