Baltimore, affectionately called “Charm City” by locals, is a sparkling harbor city filled with excitement, history and, of course, charm. Narrow cobblestone streets in historic Fell’s Point are juxtaposed by the clear glass and sheer size of Inner Harbor museums and attractions.

Before heading off to B-More, make sure you add these must-see sites to your itinerary:

• Learn about the Battle of Baltimore and the nation’s history by visiting Fort McHenry. This 18th-century brick fort defended Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 and is the birthplace of the American national anthem. Park rangers offer visitor programs and special events that highlight the park’s history.
• The B&O Railroad Museum brings alive the magic and adventure of railroading. Comprised of the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad history in the Western Hemisphere, the B&O provides visitors with a unique opportunity to see, touch, hear and explore original 19th- and 20th-century railroad equipment, shop buildings and surviving tracks.
• Historic Ships in Baltimore represent one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. Located within easy walking distance of each other, the US Sloop-of-War Constellation, the US Submarine Torsk, the US Coast Guard Cutter Taney and the Lightship Chesapeake exhibit life at sea from the mid-19th century to the mid-1980s. Also included in the collection is the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which marked the entrance to the Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor for more than 130 years.
• The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards is the state’s sports history headquarters. The 22,000-square-foot museum features exhibits devoted to Johnny Unitas, the Baltimore Orioles, Ravens and Colts, Baltimore’s Negro Leagues, as well as the Maryland Terrapins and college athletics. The nearby Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum showcases material devoted exclusively to the Sultan of Swat.

There’s nothing like seeing a new place through the eyes of a local. Although you might not have a pal in a city to show you around, taking a walking tour led by a local expert is the next best thing.

Consider that with a walking tour, the legwork is done for you. Instead of spending your time navigating an unfamiliar landscape, you can follow along and soak up the experience.

Another benefit is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Some tours, such as New York’s Big Apple Greeter, actually pair travelers with resident New Yorkers based on language, neighborhoods requested and interests. All that, and it’s free of charge.

Your Walking Guide:

• There’s a tour for that. Is your passion architecture, food, history, gardens or neighborhood culture? Chances are, in most cities and towns, a walking tour awaits. Some tours, such as those offered by Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program, or the Coronado Historical Association in San Diego, are also offered on bicycle.
• Take a foodie tour and skip lunch. Sign up for a stroll through Pittsburgh’s Strip District with ‘Burgh Bits & Bites or San Francisco’s Chinatown with Wok Wiz, and you’ll eat your way through colorful storefronts selling everything from homemade sausage to Peking duck.
• Calling all preservationists. PreservationDirectory.com is a great resource for history buffs. The website is a clearinghouse for history-focused strolls, both guided and solo. Searching by state and region, you may find a route through bewitching Salem, Mass., or along the Art Deco facades of South Beach in Miami.
• Dabble in the weird. If you’re looking for the offbeat, Weird Chicago fits the bill. Follow in the steps of serial killer H.H. Holmes, relive the bloody St. Valentine’s Day mob massacre or chase elusive ghosts for a few hours. With its voodoo-laced past, New Orleans is another city that loves to make you shiver. Explore the shady and sinister side of the Vieux Carré with Haunted History Tours or trek to an above-ground cemetery for a lesson in Big Easy burial customs and a gander at Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau’s final resting place. (Or is it?).
• All by yourself. Sites like City Slicker (Charleston, S.C.), GPSmyCity (multiple, including Indianapolis and Portland, Ore.) and Trek Exchange (multiple, including Philadelphia and San Antonio) offer self-guided tours you can download to your smartphone and do on your own schedule. Check the city’s local tourism or convention and visitor’s bureau sites for more, and sometimes even free, options. Your job is just to show up with a curious mind and a good pair of walking shoes.

Autumn is the season for romance. The air is crisp and the changing leaves create a beautiful backdrop for a couple’s getaway. Now is the perfect time to explore some of the country’s most romantic cities! Choose a romance package from Country Inn & Suites By Carlson for special touches, such as chocolates and champagne, to make your vacation memorable (varies by hotel).

