Spring Break Day Trips in Maryland

By Maggie DeBlasis on March 10, 2014

Spring break is just around the corner, and while some of your friends are off tanning in Cabo or skiing in Boulder, you’re stuck here in boring ol’ Maryland. It shouldn’t be that bad, sleeping in for a week straight  and eating your heart out, until you hit Thursday and your mom’s nagging over your ‘poor’ life choices just becomes too much. In an effort to get you out of the house for a couple hours, enjoy these day trip ideas:

Antietam Battlefield
In mid-September of 1862, America suffered its bloodiest day in history. In the midst of the Civil War, the museum and its workers at Antietam try to recreate that day as much as possible. There’s an 8.5 mile car tour through the battlefield, with memorials every so often to commemorate the infantries who fought and the lives lost on both sides of the fight. Tour guides dress up in period dress, and there are several short hikes where you can get out and stretch your legs during the main tour.
Distance: From campus, Antietam Battlefield is about an hour and a half by car.
Cost: A three-day pass costs $4 a person or $6 a family. It might seem kind of steep for a drive-by tour, but remember that all the money goes back to the National Parks.

Ocean City
This option is probably better suited for warmer temperatures, but with Maryland’s wild weather changes, who knows? You can spend a day at the beach, taking in the rays and playing in the waves. Three miles of boardwalk can show you the best of the beach town and exhibits the perks of living on the East Coast, particularly seafood, and even more specifically, crabs.
Distance: The furthest away from campus, Ocean City is about two and a half hours from campus. But you get to go over the Bay Bridge. Yay?
Cost: Prices for parking depend on where in the city you are, but food on the boardwalk is relatively cheap.

Baltimore Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor features some of Baltimore’s most popular and well-known attractions. There’s the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the marina and many other places all within walking distance. At night, all the buildings light up and the atmosphere is infectious. If you’re lucky, the O’s might be playing and you can hear the cheers as they reverberate off the skyscrapers.
Distance: Depending on traffic, you can reach the Inner Harbor in as few as 35 minutes.
Cost: Much like Ocean City, parking rates depend on where you park in the city. Entrance into the Aquarium is $35 and into the Science Center is $17. Or you could just window shop and people watch by the water for free.

C & O Canal Trail
For those more interested in being one with nature, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail has been around since the 18th century. It runs just under 200 miles, from Georgetown to Cumberland, Md., along the Potomac River. The trail is popular amongst hikers and bikers, but also boasts fishing, horseback riding, and boating and kayaking sections.
Distance: If you start the trail in Georgetown, the Green line can take you straight from the College Park Metro station to the Georgetown station. From there, you just get off and walk to the trailhead.
Cost: You can buy a three-day pass in Great Falls Park, Va., for either $5 if you come by car or $3 if you enter the park by foot or bike. There are also many places along the trail where you can rent equipment. Otherwise, the trail is free.

National Harbor
After its opening in 2008, the 350-acre waterfront building is now a community with a variety of uses. There are condominiums and a marina, but also hotels, restaurants and offices. It’s pretty much a little city all within walking distance of each other, much like campus, except with more water and prettier sunsets. It’s worth going just to say you’ve gone.
Distance: By car, the journey’s about half an hour. But it is also possible to take the Green line Metro to Branch Avenue and then hop on a bus if public transportation is your thing.
Cost: If you take the Metro, you must pay the price of your ticket and then $10 one-way tickets for the bus. Public parking garages cost, at maximum, $10 a day. The restaurants and shops inside the Gaylord National Center are nice to say the least, but are also hugely expensive. If you’re looking for a place to splurge, and I mean splurge, go treat yourself: you deserve it.

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