Tag: Maryland

DMV Landing Page

Posted in Free Kids Fun, Read Them All, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Let it be easy! That’s what I want for whomever comes across my page, whether it’s from my Instagram, through my newsletter or some other way. As the family trip planner – whether it’s for an afternoon outing or a full blow vacation, I appreciate when I come across places that put it all together and make my life easier to create the best trip for my family.

Blog Posts

  • Airport Play Areas in the DMV – BWI, DCA, and IAD all have play areas and are accessible by public transit!
  • Free Mall Play Areas in the DMV – This article has much more than malls. I lay out other ideas for what to do near each mall.
  • Free Fun for Kids at Big Box Retailers – We are huge fans of free and affordable fun! There are so many companies that have weekly or monthly offerings.
    • Merry Pin is a new local store that has free story time and art each Saturday!
  • Keep Your Green at Great Wolf Lodge – We visited the one in Perryville, Maryland that’s north of Baltimore and had the best time! Definitely a core memory for my daughter (and me).
  • Maryland Ice Cream Trail Adventure – My daughter and I had the best time trying ice cream at cow to cone locations! We visited libraries, towns, playgrounds, etc. as part of our adventure.
  • Sligo Creek Parkway Playgrounds and Nearby Ones – There are so many incredible parks in Silver Spring, along the creek, as well as parks in the surrounding areas like Wheaton and Takoma Park.
  • Splish Splash in Maryland – Beat the summer heat and head to one of the outdoor pools! Also includes some splash pads to get you started.
  • Top Tips for New Silver Spring Parents – This is chock-full of suggestions and will benefit you whether you moved to Silver Spring ,are new to parenting in Silver Spring or you’re located in a surrounding area!
  • Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport – If you have a kid, you have to get an annual membership to an ASTC Passport covered museum, especially if you like to travel. If you’re in the DMV, I recommend joining the Maryland Science Center when its on Groupon.

Affordable Adventures

Newsletters

I created a Substack newsletter. It covers near and far travel, books, random learnings and more! I would love for you to subscribe for free. The content highlighted below are DMV places (or very close) but some posts may cover other areas like Edition 1 touches on Salt Lake City.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Explore the Eastern Shore

Posted in DC-Maryland-Virginia, Free Kids Fun, Read Them All, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Red playground | TeamTravelsBaby

From our condo in Silver Spring, Maryland it takes us about 45 minutes to cross the Bay Bridge (make sure you have an EZ Pass for the toll) and then there are a lot of choices for exploring Maryland’s Eastern Shore. When we first started venturing to the Eastern Shore, I only thought of Assateague and Ocean City, Maryland. Let me assure you, there are a lot of fun places – ice cream shops, cute towns, playgrounds, beaches and art to see! If you prefer staying on Instagram, I have a highlight reel, but I have many more details here and it’s searchable. Some of my hyperlinks below will also take you to my Insta with pics.

Berlin

This is a cute historic town with ice cream, a thrift store (cash only), a coffee shop and some shops. If you pass through on a Sunday, there’s a seasonal market and stores are open too. This is very close to Assateague and Ocean City.

  • Island Creamery is located downtown and will let you split a single scoop so you can enjoy two flavors for just over $5. There’s often a line here but it moves fast and you can enjoy seating in the alley next to it.
  • Chesapeake Bay Farms is one of the stops on the Maryland Ice Cream Trail; this is directly off US 50 West so it’s an easy stop without adding too much time to your journey
    • You can learn more about it here and the possible prizes!
  • The library has toys and is a good stop if you need a clean bathroom.
  • The beautifully painted pumpkin scavenger hunt in October was so much fun! It’s free, the town is happening with music and activities for kids. See our reel here.
  • About 10 minutes from downtown is Wal-Mart which is a great place to stock up before the beach. We’ve also slept in this parking lot to save money!

Ocean City

This is a destination for many and it’s super fun with the ocean, the bay, a long boardwalk and many other family friendly offerings. We recently found a last minute deal for $92 for the Blue Wave Inn which was like a Motel 6 but with an incredible pool and parking that lasted until 3 pm on the day of check out. It was only 2 blocks from 9th street at the boardwalk. I would stay again.