• New York’s Adirondacks. The Lake George area in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is bursting with yellow, red and amber hues each fall. Get a close-up view of the beautiful scenery as you hike one of the many trails winding through the mountains. Or enjoy the peaceful lakes and charming towns that dot the countryside. This region is known for its fine wines, and you’ll get a souvenir bottle and two tickets to the Adirondack Winery as part of the romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Lake George.

• North Carolina High Country. Wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway and fall foliage against the Carolina-blue sky greet you in Boone, N.C. Relax in a rocking chair and do some people watching at the famous Mast General Store downtown. The mild autumn weather is ideal for taking a hayride at The Orchard at Altapass. This 102-year-old apple orchard is a cultural hub where you’ll find local art and plenty of mountain music and storytelling. For a panoramic view of the mountains, head to Grandfather Mountain and cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge. At the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Boone, your romance package includes a Jacuzzi Suite, a bottle of champagne and breakfast in bed!

• Discover Denver. The Mile-High City offers restaurants and attractions to keep you and your loved one busy. Browse the fascinating American Indian art collection at the Denver Art Museum, which includes Pueblo ceramics and Plains beadwork, or look through more than 150,000 titles at the Tattered Cover Book Store. If your sweetie has a sweet tooth, be sure to visit Hammond’s Candy for a complimentary tour. Hammond’s has been making homemade lollipops and candy since 1920. If craft beer is more your style, stop at one of the city’s many local breweries to enjoy a pint. After your day of exploring, watch a complimentary pay-per-view movie as part of your romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Denver.

Many people don’t realize it, but Labor Day is more than just a day off from work. Created by the labor movement in the late 19th century, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers.

But Labor Day also traditionally symbolizes the end of summer and the start of the back-to-school season. And for many of us, it is celebrated with parades, picnics and barbecues.

So from all of us at Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, warm wishes to you and yours for a happy, safe and fun Labor Day!

Are you the adventurous type? Do you absolutely love the outdoors? Would your “ultimate day” include canoeing, whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding or fishing? If so, make sure to check out these amazing outdoor packages currently available at Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM hotels.

• Escape Into Bass Country – There’s nothing more relaxing than hitting the open water and passing the day away fishing with friends and family. Head to Portage, Ind., and test your bassing skills before checking out the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. This package includes:
  • $50 gift certificate to the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World (per stay)
  • Complimentary gift bag
  • Complimentary upgrade

• Dam Release Whitewater Rafting – Get ready to get soaked! Paddle on over to Lehighton, Pa., and take on 17 rapids while screaming, laughing and having an excellent day. Enjoy 12 miles and five hours of Class III whitewater rafting on this exciting package.
  • Admission for two on the whitewater raft trip

• Escape in Town Trail Ride – Hit the trails by horseback in Shoreview, Minn., and encounter a true north woods experience. Begin at Bunker Park Stable-Anoka County Parks for a one-hour trail ride before taking the plunge on the giant weekend water slide, pool and whirlpool at the Country Inn & Suites Shoreview. This package includes:
  • $10.00 discount trail ride ticket

While the warm weather is still with us, why not squeeze in a vacation while you can? Late summer/early fall is the perfect time to spend a long weekend soaking up the sun or visiting family-friendly attractions. Here are some of our top picks for last-minute trips!

Sunny San Diego
Southern California is beautiful year-round, and San Diego has cultural attractions and sandy beaches to make everyone happy. The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, San Diego North is 7 miles from downtown and is a great home base for your trip.

Take a picnic to Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo and 15 museums. The grounds of the park are free to explore, and you can choose to visit the attractions based on your interest and budget. The park also has miles of hiking trails, a miniature railroad and a carousel.

San Diego also has beautiful beaches close to downtown. Drive or take the ferry across the bay to Coronado and enjoy one of the wide, family-friendly Coronado Beaches. And while you’re there, stroll the charming shops and restaurants of this lovely seaside town.

Action-Packed Atlanta
This southern city is brimming with attractions and events for families or couples. And there are plenty ofCountry Inn & Suites By Carlson^SM locations to choose from, all convenient to major sites.

