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Diners are greeted by a homey dining room, with tables covered in sheets of brown paper where servers deposit your bushel of steamed bay crab. Add a couple of mallets and nut crackers and you have a meal that is not only catch-of-the-day delicious, unpretentious in it's simplicity and downright fun.

The USS Constellation was built in 1854 for the US Navy. The last all-sail warship constructed, the Constellation served the nations defense for 100 years, before being permanantly located in Baltimore in 1955. In the past decade, restoration was begun on the badly neglected vessel, and continued til 1999, when she was sailed one last time to her home in Baltimore.

Anchored pier-side along the Pratt Street pavilion at the Inner Harbor complex, the Constellation, perpetually poised for battle, offers visitors a first-hand view of the glory of 19th century military engagement and the grit displayed by the men who set sail into the perilous winds of war.

Tours highlight crew life with access to quarters and common areas, insight into battle strategy and weapons, and the art and beauty of the great sailing ships of her time.

The USS Constellation is open for tours daily, May 1st to October 14th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The off-season (October 15th to April 30th) hours are from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased dockside from the tour desk attendant. Admission is $6.50 adult, $3.50 kids.

Groundbreaking for the 241-foot granite monument was held July 4, 1815, and work would not be completed until Nov 25, 1829, culminating in the hoisting of the 16-foot, 30-ton statue of General Washington to the top of the edifice.

Original plans called for the monument to be located downtown on the former site of the court house, but local residents protested, convinced that anything of its height would surely fall and crush the nearby homes. The next day, John Eager Howard, a prominent citizen who had served under General Washington, stepped forward to donate land on his estate for the purpose, located well north of the town.

For years, livestock grazed the fields surrounding the monument's base. As the city grew, the land around the monument became highly sought-after real estate, and in the 1850's, would become Baltimore's most exclusive neighborhood. Grand brownstones lined the manicured park which extended 1 block in each direction from the center. This area would take it's name from the home of the man the monument honored, Mt. Vernon.

Today's visitors can still sense the austere personality of the area's history, and relish the relaxing embrace of the urban oasis. The monument is accessible on an irregular basis. Interested visitors should consult the tourism bureau for information. If you are lucky enough to find it open, you can climb the 228 stairs that spiral to the observation area, offering a unique view of the city skyline, the Charles Street corridor, and the Mt. Vernon Place and Monument Place parks below.

If the monument is closed, visitors can still enjoy the engravings in the base which detail Washington's Revolutionary War victories. A walk through the neighborhood will reveal charming architecture, numerous statues and fountains, and the grounds of the Peabody Conservatory of Music.