  • No name park is new and a must visit near the skate park and views of the bay.
  • Check out CertifiKID* to see if there are any deals for Jolly Rogers Amusement Park (we saw some in June 2024). Many places, like miniature golfing offer deals if you look in hotels at the pamphlets.
  • Ocean City is fun in various seasons. We loved visiting in October for the enjoyable weather and the off-season pricing (see what we paid here) at the Francis Scott Key Family Resort which has an indoor pool, putt-putt, free popcorn and a movie room. Insta pics here.

* CertifiKID is very similar to GroupOn. If you’ve never used it, please consider using my referral link as it’s no extra cost to you and I will receive a small credit from CertifiKID. In the DMV, we have found deals for places like DoodleHatch (Columbia), Jolly Yolly (Westfield Montgomery) and HyperKidz.

Bivalve

Cove Road Beach is the only reason we came here which is on a river and very relaxing. It’s about 25 minutes from Salisbury.

Cove Road Beach | TeamTravelsBaby

Cambridge

Located along the Choptank River, this is a great halfway point to stop and stretch on the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It also makes for a fun day trip from the DMV area (90 minutes from Silver Spring).

  • Sailwinds Park has a great playground and is located along the river
  • Chick-fil-A is about 1 mile from Sailwinds and has a small play area
  • There is a downtown with coffee, ice cream and art! Set your GPS for Black Water Coffee Shop and you’ll be in the heart of it all. IG post here.
  • Dorchester County Library is a place to escape the heat but still let your kids stretch. They have kids toys.

Chestertown

This is close to Rock Hall and Betterton Beach. I definitely recommend combining all three for a great day trip away from the DMV. Chestertown is the biggest town and is fun for wandering in and out of shops like the bookstore.

  • Betterton Beach is one of those ideal beaches for littles! Check out my IG post. It’s under 2 hours from Silver Spring, MD and we’ve enjoyed this as a day trip.
  • Rock Hall – grab a treat at Sweet Cheeks Bakery, grab coffee from Java Rock and look for ospreys at Blue Heron Park.
  • Lockbriar Farms for ice cream is part of the Maryland ice cream trail and has delicious fruit flavored ones. The owners had a sweet cat who sat with us and then we took a little tour to see the chickens and flowers blooming.

Easton

Less than 90 minutes from Silver Spring is an Amish Market, indoor play space and great park! It can easily be combined with Cambridge.

  • Be with Me Playseum is an indoor playspace with different areas for pretend play, real animals and art. Be sure to check their hours here. This is located on US 50 West. There’s also a location in the Columbia Mall and one in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Idlewild Park is an amazing wooden park that’s mostly fenced in, has a tot lot too and bathrooms! There’s also a book box and a really pretty court. IG reel here It’s only a couple of minutes off US 50 East, so it’s another great park on the way to the beach.
  • Amish Country Farmers Market – Check their hours and know that it’s closed Sundays. This is a great stop if you just need a quick outting and perhaps some affordable and delicious treats! We love Amish markets and have enjoyed exploring many in the DMV like Annapolis, Laurel and Germantown.
  • Chick-fil-A here has a small play area.
Be with Me Playseum | TeamTravelsBaby

Grasonville

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center is a great place for getting outdoors, especially if you enjoy walking/hiking or getting out on the water with paddleboards or kayaks. It is exceptionally affordable (like $20/day) and first come first serve. Read more on their site. Grab coffee from Dessert First Dockside Coffee and make sure to check out the marina.

Kent Island

This makes for a great trip and is great when the weather is comfortable for hiking and spending time outdoors.

  • Ferry Point Park – Park and check out the Chesapeake Heritage and Visitor Center, then go for a leisurely walk and enjoy the small beach.
  • Terrapin Nature Park – This is also a great place to walk and enjoy a small beach.
  • Pair with Old Love Point Park or other fun from Stevensville or Grasonville.

Oxford

I could come here just for the uniqueness of the ice cream! There is a small town along Main Street, a playground with shade near the water and a small beach.

