Maryland Travel Guide

Maryland is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America. It is characterized by diversity, including both sea and mountain, urban and rural, historic and modern opportunities for the visitor.

Maryland Travel Guide - Regions

* Baltimore-Towson -- Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, and Queen Anne's County
* Capital Region -- Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
* Central Maryland -- including Baltimore and Annapolis
* Eastern Shore -- Featuring the beach resort of Ocean City
* Southern Maryland -- Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties
* Western Maryland -- Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties

Maryland Travel Guide - Cities

* Annapolis
* Baltimore
* Bethesda
* College Park
* Gaithersburg
* Hagerstown
* Ocean City
* St. Marys City
* St. Michaels

Maryland Travel Guide - Other Destinations

* Appalachian National Scenic Trail
* Assateague Island National Seashore
* Catoctin Mountain Park
* Cunningham Falls State Park
* Gambrill State Park
* Greenbelt Park
* Rocky Gap State Park
* Seneca Creek State Park

Maryland Travel Guide - Understand

The largest and most well known geographic feature of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay, the world's largest estuary. At one time it was called the world's protein basket because it produced so much seafood in the form of fish and shellfish, in particular its most famous product, Blue Crabs. Today the bay is a poster child for what happens from overfishing and pollution, but Maryland leads the country in many progressive "Save the Bay" programs to save wetlands, and halt the flow of pollutants from the more than 12 million people who live in its watershed from Pennsylvania to Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay is a magnet for sailing and fishing sports activities.

The state is bounded to the south by the Potomac River, which offers opportunities for boating, and bicycling along the disused Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail, leading from Washington (D.C.) to Cumberland.

The western part of the state is much more mountainous than the eastern lowlands, and offers hiking along the Appalachian Trail, whitewater recreation in the Youghiogheny River, and historical sites such as Antietam Battlefield, where the events of the bloodiest single day in American history unfolded.

Ocean City offers an economy that caters to the huge seasonal influx of beach-goers. It has an odd charm in the winter, with discounted hotels, deserted beaches and empty restaurants.

Maryland Travel Guide - Geography and Climate

The state crosses many different geographical zones, from the low, sandy barrier islands of the Atlantic Coast to the fertile, lowlands of the Chesapeake Basin, which rise into the foothills of the Piedmont, and eventually the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains. Maryland has been called "America in Minature" because of the great difference of landscape one can experience in such a small area.

The climate of Maryland varies as much as its topography. The lower elevation Atlantic Coastal Plain, which surrounds the Chesapeake Bay and includes the major cities of Baltimore, Annapolis, and Salisbury has a mild subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and cool winters with very little snow. As one moves away from the Bay and higher in elevation, the climate becomes more continental, with milder summers and colder winters. In the mountains of the west summers are cool, and winters can be very cold with heavy snows. The mountains protect the eastern half of Maryland from much of the harsh winter weather experienced in the Great Lakes region.

Maryland Travel Guide - Getting Around

* Maryland Transit Authority for bus, light rail, subway, and MARC commuter train information.
* Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Central Maryland are served by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (METRO).

Maryland Travel Guide - Do

Maryland Rennaissance Festival Crownsville, MD. Phone: (800) 296-7304. http://www.rennfest.com/ Celebrating its 30th year as of 2006, the Rennaissance Festival is held every fall on the weekends (and Labor Day) between the last weekend of August and the third weekend of October.

Maryland Travel Guide - National Park Service

Areas under the control and protection of the National Park Service include:

* Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg
* Antietam National Cemetery
* Appalachian National Scenic Trail
* Assateague Island National Seashore
* Baltimore-Washington Parkway
* Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland
* Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Potomac River
* Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
* Clara Barton National Historic Site at Port Tobacco
* Fort Foote Park in Oxon Hill, Maryland
* Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore
* Fort Washington Park in Fort Washington
* George Washington Memorial Parkway
* Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo
* Greenbelt Park at Greenbelt
* Hampton National Historic Site near Towson
* Harmony Hall in Prince George's County
* Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick
* Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm in Oxon Hill
* Piscataway Park in Accokeek
* Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, the corridor between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Highlands
* Suitland Parkway in Prince Georges County
* Thomas Stone National Historic Site in Port Tobacco

