Day Trips

*We plan on doing a series of blog entries on off-beat places to go in the future.

There are certain advantages to being a local: you know the people who inhabit the area; you know the local history; and you know by heart the local "hot spots". However, you can only take your kids to the White House, for example, so many times until you yearn for something new, something out of the ordinary, something memorable. In today's blog we will be going over a few day trip ideas that can help you spice up your summer and help you break out of summer monotony. There are other things -- besides going to the Smithsonian -- to do in Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Vineyards

Virginia vineyards may not carry the same cachet as those in Europe, but many of them have award-winning vintages. The harvest season for wines typically falls between August and October.

On the website, http://virginiawine.org.com/, you can search for different vineyards in Virginia; a cursory search brought over 156 wineries. They cluster on the eastern seaboard.

Not to be outdone, Maryland also has its own fair share of wineries. http://marylandwine.com/ lists them by name and by region. Maryland's lower Piedmont area (north of D.C.) is renowned for its wine.

Hot Air Balloon Rides

As you might have surmised -- it shouldn't come as a surprise -- we have devised a plan for a taking a balloon ride.

Delmarva Balloon Rides is a local company that specializes in hot air balloon rides. They are located at 1137 Little Creek Road, Chester Maryland, 21619.
http://www.delmarvaballoonrides.com/

Beaches

Virginia has over 5,000 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Hence, lots of beaches. The most well-known of these is Virginia Beach with its 38 miles of shoreline. Colonial Beach -- in Westmoreland County -- has the second largest beachfront.

Maryland also has many beaches. Worcester County is the home of Ocean City -- an Atlantic Ocean resort city -- and is a popular destination for tourists. It extends over 9 miles from the southern inlet to the Delaware line. You can find more information at the Ocean City website.

http://www.ococean.com/

Hiking

Catoctin Mountain Park -- home of the presidential retreat at Camp David -- has a variety of lodging opportunities for visitors. It is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. You can find a lot of information, such as vidoes and maps, on their website: http://nps.gov/cato

Another famous park -- Shenandoah National Park -- is located 75 miles away from our capital. Entrance fees are around $8 per person in the summer. The website is: http://nps.gov/shen

*As always, if you need transportation to any of these places, we will be happy to oblige.