Baltimore Family Fun

Description:

Location.
Staybridge Suites BWI Airport is located in Linthicum Heights and near the airport. Maryland Live Casino, Arundel Mills Mall, and Timbers at Troy Golf Course are local attractions. Regional points of interest also include National Aquarium in Baltimore and M and T Bank Stadium.

Hotel Features.
Staybridge Suites BWI Airport features a snack bar/deli. The hotel serves a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning in the breakfast area. Guests can enjoy a complimentary evening social available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Recreational amenities include a fitness facility. This 3-star property has a 24-hour business center and offers a meeting/conference room, audiovisual equipment, and business services. Complimentary wireless and wired high-speed Internet access is available in public areas and the hotel has a computer station. The property has a complimentary airport shuttle during limited hours. Self parking is complimentary. Additional property amenities include barbecue grills, multilingual staff, and laundry facilities. The property has designated areas for smoking.

Guestrooms.
104 air-conditioned guestrooms at Staybridge Suites BWI Airport feature MP3 docking stations and CD players. Furnishings include desks and ergonomic chairs. Kitchens include full-sized refrigerators/freezers, stovetops, microwaves, and dishwashers. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Wired high-speed and wireless Internet access is complimentary. In addition to complimentary newspapers and safes, guestrooms offer multi-line phones with voice mail, as well as free local calls (restrictions may apply). High-definition televisions have premium cable channels, DVD players, and DVD/VCRs. Rooms also include coffee/tea makers and windows that open. Housekeeping is offered daily and guests may request wake-up calls.

Notifications and Fees:

• This property offers transfers from the airport. Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.

The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.

• Pet fee: USD 100 per pet, per stay

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

Our Local Expert Says:

Awesome attraction for both parents and children.

Description:

Walk into a room surrounded by patrolling sharks, stroll among coral reefs, and visit a rainforest on the roof of one of the best aquariums in the country. Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, set in a 120-foot-tall glass cube at the front of the aquarium, takes visitors to the floor of an Australian river gorge. In this immersion exhibit, wander past tanks filled with death adders, pythons, archer fish, and barramundi, while kookaburras, parrots, and lorikeets fly overhead -- there are 1,800 animals in all, as well as plants native to Australia. On a cold day, skip right to the top of the aquarium and bask in the tropical heat that envelops the brightly colored birds, the shy iguana, and the sloth who reside on this level. (Best to come straight here when the aquarium opens, as that's when the animals are most active.) Although you simply walk in front of most of the exhibits, you get to actually walk inside the doughnut-shaped coral reef and the shark tanks, getting up close to these exotic creatures. At feeding time in the coral reef, the divers always draw a crowd. The Marine Mammal Pavilion, connected by covered bridge to the main hall, is where you'll find the dolphins. Don't miss the presentations -- reserve a seat (at no additional fee) when you pay your admission. If one has been born recently, the presentations are canceled, but go in anyway and watch the dolphins play. You can stay as long as you want. 4-D Immersion Theatre, which opened in late 2007, shows 3-D movies, with the added sensations of movement, mist, and wind, throughout the day. Tip: The aquarium draws huge crowds in summer. Beat the crush by purchasing timed tickets in advance, either in person or through the aquarium's website. Nonpeak visiting hours are weekday mornings, Friday evenings, and any day after 3pm.

Description:

Tapas and sangria by the waterfront - no wonder La Tasca was an opentable.com Diners Choice in 2010. With winning views of Inner Harbor, and a vast upstairs space for private parties and functions, this has been - and continues to be - a firm favorite with the locals. If you're dining with a group, consider trying out one of their many tasting menus - all of which are more than ample for two. There is an excellent selection of vegetarian tapas as well as charcuterie options and salads. The sangria is legendary - it's not a visit to La Tasca unless you get a pitcher. 

Our Local Expert Says:

1 of 3 historical naval vessels in the Harbor - this one will keep you occupied.

Description:

You can't miss the Constellation, docked for years at the Inner Harbor (predating Harborplace). A triple-masted sloop-of-war launched in 1854, the Constellation is the last Civil War-era vessel afloat. Tour her gun decks, visit the wardrooms, see a cannon fired, and learn about the life of a sailor. Demonstrations begin with the raising of the colors at 10:30am and continue on the hour. The Fourth of July picnic and a New Year's Eve reception both end with fireworks (tickets are required). Downtown visitors should note that the ship's cannon is fired daily at noon. "Powder Monkey" tours are directed at children 6 and over.

Description:

The Rainforest Cafe is not only a restaurant but a jungle as well. The atmosphere is embellished with cascading waterfalls, a fiber-optic starscape, and once in a while the sound of thunderstorms. The cuisine is a medley of Italian, Cajun, Mexican and Caribbean flavors. With pastas, burgers, seafood, steaks and chicken on the menu, this is one place you and your kids won't want to miss.

Description:

For a 360-degree view of the city, head to the 27th floor of the World Trade Center, the world's tallest pentagonal building, next to Harborplace. In addition to the fine view, you can acquire a bit of background about Baltimore from the exhibits, hands-on displays, and multimedia presentations. The area is accessible to visitors with disabilities.

Description:

Located south of Baltimore, this theme-park-like mall is worth the trek for shopaholics. It's huge, with some 200 shops. Larger retailers, such as Off 5th Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Neiman Marcus Last Call, and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, are joined by smaller shops, a 24-screen movie theater, and lots of restaurants. The combination of games and food at Dave & Buster's is an afternoon's diversion all by itself, and Medieval Times offers dinner and a show. Open daily.

Description:

This unique water transportation system allows visitors and residents to avoid long walks from point to point, but also the traffic congestion along Pratt Street and the roads hugging the harbor. The Baltimore Water Taxi has 17 stops scattered along the waterfront, from Little Italy to Fell's Point. See their website for further information.

Our Local Expert Says:

Great learning experience for children with hands-on, sensory-driven exhibits.

Description:

Three floors of exhibits include the popular Outer Space Place -- home of the Hubble Space Telescope National Visitor Center and Space Link, which offers a live connection to NASA -- and the towering dinosaurs of DinoQuest. Sometimes the exhibits are too crowded or of limited interest, but the IMAX theater and planetarium are always worth a visit. The IMAX movies, which range from Beauty and the Beast to Space Station 3D, are so popular that extra screenings are held Friday and Saturday evenings, for $8 per ticket. The stars are on display at the Davis Planetarium and the Crosby Ramsey Memorial Observatory; the observatory is free to the public on Friday nights, weather permitting (call for hours). Admission to exhibits, the planetarium, and IMAX is $8 on Fridays 5 to 8pm.