June crept up on us fast, and summer vacation is only a week away. About two weeks into your summer break, you’re lying on your couch, dying of boredom, wanting something interesting to do. Sound familiar? Luckily for you, our area offers a variety of exciting activities to explore.
Bengies Drive In Theatre is the perfect place for film fanatics and drive-in diehards. Bengies, located in Baltimore, opened in the 1960’s and features the largest movie theatre screen in the USA. For only $5-$10 a person, you and some friends enjoy a nostalgic night full of films, food, and fun. Sophomore Sarah Turk has been there herself and would definitely recommend it. “It was really fun. It was different and I’ll definitely go back. They have a huge screen and food and you can watch the movie from your car or sit in the grass,” said Turk.
The Maryland Zoo is a must-see for all Baltimore-area residents with a love for animals. Only 30 minutes away in Baltimore, this zoo features a wide variety of animals, exhibits, and other fun things to do. Whether it’s exploring the exhibits to learn or just enjoying the day with family or friends, I can almost guarantee that a day spent here will be a day well spent… just try your best not to fall into a gorilla exhibit.
Fresh fruit enthusiasts and nature-lovers would fare well spending a sunny day picking seasonal fruits from Baugher’s Orchard. Located in Carroll County, only an hour away from Severna Park, this orchard offers to guests no slim pickings; you can find strawberries, cherries, peaches, plums and apples for you to gather at Baugher’s.
Since 1962, Assateague Island has remained an outdoor recreation destination for not East coasters only, but nature-loving tourists nationwide. Famed for its free-roaming ponies and horses, common activities range from biking, hiking, camping, swimming and exploring to sightseeing cruises and kayak tours. It is no surprise that this beautiful beach attracts so many visitors. Sophomore Mackenzie Clayton visited Assateague Island recently. “I had a really fun time. I took my dogs down there to go swimming and there were horses everywhere so it was really cool,” said Clayton.
Washington, D.C. itself is a hotspot for tourist activity, littered with tons of shopping, sightseeing, and good eats. So Imagine touring around the city on a Segway. The Segway Experience Tour is a two hour tour of the city’s most well-known monuments. It offers the sightseeing of attractions such as The White House, The Washington Monument and The National Mall; all while gliding through the streets of D.C. on your own Segway.
A day trip to Baltimore or D.C. could be a discovery with the abundance of museums in the area. Baltimore’s interesting range of art museums include the Baltimore Museum of Art, the American Visionary Art Museum, and the Walters Art Museum, as well as many historic museums, ranging from The Baltimore Museum of Industry to Fort McHenry. D.C. is home to even more art museums such as the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Phillips Collection. The Smithsonian museums are always a fun free excursion; visit the National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History and many more.
If you have few-to-none vacation plans this summer and are already dreading the days that are going to be wasted away in boredom, then I strongly encourage you to add these few fun-packed items to your summer bucket list. Maybe Maryland isn’t as boring as we thought it was after all.
