Between Washington, DC And Baltimore Is A Charming Maryland City With Shops, Tasty Eats, And Outdoor Fun

Washington, D.C., and Baltimore get quite a lot of limelight, however there is a Maryland metropolis nestled between them that deserves its quarter-hour, too. Locals know that the town of Bowie is definitely pronounced boo-ee — not like famed musician David Bowie — and so they additionally know that this charming metropolis of almost 60,000 inhabitants is way over only a bed room neighborhood for D.C. and Baltimore. Rather, it is a vibrant and dynamic place in its personal proper, with a captivating history courting again lengthy earlier than its institution within the 1870s. At varied occasions, Bowie has been a hotspot for horse breeding and the railroad business, and it is usually house to Bowie State University. Today, Bowie presents guests an abundance of city inexperienced areas and alternatives to have enjoyable open air, in addition to a fascinating (and scrumptious) assortment of retailers and eating decisions to partake in, and it’s effectively price a visit.

Getting to Bowie is straightforward, making it an accessible add-on to a go to to Washington or Baltimore, or an important cease when touring between the 2. Bowie is only a 35-minute drive (visitors dependent) from the center of Washington, D.C. While public transit (through the MARC commuter prepare or Metrobus) will take longer, that is additionally an possibility. You’re additionally solely about 45 minutes by automotive from Baltimore, and in the event you’re arriving from the skies, you may seemingly wish to fly into Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), which is round half an hour away.

It would not be a visit to Maryland with out sampling among the state’s famously mouthwatering Chesapeake blue crabs, and whereas Bowie will not be referred to as the “crab capital of the world” (that’d be Crisfield, a few hours away on Maryland’s Eastern Shore), it is nonetheless a stellar place to seize a mallet and a bib and get cracking. Head to the favored Jerry’s Seafood, which payments itself because the “home of the Crab Bomb,” for a tasty seafood meal. What is a Crab Bomb, chances are you’ll ask? It’s Jerry’s home specialty crab cake, which has been round for nearly 40 years. As one Google reviewer places it, “Jerry’s doesn’t just serve seafood; they serve memories.”

If you are craving some traditional soul meals cooking, snag a desk at Ruby’s Southern Comfort Kitchen, a Black-owned and operated eatery. As their web site explains, Ruby’s menu “is a love letter to Southern and Black culture,” with each dish paying “homage to the flavors, resilience, and joy that have shaped our history.” In follow, this implies a packed menu that features shrimp and grits, catfish, black-eyed peas, fried inexperienced tomatoes, candy potato pie, and extra. Sit out on the outside patio if climate permits, and luxuriate in a hearty meal of what one Google reviewer describes as “authentic Southern comfort food that actually lives up to the hype.”

If your concept of attending to know a brand new place entails a little bit of retail remedy — or just some window-shopping — you are in the appropriate spot. Bowie Town Center is an out of doors buying hub boasting an unlimited array of chain and impartial institutions, starting from clothes boutiques and bookstores to electronics emporiums and past, to not point out leisure and eating. Peruse the cabinets and racks at acquainted shops like Macy’s, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble, or you’ll find one thing new at Overdue Recognition Art Gallery, an impartial gallery that represents greater than 40 African American artists. With each unique items and fine-art reproductions on the market, you’ve got received choices right here — whether or not your funds encompasses artwork accumulating or is extra suited in the direction of shopping for a print to take house. If you are trying to proceed your Maryland travels with one other charming suburb with artsy sights, make your method to Catonsville subsequent.

Rather be open air and energetic? Lace up your sneakers and go to Governor Bridge Natural Area. Under the umbrella of the Patuxent River Park and run by the Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation division, this verdant wonderland sits beside (you guessed it) the Patuxent River, and encompasses simply over 350 acres of lush land. Like Maryland’s latest state park, this park has wetlands, woodland, an 8-acre pond, endemic flowers, and myriad streams, so there isn’t any scarcity of surroundings to immerse your self in right here. For a enjoyable tour, take a stroll (or run) alongside one of many park’s a number of trails, all of that are rated straightforward on AllTrails. As one reviewer places it, these hikes provide “plenty of variety,” and you may “make your trail however long and exciting as you want.”