Attractions include the National Aquarium (www.aqua.org; entry £12) and the Baltimore Maritime Museum (www.baltomaritimemuseum.org; entry £4), which is the mooring place for the USS Constellation (the last Civil War-era warship still afloat). And don't miss the views from the 27th floor observation deck at the World Trade Centre, or a stroll through the cobbled streets of the oldest portside settlement, Fell Point - famous for its antique shops and bars. Then there's the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House (www.flaghouse.org; entry £3.75), where the stars and strips were hand stitched onto the giant flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the British bombardment. For entertaining context, visit the Baltimore Civil War Museum (www.mdhs.org; entry £4).

Also in the Richmond area, is a string of beautifully maintained plantation houses, along the banks of the James River. For more info look at Shirley Plantation (www.shirleyplantation.com), Berkeley Plantation www.berlkeleyplantaion.com), and perhaps where the first Thanksgiving meal took place in 1619, the Sherwood Forest Plantation (www.sherwoodforest.org).

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