ALL YOU CAN EAT
TAKE YOURSELF OUT TO THE BALLGAME
MARYLAND An emerald-green outfield, the crack of the bat, a bag of
peanuts … the recipe for a perfect summer afternoon. And there’s no
better place to take in a game than Camden Yards, the Baltimore field
of dreams that started the retro-style ballpark movement. With the brick
façade of the old B&O Warehouse looming over right field, this intimate
park—a stone’s throw from Babe Ruth’s birthplace—is one of the most
magical settings in baseball.
Arrive well before the first pitch to soak in the boisterous pregame
scene along Eutaw Street. A plume of smoke rises over Boog’s Barbecue,
where former O’s first baseman Boog Powell signs autographs and
sells his legendary pork sandwiches.
In the stands, your fellow fans will gripe about the bullpen,
curse the Yankees and rehash Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive-games
streak. And they’ll whoop it up during the inexplicable seventh-
inning singing of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” Win or lose, it’s
always a glorious day at Camden Yards ( baltimore.orioles.mlb.com).

RHODE ISLAND

Summer in New England isn’t complete without fried clams and fresh lobster. That’s why Charlestown devotes the first weekend in August to celebrating the bounty of the sea.

Boasting some of the loveliest

beaches in Rhode
Island, Charles-
town (charles
townrichamber.
com) is a low-key
coastal town less than
an hour’s drive from New-
port or Providence. But it’s bus-
tling with action during the annual
Charlestown Seafood Festival.

Sure, you’ve got your thrill rides, crafts booths and live bands, but the food—every seafood creation under the sun—is the main attraction. Chow on vast quantities of lobster, fried clams, fish ’n’ chips and steaming bowls of chowdah. Truly ambitious seafood lovers can test their fortitude in the shrimp-eating contest (gluttony has its rewards).

So go ahead—roll up your sleeves and get messy. Butter your corn on the cob, and sip a cold lemonade. There’s plenty of time to diet later.