Page 22 - Baltimore County Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory

SPOIL YOUR SENSES
Experience Baltimore County’s nature, culture and premier culinary treats
Flickr - Steve Kwak
Whether your idea of a good time includes waterfront dining, art appreciation, gourmet experiences, scenic hikes, great shopping or fun festivals, you’ll find it right here. Below are just a few of the best ways to relax in Baltimore County.
Equestrian
Northern Baltimore County is affectionately known as horse country, and it’s a great place to see various equestrian competitions and steeplechase races. The world-renowned Maryland Hunt Cup brings spectators packing picnic baskets to Worthington Valley each April. The signature event at Shawan Downs is a family-friendly, all-day Legacy Chase held in September. Horseback riding lessons and trail rides are available from Kingsville to Freeland.
Golf
Five public golf courses provide a variety of challenging experiences for golfers of all skill levels. Two of them – Diamond Ridge and The Woodlands – share a clubhouse and practice facility in Windsor Mill, with lush fairways set amid rolling terrain. Greystone’s championship course in White Hall features 140 feet of elevation changes, along with seven ponds. Preserved natural wetlands meander through Rocky Point Golf Course in Essex. Fox Hollow, in Timonium, is the site of a training center that offers lighted chipping and putting areas and heated, covered tees at its nationally ranked driving range.
Discount cards are available for playing all County-based public courses, and a Four- Star Club membership provides unlimited play for one annual fee.
Museums
Baltimore County’s unique contributions to American history and scientific discovery are revealed at such museums as the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum in Middle River, Lutherville’s Fire Museum of Maryland, the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum in Catonsville and the Hampton National Historic Site in Towson. (Learn more about these and other museums and historic sites in the History feature on page 24.)
Parks and Nature Centers
In the summer, you can hit the beach at several County parks. Rocky Point Beach and Park, a 375-acre park on a peninsula, features a 300-foot sandy beach with a bathhouse, two boat ramps, a fishing pier, shaded picnic groves and spectacular views of the Chesapeake Bay.
Another popular swimming beach is part of the appeal of Gunpowder Falls State Park’s Hammerman Area. There is also a private company operating right beside the beach that offers kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding rentals and lessons. There is a launch ramp at nearby Dundee Creek, across from which the
20 Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory
ARTS & LEISURE