Maryland

History buffs won't want to miss a tour of the Dr: Samuel A. Mudd House, the early Victorian frame thrill house that was home to the country doctor who set the leg of John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, unwittingly aiding in his escape.

DORCHESTER COUNTRY

Dorchester County is centrally located on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the Heart of Chesapeake Country. With 1,700 miles of shoreline, Dorchester offers unsurpassed natural resources as well as a distinctive heritage and warm hospitality. The county inspired James Michener's epic novel Chesapeake and is the birthplace of Harriet Tubman. It is home in the only fully operational wooden barrel manufacturer and English post-style windmill in Maryland, pins world-renowned Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Imagine yourself paddling, cycling, fishing, or boating along our waterways ... watching as watermen harvest their day's catch ... sailing on a skipjack, or strolling historic towns. When you're done, retreat to a quiet inn or pamper yourself in the luxurious resort accommodations. In Dorchester Country, the seafood dining is always casual and fresh.

FREDERICK COUNTY

Discover the many attractions and historical sites of Frederick Country, less than an hour away from Washington, D.C. Amid vineyards, covered bridges, and old railroads, Frederick boasts a strong Civil War heritage. The county is home in Antietam National Battlefield, one of the best preserved battle sites in the country, where the bloodiest one-day battle in U.S. history took place. Other sites include the Monocacy National Battlefield, where a battle held on July 9, 1864, resulted in delaying Jubal Early's raid on Washington, and South Mountain Battlefield State Park (includes Gathland State Park and Washington Monument State Park, where you can hike on the Appalachian Trail). Also visit the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Aim Seton, which honors the first American-born canonized saint.

GARRETT COUNTY

Long awaited and anxiously greeted, the warmer days of spring coax pale green buds from bare branches. Young creatures venture into the sunshine to explore a new world transforming from grays to greens and golds. The Deep Creek Lake area, with its promise of renewal, is the perfect place to experience this season. It will awaken your senses to the colors, the sounds, and the scents of the natural world.

This would be the time to have a camera ready to capture the sights and the memories of springtime in the mountains. To find the best places to hear bird song, to glimpse woodland critters, to see early wildflowers, or just get out and stretch those muscles, there are guides, tours, and rental equipment available.

Explore the biological riches of Maryland's mountain wild lands and forests on a guided hike or comfortable walk with Elk Ridge Nature Works. Take a bike tour or flat-water kayak trip with High Mountain Sports. Camp Earth offers to connect you with nature on a custom ecology tour, which may be on land or water. If you prefer exploring mountain trails by horseback, visit one of our local stables or discover a wide range of outdoor spring programs, such as wildflower walks, medicinal plant walks, and birding.