East
The Harriet Tubman By Way: Take a road trip to the places on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and through Delaware where Harriet Tubman lived, worked, worshiped, and led others out of slavery.
There are several very popular beaches within a few hours’ drive. Ocean City, Maryland, is one of the more popular and populated with a three-mile boardwalk, tons of restaurants and family-friendly activities. Some faculty prefer Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, particularly families with young kids, because it is smaller and less bustling. Other beaches in Delaware worth checking out are Dewey, Bethany and Lewes.
West
Located less than one hour from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Frederick, Maryland, has a wonderful historic district with lots of antique stores, restaurants and cute shops. It is also the gateway to Western Maryland, and a short drive from the Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park. Both of these parks have hiking trails, and the latter has a waterfall and a popular lake for swimming!
Somewhat further afield, but still a manageable day-trip is Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Harpers Ferry is a quaint 19th century historic town where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers meet. There are several whitewater rafting companies (with tubing options for those who would prefer something more tranquil). Other sightseeing possibilities include hiking or biking around the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
North
Philadelphia is also a great option for a weekend getaway. The drive is slightly less than two hours from Baltimore and two and half hours from Washington DC. A lot of us prefer taking Amtrak to driving because 95 can be busy depending on when you traveling. In any case, Philly has a lot to offer. History buffs will, of course, be interested in visiting the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, amongst other historical sites. Center City has lots of independent shops and restaurants, many of which are BYOB. For something a little different, you might consider stopping by Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, an immersive mixed media art environment that is completely covered with mosaics by folk artist Isaiah Zagar.
One of the benefits of living in the Mid-Atlantic is easy access to New York City either by car or Amtrak. Many of us go up for the weekend to see a show or an exhibition at MoMA, the Guggenheim, etc. Or, to be perfectly honest, some of us go just to eat or to walk around. Like other major cities around the world, NYC has its own unique energy and heartbeat. As longtime New Yorker Dorothy Parker once said, “London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful. Always it believes that something good is about to come off, and it must hurry to meet it.” High praise indeed coming from one of the most acerbic commentators of the 20th century!
Punk legend and New York denizen Patti Smith puts it another way:
“New York is the thing that seduced me. New York is the thing that formed me. New York is the thing that deformed me. New York is the thing that perverted me. New York is the thing that converted me. And New York is the thing that I love too.”
South
Chincoteague on Virginia’s Eastern Shore is an island town that serves as the gateway to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, which has beaches and wild Chincoteague ponies. Yes, you read that right: wild ponies . . . Does Misty of Chincoteague ring a bell? The drive is at least three and a half hours so you’d likely want to stay a night or two. Chincoteague is less congested than Rehoboth and Ocean City, and has an old-fashioned ocean resort town vibe. Some of us take our bikes so that we can access the more remote beaches (the North beach is the best). Bonus: the wildlife refuge is also on the Monarch butterfly migration path from mid-September to mid-October. And then there is the great seafood, the proximity to NASA’s Wallops Island and the possibility of seeing rockets launch (if you are into that kind of thing). Did we mention the ponies?