Enjoy the warm, late-summer weather by exploring Piedmont Park, more than 180 acres in the city center with a lake and walking trails. It’s adjacent to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where you can spot native birds and walk through the treetops on a canopy bridge.

Vacation is time for your family to relax, indulge and just enjoy life. So, who in their right mind—especially kids!—would want to watch what they eat while on vacation? While a family vacation should be a concern-free zone, it’s also important for families to eat well while on the road.

Here are five tips to keep in mind about healthy eating for your family while on your next road trip:

1. Consider “where” you stop. Let’s be frank: It’s challenging to eat healthy when on the road. With mainly convenience stores and fast food restaurants as your roadside options, it’s important to research ahead of time and find grocery stores where you can pick up whole or healthy foods—fruits, carrots, nuts, etc.—or supermarkets that feature a salad bar.
2. Drink lots of water. It’s very important to stay properly hydrated on long road trips, and drinking plenty of fresh water will help flush your body of toxins, keep your skin fresh and help you eat less. Water also helps to ward off travel lag and heat overexposure.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it jumpstarts your metabolism. Country Inns & Suites’ Be Our Guest Breakfast offers an array of breakfast options—for kids and parents—to start your day: yogurt parfait, warm oatmeal with fresh fruit and a variety of meat or veggie omelets.
4. Eat frequently, but watch portion size. Eating too many calories in one meal—even if they’re healthy calories—sends your brain the message that leaner times are around the corner, so those calories will be stored as fat. Instead, eat small amounts of healthy foods throughout the day to let your body know it’s OK to burn through those calories quickly.
5. Pack snacks. Often when traveling we don’t have access to food at regular intervals. Because our typical routines get out of whack, it’s better to have healthy snacks—especially for kids—than skip meals and indulge in a big slice of apple pie later. To keep your body humming, pack healthy snacks such as almonds, veggies, yogurt, fresh or dried fruit and hard-boiled eggs.

Getting sick at home is bad enough, but being sick on the road is never part of the itinerary. Away from our usual comfort zone, navigating an unfamiliar landscape while dealing with a bad cold or worse is enough to give anybody a headache. If the usual preventative measures—staying hydrated, frequent hand washing, taking vitamins, getting plenty of rest—fail, here are a few coping tips to get you over the hump.

1. Travel with meds. Depending on where and when you get sick, a pharmacy may not be around the corner, or open, in the middle of the night. Keep a small kit packed with pain relievers, cold/flu medication, antibacterial and cortisone creams, plastic thermometer and anti-diarrhea tonic so it’s handy. On the road, safe is better than sorry.
2. Don’t push it. If you’ve come down with something, forcing yourself to attend a meeting or stick to an ambitious touring schedule can just run down your immune system further. You may also be exposing your colleagues to whatever is bugging you.
3. Let yourself rest. Give yourself a sick day—you would at home. Sleep will help you get well faster and give your body the ammo it needs to fight off infections and viruses.
4. Push fluids. Water, juice, hot tea and soup will help flush your system and keep you hydrated.
5. Adjust your expectations. If you’re functioning but just not 100 percent, pick a few highlights from your itinerary and let the rest go.
6. Ask for help. The front desk staff at your Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM hotel will go the extra mile to be sure you have what you need in your room to feel better.
7. If you need a doctor, see one. Toughing it out isn’t always the smart way to go. Ask the front desk for a local recommendation.
8. Keep important phone numbers handy. Keep these in a prominent place in your purse or wallet in case somebody else needs to make calls for you. Include your emergency contacts, your doctor and a list of any prescription medications or allergies.
9. Know your benefits. As a precautionary measure, call your health insurance company and find out what your protocol is when you’re sick in the U.S. and abroad. For overseas travel, buying short-term supplemental health insurance can put your mind at ease.

When is it OK to pack the spouse and kids for your next business trip?

For many frequent business travelers, mixing work and play can afford much-needed family time. But only if:

1. They want to go and will have something to do once they get there.
2. You’ll have some time to spend with them.
3. It doesn’t take away from the business goals of the trip.
4. The people you’ll be meeting won’t feel awkward or burdened.

