Summer 2010 is FINALLY HERE!

Not sure what to do this Memorial Day Weekend? Well here on some suggestions for in and around our area that are sure to make you smile! Candice Thompson, a writer for the Baltimore Sun, has some wonderful ideas! Check it out and see if there’s something on this list for you and your family. Whatever you decide to do, make it fun and be safe…smile lots and we look forward to seeing you in the summer of 2010!

MAY 24, 2010 Three days in May: Last-minute Memorial Day suggestions So you still haven’t made Memorial Day weekend plans yet. For the first time in forever, I actually have a plan. But, believe me, I feel your pain. Let’s throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks. We’ll keep adding all week, so check back. If you have a can't-miss suggestion, jump in. 1) On Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, take a guided bicycle ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail near Hancock. Just meet other riders at Hancock Bike Shop, 9 S. Pennsylvania Ave. It’s free. Call 301-842-2155 for more information. 2) The fishing is easy and fun from the two floating piers at Piney Run Park in Sykesville. Kids can catch bluegills, sunfish, largemouth bass and catfish. Rent a canoe or kayak or pay $8 to launch your own non-gas-powered boat. The 300-acre reservoir is surrounded by nearly twice as many acres of woods. Park entrance fee is $5 for each carload of Carroll County residents and $10 for a carload of nonresidents. The park phone number is 410-795-3274. 3) See Maryland’s largest cascading waterfall at Cunningham Falls State Park. The 78-foot-high plume is just a short walk from Route 77 outside Thurmont. Cross the road and stop at the visitor center at visit Catoctin Mountain Park, run by the National Park Service. Drive the Park Central Road for easy access to vistas and overlooks. Try to guess where Camp David is located within park boundaries. Do not annoy the Secret Service. 4) For a chance to see bald eagles, osprey and herons on Harness Creek outside Annapolis, take a guided paddling adventure Friday night or Saturday morning that starts at Quiet Waters Park. The price ranges from $35 to $60, depending on the trip and type of boat you want. For an unaccompanied paddle, canoes and kayaks run from $15 to $60, depending on the length of the rental. Details are at 410-271-7007 or paddleorpedal.com. 5) Take a wildlife tram tour through the wetlands and forests of the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel. The open-sided tram runs at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The National Wildlife Visitor Center is off Powder Mill Road, between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 197 south of Laurel. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens 55 and older, and $1 for children under 12. The visitor center number is 301-497-5580. 6) Take a seven-mile hike Saturday on the Valley View Trail along the Patapsco River with the Howard County Sierra Club. There will be several stream crossings. Bring lunch and water. Meet at 9:30 a.m. in Rockburn Branch Park, the entrance off Landing Road one mile north of Montgomery Road. Park in the lot at the end of the road under the power lines. For details, call James Perschy, 410-964-1902 or jameshike@verizon.net. 7) On Saturday or Sunday, pick up some items for you boat at the Annapolis Nautical Flea Market, Navy Marine Corps Stadium, Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday. Tickets: $5. Parking: $5. Details: 410-268-8828 or sheilaj@usboat.com.

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