1. Pleasant Springs Farm
City: Boyds, MD
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (301) 972-3452
Address: 16112 Barnesville Road
Description: Surrounded by 30 acres of gardens, meadows, nature trails, and streams, this restored log cottage can accommodate a couple or a family with well-behaved children. Dating to 1768 and once featured on HGTV, the cabin includes two log sitting rooms, one with a fireplace. One bedroom has a queen-size bed and full bath; a second offers a full bed and half-bath. The building has window air-conditioning. Full homemade breakfasts, delivered by the innkeepers, include such dishes as eggs Benedict, scalloped potatoes, and quiche seasoned with herbs grown on-site. Guests can purchase farm products such as hand-spun and -dyed wool yarn, and cheese and soap made from goat milk. The inn closes January through March.
2. Black Hill Regional Park
City: Boyds, MD
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (301) 972-3476
Address: 20930 Lake Ridge Drive
Description: With more than 1,300 acres, this Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) park attracts trail lovers and fishing and boating enthusiasts. You can rent a canoe or rowboat or ride on a guided pontoon boat, which offers Little Seneca Lake tours on the hour, noon to 6 p.m., on summer weekends. Admission is $2 per person; children younger than three are admitted free. You may be lucky enough to spot beavers, muskrats, otters, or other resident wildlife. The park attracts lots of waterfowl and other birds. The visitor center, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily during the summer and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends the rest of the year, houses wildlife exhibits and is surrounded by natural gardens that attract songbirds and butterflies.
3. South Germantown Recreational Park
City: Boyds, MD
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (301) 601-4400
Address: 18041 Central Park Circle
Description: You’ll never run out of things to do at this large, bustling park in Montgomery County. In the summer, visit the unique, accessible splash playground, which features a water maze, tumbling buckets, walk-through fountains, and other soaking mechanisms on a flat surface. Admission is $3.50 per person. Adjacent to the playground, two lushly landscaped miniature golf courses, charging $5 per person, boast challenging natural obstacles. Call for hours of operation, which vary throughout the season, for these two activities. Other park highlights include an accessible adventure playground, driving range, archery range, walking and biking trails, and a lake for model boating. See the Soccer listing for information about the park’s Maryland SoccerPlex and Discovery Sports Center.