make it a park day

after spending a lazy two hours in wyman park last weekend, i can whole-heartedly say that there is almost nothing better. the weather has been beautiful lately-- not humid at all!-- and exploring the area's parks has never seemed more appealing. here are some of my favorite places to enjoy the great outdoors:

patterson park

southeast baltimore's gem, this huge patch of green contrasts sharply with the surrounding, clearly urban setting. in addition to running trails, the park offers an ice rink, swimming pool, stadium and other athletic facilities. it's also a great place to watch the kinetic sculpture race, the wacky arts-and-engineering parade that takes place each may. the pagoda (pictured here) has become somewhat of a landmark and remains a terrific place to view the city.

loch raven reservoir

i would say that loch raven is absolutely a must-see for all goucher students. it is ridiculously close (just a couple minutes north on dulaney valley road) and surprisingly serene. this is a great place to picnic or take a walk. swimming is off-limits due to the fact that it is a reservoir (people do it anyways, but the numbers have dwindled since last year's beaver attack). i fondly remember taking a goucher van up there for our isp end-of-the-year picnic...

wyman park

i love wyman park. this somewhat hidden urban greenspot, bordering johns hopkins and neighborhoods like hampden and roland park, is really quite large. the entrance on beech avenue in hampden appears to be some random little green patch until you walk down a hill and see a vast field, a smattering of dogs being walked, and get to the shady creek. i would highly recommend bringing a big floppy sun hat and a good book and plopping down for a number of hours.

other favorites include:
-gunpowder falls state park, 18,000 acres of beauty in baltimore and harford counties. 100 miles of trails = lots of peace and quiet.
-oregon ridge state park, where the baltimore symphony has a summer concert series. you can swim here (warning: it is $7!!!) or walk, or hang out with chickens or investigate area archaeology. unfortunately, a swarm of gypsy moths have destroyed a major part of the park, so expect some detours and a lot of dead trees for the coming months.
-federal hill park, in the southern end of the inner harbor across from the american visionary art museum, is a great place. the view from the top is exquisite, especially on the fourth of july. also a cool neighborhood.

i've also heard good things about:
-gwynn's falls, on the southwest border of baltimore city, is another hiking and biking trail that is surprisingly large-- 2,000 acres!
-pretty boy reservoir, north of cockeysville, is supposed to be a nice swimming hole as well.
-druid hill-- where the zoo is located-- is also supposed to be a great place to hang out.