A Beautiful Small Farm Up in Northern Maryland…read more SITREP I had a joyful opportunity to travel to Northern Maryland and visit with Eddie & Laurie Downey, the very pleasant owners of the Downey Family Farm in Upperco, Maryland. THE SETUP But although I say "farm", it's MORE like a Ranch or even a Homestead, cause this wonderful spot raises BIG cattle, and by "BIG" cattle I mean TEXAS LONGHORNS! Eddie explained the fantastic inner workings of this enterprise, including the "studding"of the cows by visiting bulls! It was very entertaining to see Eddie give the longhorns treats, especially the baby longhorns. You can see the full extent of the farm's enterprises by visiting the their website link above. THE LOWDOWN *Chick-a-bow-wow, Chick-a-brown-cow*

This is a wonderful little farm that is open to the public. The public is allowed to visit and tour…read morethe farm. I took my kids here over the summer and they loved exploring the farm and looking at the crops. They also have a stand in the front to sell the goods.

Christmas Village in Baltimore - A Chilly, Charming Detour with a Few Caveats…read more The Christmas Village in Baltimore is, quite literally, cool, both in atmosphere and in temperature. On a brisk winter evening, the open-air market delivers exactly what it promises: twinkling lights, the hum of seasonal music, the scent of spiced wine in the air, and a festive energy that makes for an easy, if brief, holiday escape. One of the more curious aspects of the experience is its sponsorship and structure. Chase Bank sponsored a secluded, interior section of the village, an enclosed, tent-like space that requires a $5 per person admission fee. Inside, shoppers find higher-end, European-style goods such as wooden nutcrackers and specialty imports not available in the main village. While one could argue the intent is to manage crowd flow or provide warmth and exclusivity, the execution feels more transactional than magical. I spoke with several families exiting the space, groups that had paid admission for multiple people, only to leave empty-handed. Their consensus was candid: the section is worthwhile if you already know exactly what you're looking for, but therein lies the problem, you can't preview the offerings without paying to enter. For most, including myself, the value proposition didn't quite justify the cost, and I opted to move along. What does deliver unequivocally is the food and drink. The Glühwein is well-executed, warming, and flavorful, served in a souvenir mug (pictured). While carrying it around the rest of the evening is mildly inconvenient, the practical upside is that refills drop to $8, compared to the $14 initial purchase, making it a solid value for those lingering longer. In scale, the village is modest certainly not a full immersion into a European Christmas market, but it succeeds as a curated, bite-sized experience. Numerous small stalls offer enough food and drink options to comfortably sustain a visit, and the area around the Christmas trees provides a particularly pleasant focal point. That's also where I stumbled upon the standout of the evening: a toffee vendor. The Italian cappuccino toffee, in particular, deserves special mention. Rich, balanced, deeply flavorful, and not cloyingly sweet, it was without exaggeration one of the best toffees I've ever had. And that's coming from someone with both a pronounced sweet tooth and a well-earned reputation as a food connoisseur. It alone nearly justifies the visit. Bottom line: The Christmas Village in Baltimore may not fully replicate the charm of its European counterparts, and some elements feel more commercial than festive, but it remains a pleasant seasonal diversion. Come for the atmosphere, stay for the Glühwein, and absolutely do not leave without the cappuccino toffee. All in all, a solid holiday experience with a few memorable highlights.

Charming little Christmas Village along the water in Baltimore. Went on a Saturday evening, it was…read morepredictably packed with people. But the holiday music and the twinkling lights made it feel like I was living Silver Bells. Wandering among the stalls of thw outdoor market, there are a disproportionate number selling jewelry, but there are cool things to be found, like Bigfoot socks, and cool hats. To enter the indoor sale tent, you have to buy a $5 "season ticket," which seems odd. But inside that tent is the large Kathe Wolfhardt store with cute German Christmas decor. I bought ornaments and a blown glass tree. My biggest issue was that the signage for the village food options were not well lit. We went with the intent of eating giant soft pretzels and apparently the entire festival was sold out. I did greatly enjoy my raclette sandwich, hot chocolate with Bailey's in an adorable boot mug, and some grilled sausage. The process of ordering abd paying, them waiting a while to get my food order was frustrating but expected. This was a nice way to be filled with some holiday spirit.

We had such a wonderful visit! The alpacas were so sweet. Especially our favorite Wakene and his…read moreyoung friends. The younger ones are curious and adorable, the older ones were also sweet and gentle.