  • Scottish Highland Creamery is so cute and right on the water!
  • Main Street has a little museum, a cute store of 30+ local vendors called the Treasure Chest, a market, Mystery Lovers Bookstore and my personal favorite was my iced lavender latte at Oxford Social Cafe. There’s a playground on the water and a little beach too.
Main Street Oxford | TeamTravelsBaby

Salisbury

This is the great stop to break up the drive to or from the ocean or to enjoy as its own trip.

Two Scoops Ice Cream | TeamTravelsBaby
Ben’s Red Swings next to the free zoo | TeamTravelsBaby

Stevensville

Will travel for ice cream should be our middle names. You can have a great day between the beach, ice cream and playground all within a short distance of one another.

  • Historic downtown Stevensville is small, but worth visiting for the Tasty Toucan which has a very kid friendly outdoor space. Check out my IG post.
  • Matapeake Beach is a small beach nearby. Parking is limited so get there early or come later in the day.
  • Old Love Point Playground

St. Michael’s

There’s a Saturday morning market and the library has toys if you’re visiting with a young child. It’s a fun town by the water. Grab coffee at Blue Crab and check out my IG post here.

So much to do on the Eastern Shore

If you have time and like birding, bring your camera and check out Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and the nearby Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. And why not venture all the way to Delaware! You’re almost there anyways. Here’s our day in Rehoboth. I also have a beach highlight on Instagram that some of the beaches we’ve been to within a reasonable drive of the DMV.

Let me know in the comments what you love about the Eastern Shore or somewhere we should visit on a future trip!

Keep Your Green at Great Wolf Lodge

Posted in DC-Maryland-Virginia, Read Them AllTagged , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Our first time visiting Great Wolf Lodge and we ventured to the one north of Baltimore, Maryland in Perryville. Bottom line – it was amazing! We were able to get into our room early, which was great! Each person gets a wrist band which doubles as a room key card! To a 5 year old, it’s magic!

Nod to the National Parks, GWL Sign | TeamTravelsBaby

I want to help you keep your green (aka money) when you visit Great Wolf Lodge because the cost can quickly add up! Here are some ways to keep costs low and what we did on our one night (two day) adventure:

  • Highly recommend booking with a coupon code. Recognize that weekdays will be cheaper. We booked on Leap Day for a Thursday to Friday deal in March 2024 for $142 total (that includes the $40 resort fee) and open to close admission to the water park on check in and check out day. Find the best deals through GWL directly (I like their IG as they sometimes do flash sales, like what I got) and also check GroupOn and CertifiKID (referral link).
Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville | TeamTravelsBaby
  • Bring your own food! There’s only a small fridge in the room so keep that in mind or consider a cooler you can put in the car after check out. Pack easy snacks and/or microwaveable food. We brought food for day one, then made a quick late night trip up to Wal-Mart (10-13 mins north of GWL and also a Dollar Tree and Little Cesar’s in the parking lot if you go earlier). And while you can’t eat food/drink in the water park brought from outside GWL, we totally went into the shower stalls to munch on a quick snack since (at least when we went) they didn’t look inside our water park bags. We only bought coffee from the Dunkin’ Donuts (order at a machine) and one small ice cream (like $5ish dollars). The hotel room did have coffee, but I didn’t see any creamer (so bring your own).
  • Bring a water bottle or refillable one. There is a water fountain in the water park. I find the markup on bottled water hurts my feelings – it can be steep!
  • Prepare your child for so many tempting things! My daughter knew not to ask for everything she saw because we talked about all the temptations that would be there and what we were willing to spend money on (e.g., one ice cream and one additional activity). We talk often about putting things we see on ‘the list’ for future birthdays or holidays. I highly recommend the practice of setting expectations. For me, it relieves a lot of stress and guilt!
  • While tempting, we did not buy any of the activity/food passes. We were there for the water park, the free/included offerings and I splurged for the basic wand/MagiQuest game (which I felt was totally worth it by the end for $37 which included the basic wand and 96 hours straight of gameplay. Basically an interactive scavenger hunt and you periodically fight the bad actors. The wand is reusable for future trips).
Testing her MagiQuest wand | TeamTravelsBaby
  • Download the GWL app and set reminders for all of the FREE/included fun! This included meeting characters, story time, movie (15 mins long), arts and crafts, etc. We didn’t make it to the MagiQuest ceremony or kids yoga but those are free too! The app is an absolute must!
  • Towels can be checked out with your band, just remember to check them back in with your band so you don’t incur a charge (lines were never terrible, but this could be a reason you choose to bring your own towels). You can use a life vest, which is what we did for Addy, but it seemed like you could also bring your own floaties too. These you just borrowed.
  • Pack more than one swimsuit! And if your kid likes goggles, bring a pair or two! (Addy’s broke while we were there and while she was fine day 2 without it, I wish I had brought an extra.)
  • Lots of adults had the phone waterproof covers! I did not and found it was nice to disconnect at the water park, but no doubt I would have enjoyed having it. I bought one for our upcoming cruise off Amazon – I’ll share thoughts after I test it out. And for some, it may feel safer to have your phone on you, especially if you save money by not having a locker.
  • Lockers are $17 or something like that. Don’t bring anything of importance to the pool or hide it deep in an unattractive bag that you periodically check on. We left our stuff (e.g., phones) on a chair each time with our shoes and never had an issue. Of course they were hidden inside my street clothes and towels. But I did lock/hide my wallet in the car once we checked out of our hotel room. Do what feels best to you!
  • Don’t forget, at least to get north of Baltimore, you’re likely to go on toll roads! Make sure you’re prepared with an EZPass and it’s connected to a current credit card!
We loved the waterpark | TeamTravelsBaby

