To go to Baltimore or not

My husband is going to Baltimore April 16-20. I was going to ask for advice for things to do alone during the day for a female, as he will be at a conference. Then I saw the reviews for the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel where my husband is staying, and all the reviews are terrible! Now, I%26#39;m not sure whether to even go or not.

Any advice?

I may as well ask my original question....what are good things for a female, 50ish, to do alone during the days? I like historical sites, antique shops and flea markets, museums, and would like to explore Little Italy. IF I go.

Thanks for any and all help. I went to New York in December and used all your advice and it was a huge help!

To go to Baltimore or not

I%26#39;m not sure about those reviews...';all'; of the reviews are not terrible, and keep in mind that people are more likely to post negative experiences than positive ones. I%26#39;m not sure I can rely on the thoughts of just a couple of negative reviews out of the thousands that stay there every month.

Why not ask your husband to stay at a different property? It doesn%26#39;t matter where the conference is, there are several other places within a 10 minute walk to the Sheraton...

If you decide to go you%26#39;ll have no problems finding historical sights and antique shops, as well as museums. Baltimore has plenty of that. Take a look at the Baltimore Attraction link on the left side of he page to get some ideas.

To go to Baltimore or not

The reason he%26#39;s staying at the Sheraton is because that is where his company is paying for him to stay for a conference, and we can%26#39;t really afford our own at another place.

Almost all the reviews I read were bad but I did not go through every single one. Most were in the last two years, though, so that remains a concern.

We%26#39;re trying to make sure of the location. I%26#39;m hopeful we are mistaken and he is staying somewhere else. I can handle a glugging sink but not dirty sheets, bedspreads, etc.

Is Baltimore a good city for walking around, like Chicago and New York? Any areas to really concentrate on seeing?

Thanks for the response.

Baltimore is a good city for walking around, but I%26#39;m guessing you won%26#39;t be able to kill five days doing that--at most, it%26#39;s a two-day city for the typical visitor. That%26#39;s not to slam the city, but it is to say that it doesn%26#39;t have the sheer size of a Chicago or New York to keep a tourist busy for five days.

The main tourist area of Baltimore (Inner Harbor) is comparable to Navy Pier or South Street Seaport. But Chicago and New York offer a lot more outside those attractions by virtue of their size and you%26#39;re almost guaranteed to find something interesting close to any random location. Baltimore%26#39;s real charm is in a few interesting and ethnic neighborhoods scattered throughout the city. Little Italy is frankly not all that interesting if you%26#39;re expecting something like New York%26#39;s--mostly it%26#39;s restaurants and will take all of about 10 minutes to explore (plus dining time). But there are some quirky areas well worth exploring for antiques and interesting shops (Fells Point %26amp; Hampden come to mind). The aquarium is great. The museums are of specialized interest and you may only find one or two of them appealing.

One thing I%26#39;d suggest given the length of your trip is to take advantage of Baltimore%26#39;s proximity to Washington and spend a few days there to get your fill of history and museums (most of it with free admission)--it%26#39;s an easy day trip, 1 hour each way via car or public transportation.

As for the Sheraton, make the best of it as it sounds like you don%26#39;t have a lot of choice. Glancing through the reviews, none of them seem to have taken their complaints to management for resolution (which I wouldn%26#39;t hesitate to do my first night if I encountered any of the problems described). When all is said and done, it%26#39;s a safe place to sleep and the location is decent.

i%26#39;m 56 %26amp; grew up in the baltimore area %26amp; i love nothing more than a day or two as a tourist in my own home town! go, hon!

the walters art gallery is wonderful %26amp; you can walk to it from the harbor, right up charles street, just ignore the panhandlers. the baltimore museum of art is wonderful too...catch a cab for that.

you can have fun walking alone...around fells point etc as others have said...;

i%26#39;ve been on many business trips with my husband.....montreal, boston, chicago,...i just get out %26amp; walk! you can do that in baltimore. do it %26amp; have fun!

Go with your husband. I haven%26#39;t stayed at the Sheraton but I%26#39;ve been to weddings, and had a drink in the bar and it was clean and the service was good. It is also a good location, close to the Harbor. As far as museums, I%26#39;d suggest the Visionary Arts Museum if you like ';alternative'; forms of art, walking distance from your hotel. Also, walking distance is my favorite neighborhood, Federal Hill, some antique stores and shopping, best city market-Cross Street- excellent seafood. As far as history, Fort McHenry is only a short distance from your hotel (but not walkable) The weather should be nice and its a great place to relax on a sunny day, right on the water. If your interested in sports, the Babe Ruth house is nearby as well as Sports museum in Camden Yards. I agree there is no exploring to be done in Little Italy, try the newly revitalized Inner Harbor East, right next to Little Italy or Fells Point. Happy to answer specific questions if you decide to go.

You should come to Baltimore with your husband. Your interests are right in line with what you%26#39;ll find to do here. Lots of antique shops in the area...and there are cute little shops in Federal Hill (walking distance from the Sheraton), Fells Point (water taxi ride from the hotel), Canton %26amp; Little Italy, too. I really think you%26#39;ll find enough to do that you won%26#39;t spend much time in the room.