Summer is a time when people often travel. But not everyone can get away, or wants to. One way to see the world without leaving the comforts of home is by book. We talked about this in last week's Shout Out post. Another way to see the sights is to go local. There are many things to see and do right here in Montgomery County. No driving for hours. No getting assigned the middle seat on a long flight! That happened to me on a five hour flight to California.
Below are few highlights from the many things to see and do in Montgomery County this summer. For a more extensive look at Montgomery County as a travel destination, try the Visit Montgomery website. Visit Montgomery is the official visitors bureau of Montgomery County.
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| The C & O Canal and Towpath |
People often travel hundreds or thousands of miles to visit national parks such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, but we've got one right here in our backyard. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, known locally as the C & O Canal, is over 180 miles long, running from Georgetown in Washington DC, through Montgomery County, all the way up to Cumberland, Maryland. The C & O Canal features a mostly level, packed-dirt towpath perfect for running, cycling, and walking, as well as the remains of the original canal, parts of which have been restored. Other highlights of the C & O Canal include the Billy Goat Trail, which has both challenging and less strenuous sections, and the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, which offers great information about the history of the canal. You can learn more about the C & O Canal and all it has to offer through The C & O Canal Companion: A Journey Through Potomac History by Mike High.
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| Wheaton Miniature Train (Photo credit: Montgomery Parks) |
Montgomery Parks, our local parks division, also offers an array of options for summertime fun. Brookside Gardens is an award-winning 50-acre garden that includes a butterfly garden, an aquatic garden, a woodland walk, a children's garden and much more. Both Cabin John Regional
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SplashPark
(Photo credit: Montgomery Parks) |
Park and Wheaton Regional Park have miniature trains that will delight adults and children as they carry visitors through local woodlands. At Wheaton Regional Park, you can also find the Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel, which was built in 1915 and features 33 horses, three zebras, and two chariots. Looking for a place to cool down with the kids? The South Germantown Recreational Park offers SplashPark. Enjoy a water maze, a cave with a waterfall, water bucket drops, and a slide. Montgomery Parks offers lots of special events and festivals during the summer as well.
Our county is a great place to see a play or musical too. The county's numerous theaters include The F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, and the Round House Theatre. Through mid-August, you can enjoy productions of The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore at Olney Theatre Center. Last year, our family enjoyed a performance of Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. Round House Theatre will put on a production of the play Small Mouth Sounds from August 29 through September 23, 2018. It's a humorous, but sensitive look at the awkward, comical ways people break down barriers in order to connect with one another.
Finally, don't forget about another county treasure, your award-winning local library system, MCPL! We've got a summer read and learn program for babies through teens to fend off the summer slide, Science in the Summer sessions to spark the imaginations of 2nd through 6th graders, and lots of other fun summertime events.
Learn more about local and long distance travel in our recent Library Matters podcast episode, "From Farm Tours to National Parks, It's Time to Travel."
Labels: Programs and Events, Travel
