Inner Harbor, Baltimore

The Innrer Harbor is Baltimore is so beautiful! The water is sparkly, there are great shops and restaurants, and a nice break from Baltimore's Cityscape. No better place in the world to have a Crabcake, that's for sure!

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Built in 1856, this is the oldest "screwpile" lighthouse in Maryland. It stood at the entrance to the harbor for 133 years. Then, it was moved to its present location here at the Inner Harbor.

The interior has some great models of a few ships which once plied these waters. It also has a diagram showing how the screwpile lighthouse is constructed, and other historical memorabilia.

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The US Coast Guard Cutter Taney is the only vessel involved in the 1941 Pearl Harbor raid which is still afloat. In addition to that fateful day, she saw a great deal of action in World War II and remained in service for years afterward. In fact, this ship was in service from 1936 until 1986.

She remains in excellent condition. One can see the weapons, the engine room, the bridge, the crew quarters, the crew mess, and nearly everything else.

One ticket to the Martime Museum covers this ship, the submarine USS Torsk, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. Please allow at least two hours to visit all three (more, if you love these things as I do).

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The USS Torsk (SS-423) was a Tench-class submarine. Launched at the naval shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, she was commissioned in December 1944. She had two torpedo rooms, fore and aft.

She served with distinction in World War II. On August 14, 1945, the Torsk sank two Japanese coastal defense ships--the last enemy vessels to be sunk during World War II.

After the war, she went through a series of conversions. These included adding the new Snorkel device, which enabled her to operate her diesel engines at periscope depth. In the 1950s, she was armed with the Regulus, an ancestor of the submarine-launched cruise missile of today.

She participated in numerous training exercises with other NATO warships, and earned a Presidential citation for service in the Lebanon crisis of 1960. The sub also took part in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, winning the Navy Commendation Medal. The Torsk was decommissioned in 1968, and transferred to the Baltimore Maritime Museum in 1973.

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For many years, lightships provided a vital service to sailors entering and leaving ports. These floating lighthouses gave them reference points, and warned them of rocks, shoals, and other hazards.

The Dry-dock & Machine Company in Charleston, SC built the lightship Chesapeake in 1929. She served until 1970, when she was retired. The ship was put on display in Washington. In 1981, she was transferred to Baltimore.

She had a crew of 16 men, of whom several would remain ashore at any given time. They would serve two months aboard the ship and have one month off. The ship was diesel-powered, with a top speed of 10 knots. Crew comforts were as good as one could expect in those days, with plenty of fresh water, three toilets with showers, and a permanent cook assigned to the ship.

The Chesapeake is one of several attractions that make up the Baltimore Maritime Museum. The museum also has a World War II submarine, a Coast Guard cutter, and a lighthouse.

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This was the US Navy's last all-sail warship. The ship is 186 feet long, with a beam of 42 feet, and built mainly of oak and pine. Her crew consisted of 20 officers, 220 sailors, and 45 Marines. The main armament was 16 8-inch guns, and four 32-pound "long guns". In addition, she mounted two 10-inch pivot guns (one fore and one aft), plus a 12-pounder "boat howitzer". The top speed was about 12 knots.

Commissioned in 1855, she served for a number of years suppressing the illegal slave trade. During the Civil War, she worked enforcing the blockade of the Confederate states, and also protecting Union shipping from Confederate commerce raiders.

After the war, she served as a training and practice ship for many years. She was decommissioned in 1933. During the 1950s, the ship was restored and put on public display.

As we climbed aboard this awesome ship, it was easy to imagine ourselves on the cusp of some historic voyage.

The U.S.F. Constellation is the oldest ship in the U.S. Navy, commissioned in 1853 and used during the Civil War. It continued in service to the U.S. Navy until after WWII, when it was sent to the Boston Navy Yard, eventually coming to rest in Baltimore's Inner Harbor in 1955.

An exciting educational program for youngsters ten and up provides a hands-on learning opportunity that teaches them about the lives of young boys who served aboard the Constellation as "powder monkeys"; how they lived on sea and at play at ages 11-18.

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The Inner Harbor area is packed with things to see and do, shopping, and restaurants. The Baltimore Visitors Center is a great place to start -- I couldn't believe how friendly and eager to help they were!!! The aquarium and the USS Constellation are famous tourist activities. Little Italy is a short walk away for great food, but the harbor front also has many restaurants including big chains like Hard Rock Cafe and ESPN Zone.