Background: Chesapeake Tidal Wetlands
Author Jennifer Schmidt
Living in Maryland
There are three life zones in Maryland—coastal plain, piedmont, and Appalachian—which all mingle wildlife characteristic of both North and South. Most of the state lies within a hardwood belt in which red and white oaks, yellow poplar, beech, blackgum, hickory, and white ash are represented; shortleaf and loblolly pines are the leading softwoods. Honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, wild grape, and wild raspberry are also common.
Wooded hillsides are rich with such wild flowers as Carolina cranesbill, trailing arbutus, Mayapple, early blue violet, wild rose, and goldenrod. Seven plant species were listed as threatened or endangered in 2003, including Canby's dropwort, sandplain gerardia, northeastern bulrush, and harperella.
The white-tailed (Virginia) deer, eastern cottontail, raccoon, and red and gray foxes are indigenous to Maryland, although urbanization has sharply reduced their habitat. Common small mammals are the woodchuck, eastern chipmunk, and gray squirrel.
The brown-headed nuthatch has been observed in the extreme south, the cardinal and tufted titmouse are common in the piedmont, and the chestnut-sided warbler and rose-breasted grosbeak are native to the Appalachians. Among saltwater species, shellfish—especially oysters, clams, and crabs—have the greatest economic importance.
The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis, Maryland and is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772. It houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The capitol has the distinction of being topped by the largest wooden dome in the United States constructed without nails. The current building, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, is the third statehouse on its site. The building is administered by the State House Trust, established in 1969.
From November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784, Annapolis was the capital of the United States. The Congress of the Confederation met in the Maryland State House. Subsequently, Annapolis was a candidate to become the new permanent national capital before Washington, D.C. was built. It was in the Old Senate Chamber that Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784, formally ending the American Revolutionary War.
Executives elected statewide are the governor and lieutenant governor (who run jointly), the comptroller of the treasury, and the attorney general; all serve four-year terms. The state treasurer is elected by joint ballot of the general assembly, while the secretary of state is appointed by the governor. The governor, who may serve no more than two four-year terms in succession, also appoints other members of the executive council (cabinet) and the heads of major boards and commissions. The chief executive must be a US citizen at least 30 years old, must have been a resident of Maryland for five years before election, and must have been a registered voter in the state for five years.
Eligible voters are US citizens who are at least 18 years old and are residents of the Maryland county in which they will vote. Restrictions apply to convicted felons and those declared mentally incompetent by the court.
The small state of Maryland wraps around the huge Chesapeake Bay, which almost divides it in half. The state is almost divided again, farther west, where at one point only 1.6 miles of Maryland separates the Virginia and Pennsylvania state lines. Also bordered by Delaware, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Maryland lies at the heart of Colonial America and saw action in the Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War. Its place in the forefront of American history includes important roles in the Industrial Revolution, the westward expansion, the Space Age, and every other major period in America's story.
For a state its size, Maryland also offers visitirss a wide variety of natural attractions, from the long beaches of its Eastern Shore to the heavily forested hills of its western counties. The Appalachian Mountains cross in the west, and state parks protect waterfalls, lakes, and plenty of walking and hiking trails. The former towpath of the C&O Canal offers miles of cycling, and wildlife refuges protect precious wetlands for waterfowl and migrating birds. Whether your interests are history, hiking, birding, sightseeing, or soaking up the sun on a beach, you'll find plenty of things to do in Maryland.
Holland Island Bar Lighthouse
Lighthouses in Maryland - Lighthouses in the state of Maryland as identified by the United States Coast Guard. There are fourteen active lights in the state as well as three automated caissons and eleven skeleton towers replacing previously manned lights.
Maryland Office of Tourism
Adventure Park USA is a small theme park in Monrovia, Maryland, east of Frederick, Maryland. The park consists of three roller coasters, five spinning attractions, and a go-kart Formula 1 track. The park also includes several indoor activities including, rock climbing, arcade games, a ropes course, and bumper cars. 48" is considered "EXTREME", and under 48" is considered "ADVENTURER". There are several stands and restaurant centers that feature food and drink like ICEEs and funnel cake. The "Wild Cat" roller coaster came from Williams Grove Amusement Park in Pennsylvania.
Splash mountain is Jolly Roger's waterpark at 30th Street which has many attractions including:
Eye of the Hurricane- one of the park's most popular rides features riders sliding down a steep slide and into a toilet-shaped funnel before exiting into the lazy river.
Master Blaster- Roller coaster-style waterslide with riders going up and down and through a series of turns in tubes
The stealth- slide similar to a half pipe, in which tubes travel down a steep slope and up the opposite side several times
Six-Lane Super Racer- Guests race each other down six parallel slides on mats.
The Rainforest- play area consists of numerous passageways lined with sprayers and water features which lead to slides. It also contains a giant pirate head that dumps water every few minutes
Black Hole Slides- Riders slide down 3 partially and fully enclosed slides of varying intensity
Wave pool- customary tidal pool where patrons swim in waves. The pool requires a life jacket for anyone under 60 inches, which is tightly monitored by staff.
Lazy River- the park's lazy river winds through much of the park and is the run out for many of the park's most popular slides.
