Off the Beaten Path is your weekly source for the most interesting things to do and places to go in the DC, MD, and VA area. From festivals to pillow fights, Off the Beaten Path provides a weekly list of worthwhile adventures. Published every Sunday by MetroMontage.com.
Welcome to Issue #6 of Off the Beaten Path. This weeks issue includes a farm, the playoffs, blue crabs, and old photographs. Feel free to share this issue with family, friends, or co-workers by using the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this page.
Have a suggestion for a future issue of Off the Beaten Path? You can submit your suggestions by clicking here.
The Prints & Photographs Division (PPD) of the Library of Congress has a collection of more than 14 million images that document the history of the United States. Particularly, the lives, interest, and achievements of Americans.
According to the staff of the Prints & Photographs Division, some of the most researched image topics include, The Dry Years: Images of the Prohibition Era (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/073_dry.html), Rosie Pictures: Images of American Women Workers During World War II (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/126_rosi.html), Twentieth Century African American Activist (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/083_afr.html), and Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870 – 1920 (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/vshome.html).
From the curious to the serious researcher, the PPD’s Reading Room is open to anyone who wants to take a look at the collections. In addition to a number of on-line resources and a knowledgeable staff, a general orientation tour is provided to give visitors an overview of the Reading Room’s collections and services. During the summer months (June – August), tours are held on the first Thursday of the month from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Tours are also offered every other month, October – April.
When: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Weekdays
Where: 101 Independence Ave, SE, Madison Building, LM 337, Washington, DC 20540-4730
Website: www.loc.gov/rr/print/
Cost: Free
One of the great things about living near the Chesapeake Bay is having access to the blue crab. The blue crab is responsible for bringing family and friends together every summer for great conversation, beer, and…steamed blue crabs. Crab houses can be found throughout the metro area, but what does it take to get the blue crab from the bay to ones favorite crab house.
The history of crabbing goes back centuries when Native Americans living on the Delmarva Peninsula would capture crabs and many other shellfish for food. Today, the blue crab not only serves as food, but it also provides a way for many people on the eastern shore of Maryland to make a living.
So, have you ever wondered what it takes to get the blue crab to ones favorite crab house? If so, there are chartered crabbing trips available on the eastern shore. During a crabbing trip, participants will learn and assist with laying and baiting the trotline and helping capture the crabs with a dip net as they come up the line. At the end of the trip, the crabs can be steamed for eating or packed up and taken home.
Who: Natural Light Fishing Charters & Dockside Express Cruises & Tours
When: May – October, Trips start as early as 6:00 a.m.
Where: Eastern Shore of Maryland
Websites: www.naturallightcharters.com/crab.htm & www.docksidexpress.com/crabbing.html
Cost: Check the companies websites for pricing.
The Baltimore Mariners are members of the American Indoor Football Association. The team is currently in its third year in the league and this season they became the first team in AIFA history to finish the regular season undefeated (14 – 0).
Professional indoor football is fast paced and high scoring. It is not uncommon for a team to score sixty, seventy, or eighty points like the Mariners did on June 19th when they beat the New Jersey Revolution 84 -6. One of the reasons for the high-scoring is because the field is smaller than the traditional football field. The indoor artificial surface is 85 feet wide and 50 yards long with end zones between eight to ten yards in length, a traditional football field is 120 yards (including two 10 yard end zones) and 53 1/3 yards wide.
The Baltimore Mariners will be hosting the AIFA Eastern Conference Championship on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena against the Harrisburg Stampede. If the Mariners win, they will then host AIFA Bowl IV on Sunday, July 25, 2010.
When: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 7:00 p.m.
Where: 1st Mariner Arena, 201 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Website: www.baltimoremariners.com
Cost: $7.50 – $25
There are plenty of farmers markets in the metro area where local produce can be purchased. However, there are also plenty of farms that allow customers to pick their own produce. One of those farms is Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, MD.
Since 1950, Butler’s Orchard has been providing local produce to their customers. The farm first started by selling peaches and now the farm sells everything from blueberries to Christmas trees. In addition, the farm also hosts an annual pumpkin festival, birthday parties, hayrides, bonfires, and more.
The picking seasons for the farm vary, but this July blueberries and blackberries are in season along with various flowers. More information about upcoming picking seasons can be found on their website.
If you plan on going to the farm to pick your own flowers or fruits, make sure you bring your own container to put your pickings in. In addition, check Butler’s Orchards website for the weather conditions at the farm. Weather conditions and demand determine the supply of fruits and vegetables at the farm.
When: Blueberries- late June thru early August, Blackberries- mid July thru August, Flowers, Flowers- early July thru early October.
Where: Butler’s Orchard, 22200 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, MD 20876
Phone: 301-972-3299
Website: www.butlersorchard.com
Cost: Check the website for costs.
Other pick your own farms can be found by visiting www.pickyourown.org.
Off the Beaten Path is published every Sunday by MetroMontage.com, a photography site that features the most intriguing events, people, and places in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, and on rare occasions other metro areas. Presented by freelance photographer Anthony Washington. Want to know more about MetroMontage.com? Visit www.metromontage.com/about.
You must be logged in to post a comment.