This was spur of the moment. I doomscrolled on social media and saw this place and was like.... Why…read morenot?! Bought the tickets online. Just went and didn't know what to expect. This place was quite large. There's a dedicated parking area on rocks. There's a porta potty at the parking area. You follow the signs to the office or gift shop and you state your name that registered online and you get a container of food and you can roam the cages. Each caged area is for specific sets of alpacas and you can get to the outside through each gated area. The alpacas are friendly - some a super needy - and some just want to rest. It really depends on the time frame for each one. You can touch and feed. Some really get in your face. I was trying to kneel down to take photos and the alpacas start walking towards me. The staff is constantly taking care of them and cleaning after their... Open bathroom use. There's games and seating everywhere. It is well organized here and well maintained. The people here are nice and I got what I wanted from visiting here. Seeing tons of alpacas. There are not just 10 alpacas, there's probably around 35-60 and they are all spread out, some inside and some outside grazing and eating grass. Very humane conditions for the alpacas. You can see a horse outside too and a Shepard dog as well.

We stopped by the Italian festival on Saturday afternoon to see what was happening after driving…read moreby! So glad that we stopped in, there was so much to take in! The live music and dancing was so fun, there were even hula hoops all around! We tried fresh pizza slices, salads and the best calamari I've ever had with a lemonade and Italian iced tea to wash it all down. As someone who is not Italian, it was super cool to stop in and enjoy pieces of Italian culture and support an awesome Baltimore community! We will definitely be back next year!

Italian Festival in lil' Italy in Baltimore provides a wonderful experience for us who are not…read moreliving in Baltimore and want to get out of bubble of the usual, mundane things. It has free parking, free entertainment, visit to a National Historic landmark (1881 ornate Italian style church), a lot of great vendors and amazing foods. The "gladiators" pass you by on your way to watch a game of bocce ball. People are friendly as this is a block party festival that gives you a feeling that you are one big family. Very easy to start conversation and harder to end it. I learned today that the meat is not what makes calzone but the dough that hosts the meat inside. The meet was good but the dough was memorable. Speaking about the dough - how about delicious sweet fried dough for $3 that is impossible to finish by one person - even if you are a true Italian. I was advised by two elderly Italian ladies, "take real sugar because the powder sugar is too messy, and have sugar on both sides." I am sorry that I did not try meatballs but I can testify that calzone and pizza were the first class and worth the trip. I am very tempted to repeat the experience on a similar event - August 19 and 20, 2017 - this time just a saint will be different (St Gabriel in August).

We came here in April after looking at the blooming tulips and azaleas in Sherwood Gardens, and it…read morewas pretty underwhelming in comparison. We checked in at the visitor's center, then walked the grounds where all we could see were shrubs and trees, with very few flowers in bloom. The mansion is only open if there are events. The nature center is very well done, and perfect for children. My favorite part was definitely the lion statues. The other, incidental, part we really enjoyed is that there were various painters scattered about the property, so it was fun to see what they were painting and chat with them.

Baltimore's Best Kept Secret always a refreshing and peaceful time at the Arboretum…read more Many volunteers and activities make this a great place to spend time or to visit. The landscaping is magnificent and the flowers always seem to be in bloom. Truly this is one of Baltimore's hidden gems.

Really enjoyed my first trip to fresh source! They have loads of great products from eggs to micro…read moregreens to ice cream and coffee. We live nearby and will definitely be back!

You've got to come to Tiny's. Guarantee you will have an unforgettable experience…read more First off, prices. This place is so affordable; they haven't raised prices in years - take that, inflation! Where else can you get a super sandwich for $1.79?! Second - the décor. It's 21st-century open-concept kitchen crossed with a 1950's diner vibe. I dig it. I especially like being able to see the chefs at work. So, on top of some usual diner staples, the chef experiments with some very avant-garde dishes for the daily specials. Come with an open mind, but just know that they're not ALL winners. One of my dining companions got the Special, which was a soup made with a T-bone steak, half a watermelon, a whole loaf of bread, and variety of vegetables. Ummm... weird. I got the steak and eggs, which were so overcooked, I daresay inedible, almost like eating plastic. Service was hit or miss. It seems like everyone is a chef but also a waiter... and also in charge of the dishes? They seemed paradoxically understaffed and overstaffed at the same time. To their credit, they get the food out to you in less than a minute after you order it! For all its flaws, Tiny's is the place to go when you're downtown.

Service is a bit chaotic. Unclear who is front of house or back or house, and you have to seat…read moreyourself. Luckily, the vast menu selection makes up for it. I have to say that the creative plating at this establishment is unmatched, such as the steak sardine broccoli smoothie that was served in an IKEA ORDNING utensil holder. Wish there was wifi and more napkins.