Bear Town State Park is a relatively small state park in West Virginia, on the border of Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties. Its 110 acres encompass a really cool geological rock maze of deep crevices that form alleyways and rooms — all traversed by a boardwalk that leads you to cool vantage points in, among, and […]
kid-friendly
Maryland’s Amazing Rock Maze
Get lost in Maryland’s very own rock maze! No, I’m kidding — you can’t get lost in Maryland’s rock maze, but you can definitely have a lot of fun exploring all the cracks and crevices. This short hike — not even a mile total there and back — is at first a lovely walk (slightly […]
Blooms and Butterflies at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Despite its location in the heart of northern Virginian suburbs, few know about this wonderful garden oasis. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is part botanical garden, part sculpture garden (there are a number of striking sculptures around the grounds, part arboretum. There are pretty little ponds with lotuses and waterlillies, and other water plants growing in and […]
Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, One of the Coolest Spots You’ll Encounter!
You should definitely check out the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area if you’re in Pocahontas County, WV. One of West Virginia’s largest wetlands, this 750-acre area features open bogs, with the surrounding moutains — Black, Cranberry and Kennison — creating a natural bowl. With an elevation of 3400 feet, the Glades resemble an Artic tundra, only […]
Seven Fabulous Forts in the Mid-Atlantic States You Should Visit!
Everyone’s probably heard of famous Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which tells the story of the War of 1812 and is immortalized in Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” But seven other fabulous forts are worth exploring in the mid-Atlantic region: three in Maryland, and two each in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Each fort has a unique history […]
Three Budget-friendly Day Trips in Dover DE Sure to Please the Kids
An Airplane Petting Zoo Is Incredible Fun for Kids of All Ages! Even if you’re not an aviation geek, you’ll likely enjoy the Air Mobility Command Museum. This is a great place for kids and families to explore aviation history. The different shapes of the planes are impressive — a couple of them are bigger […]
Cloudy Day Hike on the Soapstone Loop Trail in PVSP
Patapsco Valley State Park is near my home — at least part of it is: it’s strung out along 36 miles of the Patapsco River like exquisite glass beads on a necklace. Because of its location, it’s my go-to park for a hike, especially when I only have a couple of hours. PVSP is a […]
Hiking Marshy Point Park
Marshy Point Nature Park is a quiet little park in Middle River, MD. The park is on the peninsula of land jutting out between the Dundee and Saltpeter Creeks, and offers more than eight miles of hiking trails, a wildlife observation platform, a butterfly garden, a paddle trail, and a canoe launch and pier. The […]
Hike to Dark Hollow Falls
IT sounds like an ominous thing, Dark Hollow Falls — there should be a ghost story or something associated with it, but I couldn’t find any mention of ghosts, nor how Dark Hollow Falls got its name, although I could well imagine how shady and dark the falls would be if the leaves still fluttered […]
Kid-Friendly Baltimore: 11 Fun Things to Do!
Few cities have quite as many kid-friendly activities and destinations as Baltimore! If you’re looking for a kid-friendly daytrip destination, consider checking out Baltimore. Whether you’ve got toddlers or teenagers, you’ll find plenty to do by exploring the 11 options below! You may just find yourself spending several days exploring them all! 1. Explore Industrial […]
Winter Morning Hike at the Prettyboy Resevoir
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Trail is a 4-mile combination loop and out-and-back trail. Although it’s likely you’ll encounter other hikers, the trail isn’t crowded and most of the time you’re alone on the trai With an elevation gain of just over 300 feet, this is an easy trail and a fun way to spend a […]
The Holiday Spirit Goes Wild at Zoo Lights at the Maryland Zoo!
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do Don’t want a doll, no dinky tinkertoy I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy I couldn’t stop singing this cute Christmas song by Gayla Peevy, first released in in 1953 as we approached the Maryland Zoo to see its annual Zoo Lights. […]
Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park
Bring a little twinkle to your holiday cheer at the spectacular Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park, featuring a variety of fun and dazzling displays. I always get a kick out of the claims of how many hundreds of thousands, or in this case, millions, of lights there are — but this holiday […]
Holiday Cheer at Bull Run Festival of Lights
Brighten your holiday season with the magical 2.5 miles of illuminated light displays of the Bull Run Festival of Lights. Because of Covid 19, the annual fair and carnival at the end of the light displays is missing. Don’t let that dissuade you from visiting this holiday lights display — I do believe it’s one […]
Hippos, Kookaburras, and More at Adventure Aquarium
Adventure Aquarium offers a fun, unique exploration of the wonderful animal life in the ocean, as well as some cool land animals, such as hippos, and birds, such as penquins and kookaburras. You can easily spend two to three hours exploring as you walk around the exhibits. The highlight was the shark tunnel, suspended directly […]