Jolly Roger Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Ocean City, Maryland. The park features two locations in Ocean City; one at the pier, and one further uptown at 30th Street. The 30th Street location features a carnival-type amusement park with multiple rides and attractions, along with two eighteen hole mini-golf courses. The 30th Street venue also houses Splash Mountain, a full-service waterpark with many slides and activity pools, along with 10 go-kart tracks. The main park opened in July 1964 and the pier location was purchased by Jolly Roger in 1974.
For 2012, the park added Apocalypse, a stand-up roller coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, which featured two inversions and a ten-story drop. The roller coaster had previously operated as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America. In 2013, the park added the six-slide complex Bonzai Pipelines to Hurricane Harbor. In 2014, the park re-themed a section of the park to feature Mardi Gras. The area features a new roller coaster named Ragin' Cajun and a set of Flying Scooters named French Quarter Flyers. Like Apocalypse, Ragin' Cajun was relocated from Six Flags Great America, and it was placed in the former location of Two Face: The Mardi Gras section replaced Southwest Territory, and the area's existing rides were rethemed to match the new Mardi Gras theme. Tower of Doom, for example, was renamed Voodoo Drop. In 2015, a flat ride called Bourbon Street Fireball was added. This ride is commonly known as a Super Loop. Similar rides were also added to three other Six Flags parks. In 2016, the park added a new family water play structure to Hurricane Harbor named Splashwater Falls, which replaced the former Crocodile Cal's Beach House. Six Flags America announced in September of, 2016 that they would be adding a Funtime Starflyer model, similar to the many SkyScreamer rides at other locations in the chain. At 24 stories (~250 feet), Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth is the tallest ride in the park.
Trimper's Rides is a historic amusement park located near the inlet at South First Street and the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. It was founded in 1893 as The Windsor Resort. It is located at the south end of the boardwalk, where it consists of a year-round indoor facility, The Haunted House (which resides on its own lot on the Boardwalk strip), and three outdoor lots.
Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures.
NPS helps you learn about and enjoy the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America. Here, you can visit major league cities, colonial towns, American Indian landscapes, farms and fishing villages. You can learn to kayak, pick crabs, go fishing, tour a lighthouse, slurp oysters, and slow down to enjoy the natural beauty of the Chesapeake.
Built to defend the river approach to Washington, DC, Fort Washington has stood as silent sentry for over 200 years. As technologies advanced so did Fort Washington, from the brick and stone of the 19th century to the concrete and steel of the 20th century. Joining the National Park Service in 1946, the park continues to protect the Potomac River.
The park and campground are open year round. Greenbelt Park is located in suburban Greenbelt, Maryland. Starting April 1, Specific site Reservations will be required at the Greenbelt Park campground year round. The park features a 174 site campground with specific site reservations, nine miles of trails, and three picnic areas. Enjoy the affordability, peaceful surroundings and NPS hospitality
A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields. Spend a day or a weekend. We have something for everyone, so come and discover Harpers Ferry!
Harriet Tubman was a deeply spiritual woman who lived her ideals and dedicated her life to freedom. She is the Underground Railroad’s best known conductor and before the Civil War repeatedly risked her life to guide nearly 70 enslaved people north to new lives of freedom. This new national historical park preserves the same landscapes that Tubman used to carry herself and others away from slavery.
Linking the tidal Potomac and upper Youghiogheny river basins, the evolving Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail network lies within a corridor rich in historic pathways and waterways. You can travel this historic corridor today—on foot, bicycle and horse and by boat—exploring contrasting landscapes between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Plateau.
For three years the young United States was embroiled in the War of 1812 and the Chesapeake Bay region felt the brunt of it, choked by shipping blockades and ravaged by enemy raids. Through sites and landscapes in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and throughout Maryland, the Trail tells the stories of the events, people, and places that led to the birth of our National Anthem.
Sports
With two major metropolitan areas, Maryland has a number of major and minor professional sports franchises. Two National Football League teams play in Maryland, the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore and the Washington Redskins in Landover. The Baltimore Colts represented the NFL in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983 before moving to Indianapolis.
The Baltimore Orioles are the state's Major League Baseball franchise. The National Hockey League's Washington Capitals and the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards formerly played in Maryland, until the construction of an arena in Downtown D.C. in 1997 (now known as Capital One Arena).
Gas tax: 33.80 cents per gallon of regular gasoline, 34.55 cents per gallon of diesel
Transportation
Baltimore–Washington International Airport
Maryland Airports. There are 38 airports in Maryland for the public to use. There are many regional airports in Maryland. There are also several historic airports in Maryland. The airports in Maryland provide good service to the customers.
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is the only international airport in the state of Maryland. It is a high-tech airport that offers its passengers one of the best services. The airport has been renovated several times to cope with increasing traffic. The airport receives nearly 20 million passengers every year. The airport has many retail shops and restaurants.
