Travel Guide
Boston
What to eat:
Seafood anywhere. Lobster, Clams, Oysters, any cold water creature will be some of the best in the world.
Italian food in the North End is fairly good. Restaurants for general Italian fare and pastry shops for cannolis and the like.
Chinatown for Bahn Mis/Asian food anywhere is a decent bet.
Boston's food scene is years behind comparied to other major US cities, but there are still plenty of good spots around.
What to drink:
Sam Adams is the major local brewery and they put out plenty of above average beers but I would steer clear of them. Boston is a great beer town in that they get plenty of top notch breweries to ship in. Anything that doesn't have Miller, Coors, Budweiser in the name is a safe bet. If in doubt ask the bartender for recommendations. Most bars will have a dozen + taps of usually great American beer. Some have 30-40, some even 100+ taps.
For those not looking to sample the local fare, Guinness, Smithwick's, Harp, Bass, Boddingtons, are fairly prevalent.
What to see:
Walk around the North End, Boston Common, Chinatown, Beacon Hill, Cambridge.
Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market for lunch.
South Boston "Southie" is the most Irish part of Boston and is worth a gander if you like taking in neighborhoods.
Fenway Park, where you will be going regardless is a baseball shrine and a glory to behold.
How to get around:
The "T" is Boston's subway system, it is pretty damn good and will get you nearly anywhere you need to go for a few dollars.
Taxis are around but not as prevalent as they are in larger cities.
Boston is small so getting around is easy.
Baltimore
Full disclosure, I haven't been to Baltimore all that much.
What to eat:
Blue Crabs: Some of the best crabs in the world, get two dozen and a few beers and enjoy yourself. You do have to work for it though.
Lake Trout: Cheap white fish with a misleading name. A staple of Baltimore food culture.
Pit Beef: Delicious, blackened, barbecued beef usually served with raw white onions and "tiger sauce" (horseradish and mayonaise)
Berger Cookies: Part of Baltimore's German heritage. They are vanilla wafers dipped in chocolate fudge.
What to drink:
National Bohemian is the local cheap beer. Called "Natty Boh."
Irish whiskey is popular due to the city's Irish roots.
Dogfish Head, Flying Fish, Troegg's, Victory are great regional breweries located in the Mid Atlantic.
What to see:
The Aquarium is fantastic.
The Baltimore waterfront is quite nice.
Lexington Market.
Camden Yards is one of the best MLB stadiums and is worth a visit.
There is an unofficial "The Wire" bus tour if that is your sort of thing.
How to get around:
There is a subway/light rail system but I have not used it extensively.
Cabs are around but you might need to call one if not on a main drag.
I hope this helps someone on their journeys.