Maryland Travel Guide - Transportation

Roads

Maryland's Interstate highways include I-95, which enters the northeast portion of the state, goes through Baltimore, and becomes part of the eastern section of the Capital Beltway to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I-68 connects the western portions of the state to I-70 at the small town of Hancock. I-70 continues east to Baltimore, connecting Hagerstown and Frederick along the way. I-83 connects Baltimore to southern central Pennsylvania (Harrisburg and York, Pennsylvania). Maryland also has a portion of I-81 that runs through the state near Hagerstown. I-97, fully contained within Anne Arundel County and the shortest one- or two-digit Interstate highway outside of Hawaii, connects the Baltimore area to the Annapolis area.

There are also several auxiliary Interstate highways in Maryland. Among them are I-695, the McKeldin (Baltimore) Beltway, which encircles Baltimore; a portion of I-495, the Capital Beltway, which encircles Washington, D.C.; and I-270, which connects the Frederick area with the Washington area. The Capital Beltway is currently heavily congested, however, the ICC or Intercounty Connector, which may begin construction in 2006 or early 2007, could be the beginning of an outer, second beltway. Construction of the ICC was a major part of the campaign platform of Governor Robert Ehrlich, who took office in 2003.

Maryland also has a state highway system that contains routes numbered from 2 through 999, however most of the higher-numbered routes are either not signed or are relatively short (see List of minor Maryland state highways). Major state highways include Routes 2 (Governor Ritchie Highway/Solomons Island Road), 4, 32, 100, 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway), and 404.

Airports

Maryland's main airport is Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (formerly known as Friendship Airport and recently renamed for former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was born in Baltimore). Other airports with commercial service are at Easton, Hagerstown, and Salisbury. The Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., are also serviced by the other two airports in the region, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport, both in Northern Virginia. For the year to date, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport has received the highest number of passengers out of all the airports in Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area.

Trains

Amtrak trains serve Baltimore's Penn Station, BWI Airport, New Carrollton, and Aberdeen along the Northeast Corridor. In addition, train service is provided to Rockville and Cumberland on the Amtrak Capitol Limited. MARC trains, operated by the State's Transit Authority, connect nearby Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and other towns. The Washington Metro subway and bus system serve Montgomery County and Prince George's County. The Maryland Transportation Authority's light rail and subway system serve Baltimore City and adjacent suburbs.

Maryland Travel Guide - Important Places

* Aberdeen – home to Aberdeen Proving Grounds and hometown of baseball great Cal Ripken
* Annapolis – state capital, home of United States Naval Academy
* Baltimore – most populous city; commercial and cultural hub
* Bethesda – Urban district outside D.C; Home to National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) and Bethesda Naval Hospital; best-educated city in the U.S with a population of 50,000 or more.
* Bowie – largest city in Prince George's County; site of Bowie State University
* Cheverly – home to the Public Playhouse Cultural Arts Center and the Prince George's Hospital Center.
* College Park – D.C. suburb, home to the University of Maryland, College Park and College Park Airport, the oldest continuously operated airport in the United States
* Columbia – large unincorporated planned community managed by the Columbia Association
* Cumberland – county seat of Allegany County; regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland
* Ellicott City – county seat of Howard County and original terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
* Frederick – western gateway to Appalachian Mountains, suburban center, county seat of Frederick County
* Germantown – home to the Department of Energy; fastest growing community in Montgomery County
* Gaithersburg – home to National Institute of Standards and Technology; 2nd most populous city.
* Hagerstown – largest community in 3 county Western Maryland region
* Laurel – home of Laurel Park horse racecourse and scene of assassination attempt on George Wallace in 1972
* Ocean City – very popular beach resort on Atlantic coastline; 2nd most populous city in numbers of residents during the summer months
* Rockville – county seat and business center of Montgomery County northwest of Washington; 3rd largest city
* Salisbury – largest city and business center of Delmarva peninsula
* Silver Spring – The largest urban area in the state outside Baltimore, it also borders D.C. It is home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the world headquarters of the Discovery Communications, and now the Food and Drug Administration
* Towson – county seat of suburban Baltimore County
* Waldorf – largest town in Southern Maryland
* Westminster – County seat of Carroll County, Maryland and host of the annual Maryland Wine Festival.

Article Source: Wikipedia