WHAT’S NEW WHAT’S NEW in MARYLAND With new historical experiences, outdoor adventures, festivals, and places for cutting-edge gaming, 2017 is going to be a big year in Maryland. BY JIM MEYER Fun Times Day or Night at Maryland Casinos With the recent opening of the MGM National Harbor Casino just minutes from Washington, D.C., Maryland cements its reputation as a world-class gaming destination. With amazing shopping and dining, top-notch table games and high-tech slots, plus activities in National Harbor, a 28-story luxury hotel and spa, and a 3,000-seat theater, it’ll leave you saying, “Vegas who?” Read more about Maryland’s great gaming on page 24. Park Perfection With 52 state parks and 29 national park sites, cyclists and horseback riders know Maryland is where it’s at, but 2017 brings some great new options for free-wheeling fun. Garrett County has cut the ribbon on new trails designed to revolutionize the area’s outdoor experience. Extreme wheelers will be stoked to find five new Light City Baltimore miles of challenging single-track, adding to Deep Creek Lake State Park’s already impressive trail network. On the Eastern Shore, the trails linking Tuckahoe State Park and the Adkins Arboretum create a network with miles of options PHOTO: STEPHEN BADGER, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Light City Baltimore If your tastes run more to the brilliant glow of the big city, Light City Baltimore is where you’ll want to be. This one-of-a-kind festival turns the waters and walkways of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor into a glittering canvas of illuminated art. Light City was such a hit last year, this springtime bookend to the city’s famous Artscape has been expanded to nine amazing nights, so make your plans now. For more about Artscape, Light City Baltimore and other great events, go to page 46. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center Opening For a truly unforgettable adventure, steep yourself in the landscape of “The Moses of Her People” and American hero, Harriet Tubman. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center opens this year, joining the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park as important touchstones for those looking to better understand the life and work of this remarkable woman who dedicated her life to the service of freedom. Discover more about the opening on page 26. Read on for more about these and other great new things to do, plus treasured Free State favorites—because there’s always more in Maryland. Tuckahoe State Park, Queen Anne for hiking, biking and riding. And we haven’t forgotten birders. A key link in the Great Atlantic Flyway, Hart-Miller Island State Park joins Blackwater Wildlife Refuge as an absolute must for every birder’s bucket list. Accessible only by boat, Hart-Miller Island sports a beautiful sandy beach, and it’s also a unique campsite sure to thrill any outdoors enthusiast. Read more about Maryland’s outdoor getaways on page 32. 8 ✥ VISITMARYLAND.ORG | 1-877-333-4455 PHOTO: BALTIMORE OFFICE OF PROMOTION & THE ARTS
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2017: Page 8
