Countdown to Opening Day

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Just eleven days until Baltimore's favorite spring holiday - Opening Day in Birdland!  It's a proud tradition that marks the start of the season with hotdogs, peanuts, and Boog's barbecue on Eutaw Street.  Fans flock from far and wide to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a taste of summer.  Can you tell food is my favorite part of any ballgame in Baltimore?

Head out early and join the pre-game party at Pickles Pub and Sliders, just across the street from the third base line.  On opening day and during big series with New York and Boston, the neighboring bars take over the street and bring in food vendors along with beer stands outdoors.

Hang out in Federal Hill at the end of the day for some rocking night life and a great bar scene.  Visit Cross Street Market for a wide variety of dinner options or stop in for a burger and some live music at Mothers.

Mark your calendars for this season's big series - tickets go fast, so get yours early.  Click here for a complete game schedule.

• Friday, April 9 (Opening Day!  vs. Toronto)
• April 27 - 29 (vs. NY Yankees)
• April 30 - May 2 (vs. Boston Redsox)
• June 4 - 6 (vs. Boston Redsox)
• June 8 - 10 (vs. NY Yankees)
• June 11 - 13 (vs. NY Mets)
• August 31 - September 2 (vs. Boston Redsox)
• September 17 - 19 (vs. NY Yankees)

Visiting from out of town to see your home team take on the O's?  Reserve a room for the night at the 1840s Carrollton Inn and ask for our "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" package.  When booking a stay at the Inn at regular rate during an Orioles home stand, receive a special gift bag including ballpark treats to enjoy at the game and two complimentary combo tickets to the Babe Ruth Museum and Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards!
Package available only on scheduled Orioles home games (April 9 – October 3) with room reservations at regular rate. May not be combined with other specials. Must mention at time of reservation.

It's here! The yummiest two weeks of winter in Baltimore...

We've been waiting anxiously for the big day... the start of Baltimore Restaurant Week (or I should say Baltimore Restaurant Weeks (Jan. 22 - Feb. 7) and some of us innkeepers are planning our nights out for a taste of our hometown.  Here a few of the hot spots we've been eager to give a try, and the great deals during the next two weeks are the perfect motivation for us to indulge! 

Ambassador Dining Room in Roland Park.  Zagat-rated and boasting some of the city's best and most inventive Indian cuisine and a cozy ambiance with two fireplaces during winter and an open-air patio during summer.  Maria's already made reservations for next week so we'll keep you posted with her review.

Salt Tavern in Fells Point.  This place opened a few years ago to rave reviews from Baltimore Magazine and the Baltimore Sun, with lines out the door and around the block for a table.  I haven't made it there yet to see for myself but I hear the duck fat fries are to-die-for.  This one's on my list for Restaurant Week, shooting for reservations on Feb. 5th - I'll let you know if it lives up to my very high expectations.

Abacrombie Fine Foods and Accommodations  in Mt. Vernon.  We always love to support our fellow B&B's and Inns and we've heard good things about Abacrombie's fine dining restaurant, tucked away on the lower level of the building, beneath the B&B.  Let's call it market research/supporting our fellow innkeepers... we may have to pop in for dinner and see for ourselves.

So we're not the authority on the best restaurants on town but we're doing our homework in the next few weeks and we'll let you know what we think.  Please share your top restaurant picks with us and let us know about your Baltimore dining experiences.  Or if there's a place your curious about but would rather hear the opinion of an objective source first, we're here for you... our food lovin' team of innkeepers is more than happy to share our opinions and we love an excuse to dine out! 

In the meantime...
Click here for ratings and top picks for Restaurant Week at BaltimoreSun.com.

And don't forget to book your room at the 1840s Carrollton Inn!  The Senator's Room is our room of the month for January at just $125 per night.  Or plan a spontaneous stay with us to take advantage of our last-minute special. 

New Year's Eve in Baltimore

Image by jepoirrier via Flickr

There's no better place to be than Baltimore this week to ring in a new decade! Check out a few of the city's New Year's celebrations for all ages, and all just a short stroll from 1840s Carrollton Inn.