There are nearly 30 airlines flying from this airport. Some of them are Air Jamaica, Air Tran, American, West America, Continental, Delta, Air Canada, British Airways, US Airways, Midwest Airlines, USA 3000, Frontier Airlines, United, American West, Mexicana, Icelandair, Southwest and North America Airlines ,
Ports
Port of Baltimore
One major service activity is transportation, centered on the Port of Baltimore and its related rail and trucking access. Although the port handles a wide variety of products, the most typical imports are raw materials and bulk commodities, such as iron ore, petroleum, sugar, and fertilizers, often distributed to the relatively close manufacturing centers of the inland Midwest via good overland transportation. The port also receives several different brands of imported motor vehicles and is the number one auto port in the nation.
Baltimore City is the eighth largest port in the nation, and overall, the state is heavily industrialized.
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is a 14 mile long canal on the Eastern Shore that connects the waters of the Delaware River with those of the Chesapeake Bay, and in particular with the Port of Baltimore, carrying 40 percent of the port's ship traffic.
Rail
Amtrak trains, including the high speed Acela Express serve Baltimore's Penn Station, BWI Airport, New Carrollton, and Aberdeen along the Washington D.C. to Boston Northeast Corridor. In addition, train service is provided to Rockville and Cumberland by Amtrak's Washington, D.C., to Chicago Capitol Limited.
Ellicott City Station, on the original B&O Railroad line, is the oldest remaining passenger station in the United States. The rail line is still used by CSX Transportation for freight trains, and the station is now a museum. The WMATA's Metrorail rapid transit and Metrobus local bus systems (the 2nd and 6th busiest in the nation of their respective modes) provide service in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and connect them to Washington D.C., with the express Metrobus Route B30 serving BWI Airport.
Freight rail transport is primarily handled by two Class I railroads, as well as several smaller regional and local carriers. CSX Transportation has more extensive trackage throughout the state, with 560 miles followed by Norfolk Southern Railway. Major rail yards are located in Baltimore and Cumberland,with an intermodal terminal (rail, truck and marine) in Baltimore.
Roads
Maryland's Interstate highways include 110 miles (180 km) of Interstate 95 (I-95), which enters the northeast portion of the state, travels through Baltimore, and becomes part of the eastern section of the Capital Beltway to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I-68 travels 81 miles (130 km), connecting the western portions of the state to I-70 at the small town of Hancock. I-70 enters from Pennsylvania north of Hancock and continues east for 93 miles (150 km) to Baltimore, connecting Hagerstown and Frederick along the way.
Maryland Housing
The median home value in Maryland is $285,400. Maryland home values have gone up 4.7% over the past year and predictions are they will rise 5.0% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in Maryland is $184. The median price of homes currently listed in Maryland is $319,900 while the median price of homes that sold is $261,500. The median rent price in Maryland is $1,700. Maryland Association of RealtorsMaryland Real Estate CommissionMaryland Real Estate Listings
Maryland Cities & Towns
The state is divided into 23 counties and contains 157 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities, towns, or villages The largest municipality by population is Baltimore, an independent city, with 620,961 residents, and the smallest municipality by population is Port Tobacco Village with 13 residents. The largest municipality by land area is also Baltimore, which covers 80.94 square miles, while Brookview is the smallest at 0.04 square miles. Many of Maryland's largest population centers (such as Columbia, Ellicott City, Germantown, Glen Burnie Silver Spring, and Waldorf) are unincorporated census designated places. Maryland Cities and Towns
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Living in MarylandGene Wright . Living in Maryland
If you're looking for a merry land, go to Maryland
History, Geography, Homes, and State Resources of Maryland
Maryland USA Map
Maryland is on the Atlantic coast right in the middle of the Corridor between Boston and Atlanta. Maryland is adjacent to the nation's capital., Washington, D.C. Compared to the other states, Maryland is 42nd in overall area and ranks 19th in population. The per capita income ranks the fourth largest among the 50 U.S. states. About 90 percent of the 5.5 million state residents reside in the Maryland part of the Combined Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia Statistical Region. The entire metro area is the fourth biggest retail market. in the nation
Maryland's diversified economy is based upon high tech, biosciences and government services, along with international trade and revitalized manufacturing. Transportation facilities include the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. and the Port of Baltimore. Technical and professional make up 24 percent for the overall work force in the state which is the highest concentration in the nation. Maryland is also in a statistical dead heat with Massachusetts for being the number one state for attainment in education . 37.1 percent of Maryland's residents over the age of 25 have attained a bachelor's degree at least or more
Climate
Maryland has two climates. It is continental in the highland west, with temperature records from ?40 °F to more than 100 °F . ... Average temperatures in eastern Maryland are 75 °F in July and 35 °F.
Maryland Colleges. Maryland has several historic and prestigious private colleges and universities, the most prominent of which is Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876 with a scholarship from Baltimore entrepreneur Johns Hopkins.
The state's first public university is the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which was founded in 1807 and contains the University of Maryland's only public academic health, human services, and one of two law centers (the other being the Baltimore School of Law). Seven specialist and graduate schools educate the majority of doctors, nurses, dentists, lawyers, social workers and pharmacists in the country
Economy
As of 2015, he state had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its close proximity to Washington, D.C. and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, higher education, and biotechnology. Maryland has been rated as one of the best governed states in the country.
Author Jennifer Schmidt