Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/37469
AREA GUIDES MARYLAND LOCATION, LOCA- TION, LOCATION MAKES OLD LINE STATE TOP CHOICE WITH PLANNERS BY SOLOMON J. HERBERT II For the complete travel experience, look no further than theMaryland.The state has plenty of new attractions in store for return visitors, while it’s also an excellent place for a meeting, thanks to its accessibility to Washington, DC and magnificent venues such as the Baltimore Convention Center. Truly, Maryland can accommodate every need of both the travel professional and the leisure traveler. BALTIMORE If you want to make your next meet- ing a success in every way plan on it in Baltimore, an exciting city with surprises around every corner.With a major ren- aissance underway including ground- breaking growth in accommodations, with more than 8,500 downtown hotel rooms (5,500 committable) and meeting facilities, nightlife, and attractions just a short walk away from the Baltimore Convention Center—Baltimore is your place tomeet. Akey toBaltimore’s continued vital- ity is its strategic location on the Atlantic seaboard, right at the heart of the most densely populated area in the United States. The city of Baltimore is in close proximity to a large portion of the nation’s population—a region that is home tomore than 50million people. This makes it easier for you to reach your target attendees and a built-in attendance base. Nestled in the heart of downtown Baltimore, the Baltimore Convention 56 Center’s location is a tourist’s dream and a meeting planner’s delight. Linked by a series of overhead walkways to Baltimore’s renowned Inner Harbor, hotels and fine dining, the Center offers attendees a wide variety of attractions and meeting planners with an afford- able prime destination. The center fea- tures 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 50 meeting rooms, and a 36,000-sq. ft. ball- room. The facility is conveniently located next to the MARC train station, provid- ing a direct route to Washington, DC, and Baltimore’s Light Rail for local access. Visitors to the Center are 15 minutes from Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport and 7 min- utes to Penn Station. Across the street from the Convent- ion Center, visitors will find Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the famous Baltimore Orioles baseball team, and Ravens Stadium, home of the NFL champion Baltimore Ravens football team. Surrounding the Center is an array of first-class hotels, cultural insti- tutions, restaurants and entertainment venues all within walking distance. Baltimore — it’s not so much a place as an experience. And after close to three hundred years of history, this city can deliver more fun-filled family days (and romantic evenings) to make any stay in Baltimore one you’ll remember forever. Explore the culture the city has to offer at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, the American Visionary Art Museum, or the Maryland Historical Society. Top it all off with a taste of Baltimore’s own world- famous Chesapeake Bay cuisine, and it doesn’t get any better than that. Discover dining deals at some of Baltimore’s best restaurants. WHOYOUGONNACALL? Visit Baltimore (410) 659-7300 (877) BALTIMORE baltimore.org OCEAN CITY This popular seaside resort, famous for its three-mile, award-winning board- walk is your home base for enjoying life beside the Atlantic and for exploring the cultural heritage of rural Eastern Shore living. Ocean City provides your group an opportunity to sample a wide range of accommodations and fine dining as well as fun activities and entertainment. This beach town is unique in its proximity to rural life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Here you can experience interactive museums, visit quaint small towns and see a magnificent variety of wildlife viewing opportunities, all within a 90 minute drive from your home base in Ocean City! The Museums of Worcester County offer 10 individual experiences to choose from including the Sturgis One Room School, the only African-American one- room school remaining in the county. Docents here offer a wealth of informa- tion on the rural African-American experience. Adjacent to this building is the Delmarva Discovery Center, a mecca of cultural wealth on rural Eastern Shore life. Dorchester County is just a short drive from Ocean City, and on the way on the famous Route 50 corridor. It holds a treasure of heritage-based tour- ing. Famous for seafood, the Eastern Shore is especially known for Maryland Blue Crabs. You can tour a crab pro- cessing plant, then enjoy a crabcake sandwich at a great restaurant or quaint converted store that now serves up seafood and local ‘flavor.’ The county holds many paths to the past as several sites serve as tribute to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad system used during the Civil War. End your touring with Ocean City’s own Life-Saving Station Museum. Here the exciting life of the early surf- man is depicted. These forerunners of today’s Coast Guard policed the shore- line pulling sailors to safety with ropes and sheer strength. The beach life of Ocean City is shown through fashions of the past and unique doll houses, repli- cas of the notable hotels and attractions of Ocean City past. Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com