Noontime New Year - Port Discovery Children's Museum:  If midnight is past bedtime for your little ones, come on out to Port Discovery on New Year's Eve for a special International celebration for kids of all ages.  Kids will make their own noisemakers and party hats and decorate giant numbers for the noon countdown and milk and cookie toast.  Special performance by the Hilltop Hightops.  For details, visit http://www.portdiscovery.org.


Ports America New Year's Eve Spectacular - Inner Harbor:  Just a few short blocks from the Carrollton Inn, stroll down to the Inner Harbor's Ampitheater at Pratt and Light Streets for live entertainment beginning at 7 p.m.  Stay for the region's largest choreographed fireworks display, lighting up the skies over the glittering waters of the harbor at midnight.  Click here for details.

New Year's Eve at the Top of the World - World Trade Center:  Where to go for the best view of the fireworks in town?  Why the Top of the World, of course! Celebrate New Year's Eve on the Observation Level of the World Trade Center with a buffet dinner, beer, wine and champagne.  Tickets: $150 per person.  Click here for details.

Return of the Cosmic New Year with Dark Star Orchestra - Rams Head Live:  Ring in the new year with an all ages show by the Dark Star Orchestra, Grateful Dead tribute band, featuring three sets from including a rare acoustic set, Donna Jean Godchaux as a special guest on vocals, and an extended opening set from Baltimore's own, The Bridge.  Click here for details.

Don't feel like fighting the crowds this year?  Would rather spend an intimate evening curled up by the fireplace with someone special?  We can do that too!  Just one room still available at the Carrollton Inn for tomorrow night.  Arrive for an early check-in, have dinner delivered to your room, cuddle by a cozy fire, soak in a whirlpool bath and awaken to a delicious breakfast.  Now that's the way to start your year off right!  For reservations, click here or call 410-385-1840.

Wishing you a very happy 2010!

Busy & educational week for Maryland Bed & Breakfasts

Image by Marco Veringa via Flickr

Whew!  Back in the office today after a week of meetings, seminars and networking with fellow Maryland innkeepers.  It's been busy but super productive and has reminded me how much I love being a part of this community and our industry.

Monday and Tuesday took me to Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, Maryland for a Select Registry regional meeting, my first as a representative of the Inn.  A group of about forty innkeepers from Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia gathered at Antrim for two days of intensive meetings and lively conversation.  Word to the wise - if you put 40 innkeepers in the same room, it's hard to get a word in edgewise but sure to be a good time!  I had the pleasure of staying in the Lincoln Room of the Slonaker House on the property... absolutely lovely, decorated warmly and boasting a cozy gas fireplace and a spacious bath with corner whirlpool tub.  Dinner was delicious.  This was our second stay at Antrim and my husband and I will most certainly be back again.

If you're not familiar with Select Registry, here's the skinny.  You may have picked up a guidebook at the front desk during your last stay at the Inn.  Flip through or visit the Select Registry website (www.selectregistry.com) for a full list of member inns.  If you plan your next B&B getaway at one of our member properties, you are sure to be delighted.  We are among the finest bed and breakfasts and country inns in North America.  Each member inn passes a rigorous inspection conducted anonymously by an independent inspector who stays as a guest at the inn.  What I didn't realize before attending this meeting is how pro-active other member innkeepers are in respect to marketing their inns and the inndustry as a whole and how eager they are to embrace new ideas, technology and marketing trends to further their business.  I've met some amazing, hardworking people who continue to inspire me.

Yesterday took me to the Elk Forge Inn in Elkton, Maryland.  After a slight detour through Delaware (yes, I missed the exit and I'm not great with directions), I pulled up the drive and took a moment to admire this beautiful Inn, our gracious host for the Maryland Bed and Breakfast Association's annual meeting.  The MBBA (www.marylandbb.com) is a state organization also devoted to insuring the quality of our B&Bs with periodic inspections, marketing our properties, networking and furthering the education of our innkeepers.  It was good to see some friendly faces from earlier in the week!  Guest speakers included the dynamic Don Farrell (www.freshrevenues.com) with a great presentation on increasing revenues, our friendly inspector Scott Bushnell of Bushnell & Bushnell Innkeeping Services, Willow Coyle from bedandbreakfast.com, and Lisa Kolb from Acorn Internet Services with a jam-packed session delving into social networking.  A great big thank you to all of the presenters - I think this was one of the most informative MBBA sessions yet. 

