Vacation
and Recreation Close To Home
Don't
Spend All Your Vacation Funds on Gasoline
Fuel
prices have soared over the past couple of years, making long-distance
travel very expensive, whether traveling by car or by airplane. You
could easily wipe out most of your vacation budget just to get to
your destination. But if you looked carefully, you would find that
there a lot of great things to do nearby for a summer vacation or
a day of recreation.
Washington,
D.C.
Our
nation's capital is only about an hour away, and has so many different
things to do that you could plan a different trip every time you go.
The Smithsonian is
continually updated and has new exhibits on a regular basis (although
my two favorites - American History and Arts & Industry - are
closed for renovation right now ~ Doug).
Hershey
The
small resort town is less than 90 minutes away (from central Baltimore
county) in southern Pennsylvania. Stay at the
Hotel Hershey and enjoy luxury accommodations, including the Chocolate
Spa.
Antietam
and Gettysburg
While
most of the American Civil War was fought in the South, two major
battles were fought in this part of the country. The battle of Antietam
(Sharpsburg) was fought in September, 1862. The battlefield is a national
historic site and with the scenic countryside, it makes for a nice
day trip and a good educational experience.
Gettysburg
has become a bigger tourist town than Sharpsburg, but that also means
there is a lot more to do.
Amusement
Parks
In
addition to Hershey, there
are a lot of other amusement parks throughout the region that would
make a good day trip. Six
Flags has two parks nearby, Great Adventure in New Jersey and
Six Flags America less than an hour away in Landover. Kings
Dominion is about 75 miles south of Washington, D.C. This year they are
adding their 14th roller coaster, the Dominator (opening late Spring).
This will be the world's largest floorless roller coaster with the
world's largest loop.
You
may also want to visit some of the old-time, family run parks in the
region. Knoebel's
Amusement Park is about two & a half hours away in Elysburg, Pennsylvania
(admission is free), and Dorney
Park near Allentown has a great roller coaster and a water park
that is well worth visiting. Yes, they're a little farther away, but
lots of fun!
From
the Ocean to the Mountains
Maryland
has two major resort areas. Ocean
City is a lot shorter trip than it used to be, with new shortcuts
added to the route there.
At
the opposite end of the state you can find Deep Creek Lake, Maryland's
mountain resort. Much of the land around the resort has been purchased
by the state to create a state
park.
And
There's A Lot To Do In Baltimore!
Starting
at the Inner Harbor, the premier attraction, Harborplace,
is surrounded by many other attractions. One of the most popular is
the National Aquarium, where there have been a lot of new additions.
The most impressive major addition has been Animal Planet - Australia,
which added a whole new wing to the Aquarium.
