Summer in the District comes with the smell of sweat and a sea of rattails, as a fanny pack-clad America comes to bear witness to its swampy capital. For students who find themselves mired in tourists and retail jobs, there is one easy way out: road trips. Nothing says summer like the open road, besides maybe firecrackers or corn dogs. Luckily, there are myriad art exhibitions, festivals and historic battlefields that are a car ride and a mix CD away. From feral horses to Civil War ghosts, there is a tri-state area of mystery at our doorstep to cure that summer malaise.
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Straddling the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah offers visitors more than 500 miles of hiking trails, as well as a 105-mile roadway, Skyline Drive, which cuts through the length of the park. The Drive is framed by wildflowers, cemeteries and apple trees. The roadway is a pleasant escape from the vistas of Washington and the black bears, deer and wild turkeys that populate the park is a respite from the city's summer tourist population.
GETTING THERE: The north entrance to Shenandoah is an hour-and-a-half west of D.C., a quick drive on I-66 W. Take exit 13 onto VA-79 and follow the brown signs to the entrance to the park.
Assateague Island National Seashore (Maryland)
For the elementary schoolgirl within us all, the feral horses of Assateague Island have the same cultural significance of the Disney princesses or fairy queens. That is to say they are a magical return to the anthropomorphic fantasies of our childhood. Campsites are offered at inexpensive rates, but surely any sum is worth the view of a wild horse nibbling on dune grass in the light of your campfire. The park is just south of Ocean City, offering visitors hiking, fishing and, of course, horseback riding. Park officials do ask that visitors leave unicorn horns at home and refrain at all times from affixing them to the horses' heads.
GETTING THERE: Assateague is a three-and-a-half hour drive from D.C. Take US-50 E toward Ocean City and follow the park signs toward Barrier Island.
Delmarva Chicken Festival (Ocean City, Md.)
Ocean City offers much more than proximity to horsies. Between June 23-24, the city is host to the annual Delmarva Chicken Festival. Besides boardwalk fries, corn-on-the-cob and fresh-squeezed lemonade, festival-goers can watch three tons of chicken get fried in the world's largest frying pan. This year marks the 57th anniversary of the Chicken Festival, sponsored by Maryland's own Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Besides the food there are craft vendors, music and a car show.
GETTING THERE: Take US-50 E toward Ocean City and follow the aroma of delicious, delicious chicken.
Baltimore Maritime Museum (Baltimore, Md.)
Ever wanted to spend the night on a submarine? Well, you probably can't at the Baltimore Maritime Museum, because the overnight tour programs are aimed at children. But for $35, you and 15 friends can try your luck. The Museum is the home of the USS Torsk, a Tench class World War II submarine. This baby sank three Japanese destroyers. Now its painted-on shark teeth snarl at visitors who dare board it. Besides the Torsk, the Museum is host to three other historic ships. Inside, visitors can wander through the "Mascots" exhibit, highlighting the many dogs kept aboard Navy vessels from the 1880s through the 1950s. That's right: puppies and submarines in one day. Could summer get any better?
GETTING THERE: The museum (and the rest of Baltimore's interesting Inner Harbor) is less than an hour north of D.C. Take I-95 north to exit 53, stay left off the exit and turn right onto Pratt Street. Follow the ship masts to the museum.
Andrew Wyeth at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, Pa.)
The master of American realism, Andrew Wyeth, is the subject of a 70-year retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. With over a hundred tempera paintings and watercolors, as well as many of the artist's preliminary sketches, the exhibit is the most exhaustive to date on Wyeth. For those hoping to see "Christina's World," you might want to head to New York's Museum of Modern Art instead. The work wasn't included in the exhibition due to its fragility. "Andrew Wyeth: Memory and Magic" runs through July 16. With Wyeth still alive today, the curators had complete access to his personal drawings and a large amount of his work. It is sure to be one of the most complete exhibitions of the artist's work, so see it while you can.
GETTING THERE: The drive to Philly is a little under three hours. Take I-95 north and exit onto I-676 West. Follow to the Benjamin Franklin expressway exit. Follow signage towards museum.
