Wolves tour USA - Summer 2024 - maryland - Info for visitors
So, You’re Visiting Maryland to Support the Wolves
First off, welcome! I grew up just outside of Washington, D.C. and now I’ve lived in Baltimore for more than 15 years. When Wolves announced they’d be playing one single, solitary pre-season match in my backyard it’s hard to describe how excited I was. Excited to see Wolves up close, but also excited because I knew that Wolves supporters from all over the U.S., and indeed around the globe, would be visiting my little corner of the world here in Maryland.
Jumping right in: Annapolis, Baltimore, and DC are the three major cities in Maryland and they form an equilateral triangle (roughly), each being a little over 25 miles apart from one another. At the time of writing the club’s plans are not quite nailed down, but it seems likely that there will be gatherings in both Baltimore and Annapolis in the days leading up to the match. (I’ll be assuming you’re staying in one of those two locations, but I’ve also included a small section about Washington, D.C. at the end.) If you’re flying in, you’ll land in either Washington or Baltimore, and you’ll quickly find that Maryland in July can be very hot AND humid. In just the first half of July, we’ve averaged about 90F (32C), but with the humidity it often “feels like” 100F (38C) or more, so pack accordingly. Sunscreen is a MUST.
If you’re staying in Baltimore, I recommend hotels near the Inner Harbor or Harbor East neighborhoods (check anything near Pratt & Light Streets or President & Fleet Streets). You can also stay in a hotel near the airport (BWI) for easier access to Annapolis. If you’d prefer to stay in Annapolis, I’ve been directing people to the Hilton Garden Inn, Annapolis Downtown, but any of the hotels along West Street will put you right in between the venue for the Wolves game and downtown Annapolis. Now that you’ve got a place to stay, let’s look at what to do:
Breakfast
Annapolis
➢ Evelyn’s
➢ Iron Rooster
➢ Reuben’s
Baltimore
❖ Blue Moon Cafe in Fell’s Point
❖ Spoons in Federal Hill
❖ Miss Shirley’s in the Inner Harbor
❖ For a simple coffee & pastry, try Pitango Bakery + Cafe in Fell’s Point
Lunch/Dinner (BIG IMPORTANT NOTE: I would be remiss not to mention that Maryland is known for seafood, and Blue Crabs in particular. If you have a chance to go crab picking – that is, cracking open and eating steamed crabs – go for it! If not, get a crab cake sandwich or at least some crab dip. Your mouth will love you forever.)
Annapolis
➢ Boatyard Bar & Grill (best crab cakes in Annapolis)
➢ Federal House
➢ McGarvey’s
➢ O’Brien’s Oyster Bar
➢ Dry85
➢ Osteria 177
Baltimore
❖ Crabs and seafood: You can probably throw a stone in any direction in downtown Baltimore and hit a restaurant that serves very good seafood and crab cakes. For the best, get to Koco’s or Faidley’s. L.P. Steamers if you want to “pick” (break apart) your own steamed crabs.
❖ Little Italy is in Harbor East and has many good restaurants, especially Amicci’s, Benny’s, Isabella’s Brick Oven, and Cafe Gia.
❖ The Fell’s Point/Patterson area in general has tons of good food options. If you’re looking for a more upscale dinner try Thames Street Oyster House or La Barrita (Argentinian steakhouse).
❖ The Federal Hill area (along Light Street) also has many good restaurants and bars.
Best Places for a Beer (Maryland has a thriving craft beer industry and you should be able to find local beers in most pubs. There are also several breweries accessibly located in both cities.)
Annapolis
➢ The Choptank
➢ Forward Brewing
➢ Galway Bay
Baltimore
❖ Max’s Taphouse in Fell’s Point (over 100 taps, many which are brewed in Maryland)
❖ Ministry of Brewing (beer and bites in a large former church)
❖ Guilford Hall Brewery near North Charles arts district
❖ Union Craft Brewing near trendy Hampden neighborhood
To Do
Annapolis
➢ Lots of little shops along Main Street, from Church Circle down to the water
➢ US Naval Academy Museum (closed Tuesdays)
➢ Capital SUP - Eastport (paddleboard and kayak rentals, and more)
➢ Maryland State House self-guided tour (the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use!)
➢ Or, just hang out by the water around the Main/Randall/Compromise Street circle
Baltimore
❖ Fell’s Point, old part of the city with cobblestone streets and lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. Also, you can take a free-to-ride water taxi across the harbor to Locust Point, another area with good food and drink
❖ Patterson Park, huge central park and a great place to stretch your legs surrounded by row homes and various restaurants and shops (esp. BMORE LICKS for ice cream, and some VERY good Mexican food at Taqueria El Sabor del Parque)
❖ National Aquarium, right on the Inner Harbor downtown and one of the best aquariums in the country. Also, look for a small diorama near the Pier 4 Canteen which features an old TV playing a clip from a Wolves game from 1998 (don’t ask)
❖ Other Museums in central areas include: Historic Ships in Baltimore (various ships including submarine and a 1850s sloop-of-war), Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture, The American Visionary Art Museum, and The Walters Art Museum (and nearby Washington Monument)
❖ Fort McHenry, an 18th century fort most famous for the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, during/about which the US National Anthem was written. Daily demonstrations and tours.
Washington, D.C.
It’s also possible that you’re staying in D.C. during your visit and, honestly, detailing what there is to do in the nation’s capital is beyond the scope of this article. Washington, D.C. is a big cosmopolitan city, with the kind of world class restaurants and entertainment that goes with that, so you should be able to find something to do with no problem. I’ll just highlight the following: (1) the Smithsonian Institution is a collection of excellent museums and art galleries and most of them are free to the public. (2) If you want to try a local food item, head to Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street and get a half-smoke (it’s like a chili dog).
Final Note: My name is Danny and I am the chairman of the Baltimore Wolves supporters group (@BaltimoreWolves on Twitter). I also contribute to Whole Lotta Wolves, the first/only U.S.-based Wolves podcast (@WLWpod on Twitter). If you are traveling to Maryland for the Wolves game, and need any further guidance or recommendations, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, either via Twitter DM or email (daniel.paoletti@gmail.com). Finally, I’ll be at the match in Annapolis and most/all of the events the club puts on, so come and say ‘hi’!