If you are interested in history (and what coin person isnt?), Baltimore’s Inner Harbor offers you many chances to spend a pleasant afternoon traveling back in time. Start your afternoon with a visit to the last Civil War vessel afloat. The USS Constellation was commissioned in 1859. Today it is manned by a crew of knowledgeable tour guides who will show you what it was like to sail aboard her.

The Constellation Museum features a 1/4''=1' scale model of the ship in the correct rig and deck arrangement, and a video shows the progress of the extensive restoration of the ship. It also includes plate and utensils used on the ship, leg irons, Civil War uniform buttons, and vintage manuscripts, including a Seamanship Notebook dated 1874, an Allowance List, Petty Officer's Drill Book and Instructions in Military Signaling.

You can also view the Model 1841 Officer's sword of the Commodore Henry K. Thatcher, the ship's first Civil War captain, and the sword and scabbard of Captain Armistead Rust from the 1880's. A handwritten letter from Midshipman Edward H. Campbell to his family, dated 1890, adds historical value from a personal perspective.

On the four levels of the ship you can see rows of cannons, the sailor's quarters below, the "hospital" with antique medical and dental instruments and medicine bottles, and the upper-level cabins and dining area for the Master, Captain, and other senior officers of the ship. For the latest hours of operation for the Constellation and other Inner Harbor museum ships, click here.

For a great view of the Harbor, take a Water Taxi to Pier 5, where you can also see Seven Foot Knoll LIghthouse. Or, visit historic Fort McHenry, whose valiant defense inspired Francis Scott Key to pen our national anthem in 1814.

When it’s time for refreshment, consider the restaurants in Harbor Place on the northern end of the Inner Harbor. We found La Tasca particularly delightful, with a wide-ranging tapas menu that's sure to offer everyone in your family or group something that appeals to their particular tastes. We highly recommend the chorizo paella, shrimp skewers with garlic mayonnaise,  chicken skewers with red pepper aioli and fried onions and peppers. The sangria is especially refreshing on a warm summer afternoon.

Not far away from La Tasca, locate the World Trade Center. Take the elevator to the 27th Floor Observation Level, where floor to ceiling glass allows for a 360-degree view of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and downtown area. If you happen to visit on a Tuesday or a Thursday, be sure to ask for Hans Stefan, whose encyclopedic knowledge of everything you are seeing will add immeasurably to your enjoyment of the view.