What to do during short trip to MD? (Baltimore, Ellicott City: house, construction)

[DrRxA]

I am planning on attending an open house of a school down in Laurel, MD this coming Saturday and was wondering what else I could see and do in the short time I'm there. The Open house ends around 12:30 and I'd like to leave to go back home by 6, so anything I could do between that time (small trips, within a 30 min drive would work best). Any good places you can suggest to have lunch and/or dinner would be great too.

Thanks in advance!

[kjg1963]

If you like history, shopping, and eating all at one place you can go to Savage Mills. Its an old industrial mill that was renovated and converted into a shopping venue. It has antiques and specialty shops. There is a path that runs along the river that is somewhat scenic. There is a restaurant in the mill that I've heard good things about. It is located just a few miles from Laurel going north on Route 1 before Route 32. Here is a link to their Website. Savage Mill Welcomes You

[Wilkester]

If you want a quiet walk in the woods, you could go to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. The visitors center is closed for some kind of construction but you can still walk the trails. If you want some history, you could visit Montpelier Mansion. It was built by Major Thomas Snowden in 1781-1783. A number of famous people from the late 1700's early 1800's stayed including George Washington while enroute and coming back from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Food wise, it depends on what you want to eat. If you like Japanese, Sakura Japanese Steak and Seafood House is excellent. Not only would you get to enjoy great food but, the chef puts on a bit of show too. He can juggle spatulas and cooking forks with the best of them.

If you want an ice cream treat, you might try Coldstone Creamery. If you want Italian, there is Pasta Plus. If you want American style steak, there is Longhorn Steakhouse. If you want affordable Chinese, there is Eastern Buffet. Captain Jerry's have good crabs. That's a few places I can think of off hand. I hope you have a nice visit to Laurel.

[irishmom]

I would go to the Inner Harbor. You can park in a lot and walk around for a few hours...it's beautiful. Plenty of great places to eat as well.

[gumby111]

Downtown Annapolis would be my vote. Have fun!

[jonjj]

leave to go back where?
if going north: definitely a walk through Fells Point and a quick lunch there
if going south: stop in DC for awhile; maybe lunch and shopping in Gerogetown
if going east: perhaps Annapolis or the state park right by the bridge
if going west: any of the smaller towns that way for lunch with maybe a historic sight or two
either way--have a good time.

[DrRxA]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! To answer Jonjj: I'm coming from NJ so I'll be heading north when I finish with the open house.

[ShopCzar]

If you choose to visit Savage Mills (it's quite close to Laurel) you could then go further North to visit Ellicott City, another lovely historic city. I'd save Baltimore for a whole day trip unless you'd prefer to just visit one part like Fells Point. There are resturants and shops near the water. You can get some great Polish sausage, German, too, at the market on Broadway. Note that it may close a little earlier on Sundays.

You could also do Annapolis but then that takes you a good 30-45 min drive out of your way.

Ellicott City: Historic Ellicott City, MD - Welcome to our town, in Maryland
Fells Point: Welcome to Fell's Point, Baltimore, MD -- Live in Baltimore - Fell's Point

[DrRxA]

How's the weather down there right now? Here in NJ it's in the mid-40's and therefore a bit too chilly for outdoors things.