Maryland Travel Guide
Maryland was originally founded by Virginians growing tobacco along the tidal rivers in the south, the King of England granted the land to Lord Baltimore. He then established a colony which was tolerant to Catholics. Maryland is located on the eastern seaboard, bordered by Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. A large part of the state’s appeal is related to the sea, with fishing boats and ‘watermen’ who pull fresh seafood from Chesapeake Bay, historic waterfront towns and vibrant harbours, pleasure sailing, bustling ports and important shipyards, beaches and speciality crab cakes.
Annapolis, located in Maryland's south, is the state's capital and also the sailing capital of America. The U.S. Naval Academy, which trains many of the finest navy officers in the world, is also located in Annapolis. Maryland's maritime past is evidenced throughout the state with maritime museums scattered about the landscape, such as the Baltimore Maritime Museum, located in Baltimore - the state's largest city. Baltimore has undergone extensive renovation and is a vibrant and exciting city. The inland regions have their own kind of charm with lakes, waterfalls, mountains and valleys, rivers and savage rapids that are a delight for kayakers and white-water rafters. Western Maryland has endless opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast as well as beautiful scenery, from hiking and fishing, to skiing in winter.
Maryland has changed a lot over the years, with the big city of Baltimore both growing and declining to create an eclectic mix of people. Annapolis has retained its charm of a colonial port city where locals enjoy the picturesque Chesapeake Bay. Crabs, particularly soft-shell crabs, are synonymous with Maryland and much of the local cuisine incorporates seafood from the bay. More recently, the area around Washington has overgrown itself into a suburban nightmare of gridlock, while western Maryland still looks much the same as it did several hundred years ago.