2nd Annual Bed & Breakfast Holiday House Tour

'Tis the season! The B&B Holiday House Tour is this Sunday, December 4th! With the success of the original Holiday House Tour last year, we knew we wanted to work to bring you something bigger and better in 2011! As one stop on the tour, we will be decorating Blue Door in the most warm, welcoming and festive manner and bringing you a show-stopping menu. We are so excited to have you as our guest!

Oh, and did we mention that part of the proceeds will benefit Moveable Feast?!

The Blue Door Tour Menu features a Pair on Pair Tasting - Award winning wines from Maryland’s Elk Run Winery, Chef Sean Guy’s WOW FACTOR creations from Water for Chocolate, a Blue Door signature Breakfast Pastry, and special catering arrangements with Koopers Tavern in Fells Point await your visit. Experience the subtleties of Cold Friday Chardonnay with Grilled Tilapia gracing Parmesan Grits, accentuated with Cowboy Caviar, put a finishing touch on your Chardonnay with a Blond Currant Biscotti. Stimulate the senses with Barbequed Pulled Pork on Jalapeno Cornbread merged with Maryland Merlot and then with Elk Run’s signature recipe Sweet Katherine Sangria.  Step into our kitchen and get some holiday serving hints as Chef Sean assembles his creations.

For more information, visit the Better Baltimore Bed and Breakfasts website.

Sights Around Butcher's Hill

The Pagoda in Patterson Park, just blocks from Blue Door.

Take a quick morning walk around Butcher's Hill and you'll see quickly how Baltimore got it's moniker, "Charm City," with interesting buildings, murals and views around every turn.

This time of year, Patterson Park is especially beautiful with its Autumn leaves painting the trees orange, red and yellow. We also have several beautiful murals you will run accross on your walk...

Mural on the side of The Life of Reilly Tavern of Johns Hopkins history.

This mural honors the important role that the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the Johns Hopkins University have played in the history of our neighborhood and the medical field.

Mural by Lombard and Chester of Betsy Patterson.

Part of the Butcher's Hill Historical Mural Projects, this beautiful mural honors Betsy Patterson, who married Napoleon’s brother in 1803 and spent her summers in our neighborhood.

Mural on the fence of Pratt and Washington (Past Butcher's Hill Community Association
President’s home).

Make sure to take a look down Baltimore street towards downtown for the great view!

We're sure that you'll find even more picture-worthy sights if you walk around yourself! Butcher's Hill really is a beautiful and unique neighborhood!

Baltimore Museum Tips

We just finished up our Museum Neighborhood Guide a few weeks ago and today we have some general tips we'd like to share with you to help plan your trip.

Visit some of our favorite resource websites:

• Museum Spot
• Wikipedia List of Baltimore Museums
• BaltimoreMuseums.org
• Open Bag Blog

Keep in mind when planning your day:

• Each of Baltimore's neighborhoods has its own personality and you may want to stay in one neighborhood. Check out our Neighborhood Guides for Mount Vernon, Johns Hopkins, Inner Harbor and Southwest and West Baltimore.
• If you plan to skip between neighborhoods, the Water Taxi is a great way to get around.
• Many museums are closed on Mondays, so make sure to check their schedules.
• Many art museums are free!

Check out these sites and articles for what's happening right now at Baltimore Museums:

• Free Fall Baltimore With more than 300 unique events scheduled, you'll be able to find an art activity on almost every day of October.
• Art Museums & Galleries Events on Visit Baltimore
• Fall Kid-Friendly Museum Exhibits Not to Miss! on (cool) progeny

Do you have any tips to add to our list? Leave them in the comments!

Our Other Home

Many people ask us how we chose Baltimore for our Bed and Breakfast. One of our main criteria in selecting a B&B location was being near a good sailing area, and none is better than the destinations of the Chesapeake. We were relocating with full intention of bringing our sail boat along wherever we chose. If all else failed in starting our venture, there would always be time for a good sail. Turns out we have a little less sailing time than we intended due to the visits of all of our wonderful guests (a very good problem to have!), but we do sneak in opportunities as they present themselves.

Because sailing is such an important part of our life, we thought it would be fun to introduce you to our paradise home, “Blue Star” at Baltimore Marine Center along the promenade in Canton. When you see our sign indicating we have stepped away, it is very likely that we (more likely Roger) are taking in harbor breezes with line in hand or just kicking back with our little piece of paradise.

We've mentioned how much we love the Waterfront Promenade on the blog before. The stretch in Canton is just as great as in Fell's Point, Harbor East and the Inner Harbor, but with it's own personality. It is a bit more peaceful and low key, lined mostly with homes and less commercial buildings. Although, the Canton promenade is home to Bo Brooks, "Baltimore's Best Crab House, " as voted by Baltimore locals. If you're looking for the authentic Baltimore Crab Feast, this is a great option!

This particular night that we are sharing with you now turned out to be an evening of light winds, so we hung out at the dock and captured a few photos for you from our special on-water porch, finishing with the sun setting over the city. 

Our littlest innkeeper, Leopold, is also busy “learning the ropes” as a sailing cat. This evening, he was practicing his hospitality while entertaining some new friends. Every duck in the harbor seemed curious about the brown, furry creature on our boat and he obviously had not seen the likes of them before, either! The visit lasted for over an hour when we needed to close the hatches and say goodnight our new water friends. 

Travel Tip: Southwest and West Baltimore

In our past neighborhood tour posts, we introduced you to many quirky and unique museums around Baltimore. This week, we're touring Southwest and West Baltimore, and it doesn't disappoint, starting with the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

Located in a beautiful old cannery right on the water, the Baltimore Museum of Industry has historical exhibits of manufacturing and industry from the early 20th century. Check out their guided tours with hands on activities for children. Kids get to try out working in a garment loft and in the Kids Cannery, learning what life was like at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century.

The B&O Railroad Museum is considered to be the birthplace of American railroading. From this historic site sprang so many innovations that it was often called "Railroad University!" It is one of the most significant collections of railroad artifacts in the world and has the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the U.S. The museum features indoor and outdoor model trains, as well as a wooden model train that kids love climbing on. Oh yeah, and train rides are offered Wednesday through Saturday!

Are you a sports fan? The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards is a must! The Museum occupies the basement and first floor of Camden Station with a seemingly endless collection of artifacts and interactive exhibits, truly one of the most spectacular sports museums in America.

Did we mention that Orioles Stadium at Camden Yards is just a hop, skip and a jump away?! Well, it is!

While you're in the area, don't forget to hit the National Museum of Dentistry, Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum and Geppi’s Entertainment Museum!