Baltimore's harbor is always a place to see the best elements of summer... blue water, visiting ships (thanks to Sail Baltimore), even sand (during sand sculpture competitions). However, 2012 marks the beginning of a two-year commemoration of the city's importance during the War of 1812, which began 200 years ago. This year's Star-Spangled Sailabration began with a very large group of visiting ships and other special summer events, and it will culminate in 2014, when the focus shifts to the actual bicentennial of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote the poem and song that became the country's national anthem.
Click here to see the Online Baltimore video of the visiting ships.