Business Travel as a Family Affair
Amy Weirick, who travels about 10 times a year for her Columbus, Ohio-based public relations firm, invites her husband along half the time and her two sons two or three times a year. “It’s great to give the kids travel experiences beyond the family vacation,” she said. “They get a real sense of what I do for a living, which they may not have understood otherwise.”

The upside of traveling with the family is spending quality time together in a new and interesting environment. The downside can be limited flexibility to adapt to changes in your business schedule and feeling mentally exhausted from being “on” all the time.

It is important to maintain boundaries between business and family time and find out in advance the company policy for bringing family members along. Most companies know that spouses sometimes tag along to desirable locations. Usually between frequent flier miles and shared sleeping quarters, the cost for a spouse to accompany a traveler is small. Staying in a Country Inns & Suites hotel, with extras like free breakfasts, family-friendly swimming pools and locations convenient to top tourist attractions, makes it easy and affordable to enjoy quality time together.

Taking the family demands some advanced planning. Definitely wear comfortable clothes when traveling with children—you may have diaper mishaps and spills. You might even pack a change of clothes in your carry on if you’re going to a meeting directly after family time.

Do some research ahead of time in case you need to purchase attraction tickets in advance. A minor league baseball game; a visit to the local science or history museum, zoo or aquarium; and tours of historic sites are a few family-friendly options.

When a client or association gives the green light to bring the family, there can be another more subtle benefit. Depending on the situation, mingling with colleagues, clients and their families can convey a shared sense of family values, exchanging the gloss of corporate speak for a more authentic experience.

Traveling with the spouse and kids is something most clients can identify with, notes Weirick. “It’s good for clients and other professionals to see how important family is to me,” she said. “It helps them understand what really matters, which isn’t just the bottom line.”

All travel is not created equally. If you know the system, there are plenty of ways to do things better, faster and cheaper than other travelers. Sometimes it’s as easy as asking or doing a little advanced planning.

Loyalty Counts
There’s no reason not to join the free loyalty program for the hotel, car rental company and airline on your agenda. With Club Carlson^SM your hotel stays can quickly add up to points redeemable for free hotel nights, airline miles and even gift cards. Once you achieve an elite level, you’ll also be eligible for benefits such as room upgrades and late checkouts.

Likewise, by opting for the same airline each time you fly (when it’s possible) you’ll build up mileage points for future flights. But these days, what is even more appealing to travelers is that once you earn elite status, you can take advantage of perks such as waived baggage fees and upgrades for you and a companion.

The Airline Seat Shuffle
Even if you don’t have elite status, you can still try and get your favorite spot on the plane. When you make your reservation, go ahead and select the best seat available at the time. If you prefer a different seat, pull up your itinerary on the airline website using your confirmation number. You should be able to view the open seats on the plane and change seats if you’d like. You can do this as many as four or five times leading up to departure and move your seat to a better one. Elite status members are upgraded 24 to 48 hours before a flight, leaving their seats in coach up for grabs.

And if you’re wondering which seat to jockey for, take a look at SeatGuru to see detailed seating charts organized by airline. SeatGuru alerts you to seats with obstructions, those that do not recline, etc.

Breeze Through Checkpoints
Standing in line can be frustrating. Many airports, thankfully, now have separate lanes for different types of travel. If you get in the expert traveler lane, chances are you’ll get through faster. Just make sure you know the TSA guidelines and have your ID ready.

Another option is to pick a different checkpoint. People generally funnel from the ticketing counter to the nearest security line. If you know the lay of the land, you may find that a short walk leads you to a wide-open checkpoint.

Just Ask!
Sometimes, all you have to do is ask and you can get the VIP treatment without an extra penny. When you book your hotel room, ask about transportation from the airport. You may find that a car service sedan is the same price as a taxi. Also, let them know if you prefer a certain floor or view. If your flight is full, ask about compensation options for switching to a different flight. Many travel perks are available just by asking politely. You might be surprised by the answers you get!