Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Patapsco State Park

We want Spring. We want it now. So today we headed out to Patapsco State Park on a mission. We wanted to find a place to go camping later in the season (they have tent sites and cabins), but more importantly, we wanted Spring. Admittedly, we are pushing things a bit. There is barely any green to be found. But still, it's in the air. 

As we started to explore the trails, we discovered some amazingly steep hills. This trip is not for the stroller set, but my kids are officially big kids now. The twins (age 8 now) are totally up for the challenge. We slowly edged down to the river.

Brilliant move, if I do say so myself. We stopped on the way there for some fried chicken and corn on the cob. 

When did she get so tall?

After much playing, and exploring the railroad tracks, and maybe a little more playing it was back up again. 

 Of course we had to vere off the trail a bit to see a tiny waterfall.

And one more shot, just to prove I was there too. Me and my gorgeous kids.

Patapsco Valley State Park
8020 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City MD 21043

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Main Office: 410-461-5005
Reservations: 1-888-432-2267

Cylburn Arboretum

207 acres, right in the middle of Baltimore, and I missed it all this time. Cylburn Arboretum was originally the private estate of Jesse Tyson, president of Baltimore Chrome Works. 

The mansion, designed by George Aloysius Frederick, was completed in 1888 and is open to the public. It is surrounded by gardens and trails that are all maintained by a dedicated staff of volunteers.

If you arrive after 10:00 a.m., stop by the shiny, new visitor center and pick up a map. We were on the early side, so we wandered through the gardens, not really knowing where we were going, but happy anyway.

We took a trail through the woods, past lots of lovely ferns.

Since I wasn't sure where we were going, I was rather happy to find this sign. Circle trail. In my head, that means there is virtually no chance of getting lost. I have faith in the circle trail.

We found a few trees with names from long ago carved in them. I'm hoping they haven't damaged the trees too much.

The circle path sent us back to where we started (hurrah for the circle path!) and we walked through the formal gardens.

Some renovations are going on at the mansion, but it is an impressive home. We spent some time inside reading about the history, and most importantly, cooling off.

While the gardens are worth a visit just on their own, I think the real benefit of visiting Cylburn may be all of the events they have here — yoga in the formal garden, concerts, summer camps. Many events are free, although donations and volunteers are welcome. With all of the activities, we will have plenty of excuses to come back here in the future.

Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21209 

(410) 367-2217

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Harpers Ferry, WV

Our side trip while camping this year was to Harpers Ferry, a historic town in West Virginia that sits where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. It's about an hour and a half from Baltimore, so manageable in a day if you aren't up for the overnight. Most of Harpers Ferry is either national parkland, or historic district. The Appalachian Trail also crosses through. So beyond the amazing views, you will find lots of hiking, tubing, and history here.

Parking is a challenge, unless you arrive early, but a shuttle runs every 12 minutes from the Harpers Ferry National Park to the historic district.

There are museums and shops along the way.

Be sure to climb up to visit St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. The church is beautiful and open to the public. And the view from way up there is not to be missed.

There are a shocking number of icecream shops around. Really, Harpers Ferry? I think you may have over-saturated yourself with icecream shops. We eventually gave in.

A nice walk along and over (and in) the river ended our day. Maybe next time we will bring along bathing suits, Eh, kids?

Camping with Hobo Packets

Day one of summer vacation, and things are looking a-okay. The early end of school lined up perfectly with our camping trip. We headed to the Treehouse camp  right after the kids got off the bus. It almost, almost gave me that end of school feeling—that feeling I never get anymore, where everything is done. An ending. And nothing to do all summer but play.

It always amazes me to notice how much more robust the kids are after a year goes by. The trip to the campground seemed easy. The kids had just a bit more walk-around time than last year. No one complained when dinner was late, and what a dinner it was—Hobo Packets. This just might be my new summer favorite, despite the quirky name.

Here is my co-chef. She made most of dinner without me.

HOBO PACKETS

2 lbs. potatoes, diced
1 red pepper, diced,
1 lb. mushrooms, cut in half
1 lb. roll sausage
Cooking spray or oil.
Salt and pepper

Fold a 3-foot piece of aluminum foil in half to make a 1 1/2 foot double-thick piece. Repeat 5 times. Spray with oil.

In the center of each piece of foil, place 1/5 of potatoes, peppers, and mushrooms. (Yes, we are a family of 5. Adjust as needed.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide sausage into 5 equal portions and break apart on top. 

 Fold aluminum foil on sides and top to form packets. Grill on low heat for approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

 

Open packets and enjoy. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the extra juice.

There are tons of variations on these. Tilapia and asparagus? Why not.

Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens is every bit as beautiful as I remembered. I lived nearby as a teenager, but I haven't been back there for way too many years, so recently, on a visit to see family, we stopped by.

I am amazed that at this time of year, just a couple of weeks ago, the gardens were so lush.

This waterfall caught me by surprise.

The conservatories are my favorite part. They look like postcards. My photo doesn't do it justice, but trust me.

I foolishly tried to get the kids to pose for a photo.

I'm pretty sure Rapunzel lives here. But really, it's a chimes tower built by Pierre duPont. The carrilon was replaced with electronic chimes in 1956, but with the 2001 rennovation authentic chimes were re-installed. The carrilon rings every 15 minutes, from 9:00 - 5:00.

The vegetable garden is one of my favorite places, if for no other reason than walking through a garden like this reminds me how beautiful the most practical of plants can be. Swiss chard is tucked in everywhere, part function, part beauty. I need to stop planting Swiss Chard in rows.

As we headed to the gates, my kids weren't quite ready to go, so we stopped by the rose garden. There is a topiary pruned into the shape of a chicken. What more could we ask for?

The kids also tried to figure out exactly which rose smelled the best. I think it was this one.

 

Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348

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Our Trip to Dutch Wonderland

Dutch Wonderland is one of those authentic amusement parks that I just can't help but love. There is a history here that goes back to 1963, when potato farmer, Earl Clark started the place.

Our first stop was the carousel. A classic.

Admission to the park includes most, but not all, of the activities along the way. Pony rides, photos, games and a few other things cost extra. Fortunately, all of the rides are included, which means they can go round and round on their favorites all day long.

Throughout the park, there are small moments where you can find the original displays, perfectly preserved and featuring little bits of Amish life. I'm so glad they have kept them. Where else can you pose with a giant pretzel anyway?

Or peek into an Amish house?

The target audience here skews young. 3-12. This may not be the place to bring your teens, but for my kids, ages 6, 6, and 12, it was perfect. The biggest roller coaster, Kingdom Coaster, is manageable for my youngest, and plenty of fun for my oldest. Honestly, I was shocked that my youngest two loved it so much. Apparently, they have a wild side that I didn't know about. Hands were in the air. Screaming.

And since there is rarely a picture of me in this blog, here I am, self-photographed, on the Kingdom Coaster. Hello.

  

But back to the point. There are places here where you can find the original stuff. And my favorite older attraction, is an incredibly simple ride.

I'm not giving away the surprise. But I will tell you this — the ride has been here since 1964, and it's the most low-tech ride in the park. Sometimes simple just works.

 

There was some silliness along the way...

and a driving lesson.

After we had played for a while, we headed to the water section of the park, Duke's Lagoon. The kids splashed and played and cooled down.

Then we headed back for still more rides.

 

All in all, a wonderful day. 

 

1-866-386-2839

Dutch Wonderland
2249 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA 17602

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