For a future/return visit, I would make a point to arrive early on check-in day to take full advantage of the water park. We arrived in the mid-afternoon and still had lots of time before it closed at 8 pm. We also stayed open to close on our day of check-out. We exited our room by 11 am and then stayed to enjoy it all. On the next visit, I hope I remember to bring my daughter’s MagiQuest wand again (would still need to pay to activate the game for 96 hours). I may also have her bring one of her Build a Bears (we did the birthday one where we paid $5 when she turned 5 and I’ve also found her some for less than $5 at the thrift store). This helps to avoid the FOMO if other kids have a BAB since they sell them in the shop. You may also get lucky and find a wand on Facebook Marketplace (worth a try).

On a future trip, I would consider buying her some type of light up bubble blowing wand ahead of time and giving it to her as a surprise during our visit. They sell them and you know the mark up is wild. That said, she was fine with me saying no on site (because I set expectations) and enjoyed popping the bubbles that other kids were creating. 

My daughter is about 43 inches tall, so she wasn’t able to go on the ropes course! She needed to be 46 inches. This was $15 a person and it looked fun! They had other things for a cost like putt putt (or mini golf), bowling, gem mining, etc. The pass may make sense if you would be willing to pay for each of these individually. Our splurge was the MagiQuest game/basic wand and I have zero regrets!

Have you been to this location or another GWL location? Any other tips to share? Feel free to add to the comments so we can all benefit. Please share, like and comment here or on my GWL Instagram post!

And if you didn’t come to my site from my newsletter, I encourage you to check it out and subscribe.

Meeting the characters at Great Wolf Lodge | TeamTravelsBaby

Ponies by the Seashore

Posted in National Parks, Read Them AllTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Assateague, MD to see the ponies | TeamTravelsBlog

The Eastern Shore of Maryland includes a beautiful national seashore called Assateague, the popular beach at Ocean City and quaint little towns like Berlin and Salisbury. Check out our weekend getaway to these places.

Saturday, July 1 – Sunday, July 2, 2017

Eastern Shore, Maryland Highlights:

  • Assateague National Seashore – ponies, trails and the beach
  • Ocean City, Maryland
  • Berlin, Maryland
  • Salisbury, Maryland

It’s hard to believe that we have lived in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) area for well over 5 years and had never visited the Assateague National Seashore. It’s about a 3 hour drive east of Silver Spring, Maryland, assuming you don’t blindly follow the iPhone GPS and end up heading north to Baltimore first (yep, we really did that) making the trip closer to 4.5 hours. Make sure to pack bug spray and sunscreen! The horseflies are no joke here!