After paging through my notes, I have a ton of work ahead of me. So off to the trenches - work to be done in the land of Google, website redesign underway (new www.gramercymansion.com coming soon!), reservation systems to investigate, and special events to plan!

December Room of the Month 

Stay with us in the Caton Suite during the month of December for sweet savings! $100 off! A study with a daybed in this suite's entryway leads to the sloped-ceiling bedroom with queen bed and fireplace; bath has single whirlpool tub/shower combination.

Regular rate: $225
December rate: $125!

Family-Friendly Activities in Baltimore this Holiday Weekend

Port Discovery Children's Museum

Gobble-Gobble Weekend

Having family visit your home this Thanksgiving?  What better way to entertain the whole family in Baltimore than the children's museum's Gobble-Gobble Weekend festivities!  On Friday, November 27, listen to Mother Goose on the Loose Circle Time at 11:30am, sing and dance with Uncle Pete at 1pm and 2pm, write what you are thankful for on a paper leaf and add it to the Gratitude Tree, and enjoy a karaoke sing-along at 2pm and 3 pm.  And that's just Friday!  The whole weekend is jam packed with fun and friendly activities for all.  Visit http://www.portdiscovery.org/#home for more information on hours, directions, and event times.

Santa Arrival and House Lighting

Kick off the holiday season by welcoming Santa Claus to Baltimore!  On Saturday, November 21 at 4:30pm, Santa himself will arrive to the Harborplace Amphitheater and The Gallery in the inner harbor by boat!  Everyone is then welcomed to sit on Santa's lap and tell him their holiday wishes followed by a house lighting and performances from The Heart of Maryland Chorus, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble and the Baltimore School for the Arts "Tap Dancing Santas."
The Gallery Garage will also be offering a $5 parking rate ALL DAY!

Baltimore Has Activities for People of All Ages this Weekend!

Whether you are one or one hundred years old, Baltimore has fun activities in store for you this weekend!

Jewelry lovers will enjoy the Classical Links: Jewelry Fair at the Walters Art Museum. This fair will take place from 10a.m. to 5p.m. Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22. Admission is free to the jewelry fair and gallery talks, but there will be three other events that do have a cost for admission. The Jewel Box Breakfast and Fashion Show which includes a continental breakfast is scheduled to happen at 9:30a.m. on Friday, November 20 and costs $35 per person. The second event is the Opening Night Cocktail Party at 6:00p.m. on Friday, November 20 which costs $75 per person. Lastly, on Sunday, November 22, there will be an event called Heroes of the Gridiron! Ravens vs. Colts Football Broadcast at 1p.m. which will cost $20 per person. For more information on this jewelry fair, visit the event's website.

Another event happening this Saturday, November 21 that will be fun for adults and children alike is Harborplace & The Gallery Celebrating Santa's Arrival with the Santa House Lighting beginning at 4:30p.m. Santa Claus will come across the Inner Harbor on a festively decorated tug boat, elves will be passing out jingle bells to help welcome Santa, and the holiday season will begin when Santa's home (the Harborplace Ampitheater) will be lit up. This fun event will also include musical performances from The Heart of Maryland chorus, a brass quintet from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the "TapDancing Santas" from the Baltimore School for the Arts. For more information, visit this site.

If you or your family loves The Wizard of Oz, then you have to go to the Geppi's Entertainment Museum to see their exhibit, "Yellow Bricks and Emerald Cities." This exhibit features memorobilia from the film and the books that inspired the film, allowing you to experience this story like you never have before. If you are interested in seeing this exhibit for yourself, you have to visit GEM before it ends on December 6, 2009. For more information on this exhibit or Geppi's Entertainment Museum, click here.

If you plan on attending any of these events this weekend, then come stay with us at the 1840s Carrollton Inn! To check availability or make a reservation, visit us here.