• Tour the National Aquarium (website: www.aqua.org), home to more than 560 species of sub aquatic life. Start your day by having breakfast with the dolphins, or sign up for a sleepover with the sharks.

• Listen to the music at the beautiful Pier Six Concert Pavilion (website: www.piersixpavilion.com) where concerts are hosted during the summer months (June to late September).

• Climb the Washington Monument (website: www.nps.gov/wamo) in the heart of Washington, DC for a panoramic view.

• Take a water taxi ride to the neighbourhoods of Fell's Point (website: www.fellspoint.us) and Little Italy (website: www.littleitalymd.com).

• Sign on for sailing lessons at the world-renowned Annapolis Sailing School (website: www.annapolissailing.com).

• Soak up the sun at Ocean City (website: www.oceancity.org), a lovely beach resort boasting an expansive white sand beach, a 5km- (3-mile-) long boardwalk, amusements, tram rides, boating and deep-sea fishing.

• Hike or bike the old towpath once used by mule-drawn barges in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park (website: www.nps.gov/choh), stretching 295km (184 miles) from Washington, DC to Cumberland in Western Maryland, and visit the headquarters where George Washington began his military career.

• Enjoy a variety of water-based activities at Deep Creek Lake (website: www.deepcreeklake.com), the state's four-season resort, or play 18 holes of golf on two scenic championship courses.

• Admire some of the world's best racehorses during the week-long activities celebrating the annual running of the Preakness Stakes (website: www.preakness.com) in May. It is the second event in thoroughbred racing's prestigious triple crown.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.