There is a beautiful new visitor’s center, called Barrier Island Visitor Center (with good bathrooms) and a huge parking lot on the right hand side of the road before you cross the Verrazano Bridge. Some people choose to rent or bring bikes to get onto Assateague Island for free. We chose to buy the Annual National Park Pass for $80 since the admission to Assateague is $25 alone and we anticipate going to many more parks this year. One benefit I learned is that by purchasing the pass on July 1, we actually get 13 months (through July 2018) to use the pass.

We were very lucky to cross the bridge and instantly see two ponies grazing before even passing the booth where you show your park pass! Best advice is to have your eyes open and your camera ready! There are three short trails (approximately ½ mile each) called: Life of the Forest, Life of the Dunes and Life of the Marsh. Life of the Marsh was by far our Life of the Marsh trail | teamtravelsblogfavorite. While driving around, we were fortunate to see a few horses at two different camp sites as well as a deer (one of the campsites is the one across from the Life of the Marsh parking lot).

Walking along the beach is a must! We found really beautiful stones and shells that washed up with the tide. Plus when the sun is shining, why not take advantage and get an even tan by walking the shoreline. After you’ve gotten your fix of Assateague, I recommend getting in the car to drive about 20 minutes north to Ocean City, Maryland.Ocean City Boardwalk in Maryland | teamtravelsblog We found parking to be quite a challenge, so make sure to pack your patience. Ocean City has a Boardwalk that is 2.45 miles long and has signs at either end to tap and/or take your picture with.

Assateague 14

The Boardwalk is a bit different from the one in Ocean City, New Jersey. The one in Maryland felt busier to us, but had similar type shops, restaurants, sweet treats and games. While strolling along the Boardwalk, keep an eye out for art displays in the sand and cool kites.

Before calling it a night, we drove about 20 minutes to Berlin, Maryland. This is dubbed America’s Coolest Small Town (they even have a huge sign to prove it)! Assateague 10While almost everything was closed, the “Island Creamery” ice cream shop had a huge line! It was fun to window shop the antique stores, look at the home sale flyers and notice the cute coffee shops like “On What Grounds?” on the main street. After we got our steps in (yep, we counted them on the Garmin and got over 36,000; Mike got 40,214 with his run) we were ready to call it a night.

Now, if you’re like us and really want to save money and don’t have any kids, we recommend carsleeping at the Wal-Mart in Berlin, Maryland. If it’s a nice night, find a good parking spot, crack your windows, turn off and lock the car. One huge benefit (besides the monetary one) is you will be woken up by the rising sun if you don’t set an alarm. We felt safe and this location was only a 15 minute drive back to Assateague to see the sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean. We arrived on Assateague Island, parked in the main beach parking lot (it’s on the left after you pass the toll booths, which aren’t checked at this time) and walked to the water to see the sunrise. You’ll likely find a small group gathered with the same idea, but luckily there’s plenty of room on the beach for everyone to enjoy.
Sunrise at Assateague | teamtravelsblogAfter taking in the sunrise, make sure to jump back in your car and continue along the main street. We got to the roundabout and saw four ponies and then on our way out saw at least 10 more. Again, have your camera ready! Assateague, MD to see the ponies at sunrise | TeamTravelsBlogHaving taken it all in, we decided to drive to Salisbury, Maryland to check out this small town. If you decide to roll through this small town, I highly recommend a stop in (or drive thru) to Rise Up Coffee. Their seasonal lavender latte was delicious! We drove by and saw the beautiful campus of Salisbury University while we waited for the free Salisbury Zoo to open. The zoo is very small, but if you’re zoo people like us, that won’t deter you from at least checking it out. The macaws were funny to watch flip around on their rope. Hopefully if you go, more of the cool animals like the sloth and jaguar will be out and about.

That’s it for our weekend trip! Perhaps next time we will check out Easton, Cambridge or St. Michael’s. Have you visited any of these? We would love to get ideas for what other great stops are in our backyard.