The BICO Monthly Outings Summary

May, 2006


OUTING #1 DATE: May 6, 2006

TEAM:  College Gardens Community Center

ACTIVITIES:  Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

DESTINATION:  Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD

Every aspect of the process of making woolen goods is on display at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  At this festival, there are opportunities to see: prize-winning sheep; demonstrations of herd roundup, sheep shearing, yarn spinning, and fabric weaving; and many displays of woolen clothing, blankets, and rugs.
 
GETTING IN:  Free of Charge

DIRECTIONS: From Baltimore, MD - approx. 60-90 minutes
 From I-70 [West from Baltimore, East from Frederick], take the MD 32 exit (#80) towards Sykesville/Clarksville From Baltimore, turn left onto MD 32 South.
>From Frederick, bear right onto MD 32 South.
Turn RIGHT onto Rt. 144 (Frederick Road)
Turn RIGHT onto Fairground Rd. Look for signs to the Howard County Fairgrounds

NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  Springfield Hospital Center
6655 Sykesville Road
Sykesville, MD 21784-7966
410-795-2100

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:   The kids enjoyed seeing pet sheep, lambs, and even some alpaca.  They were especially interested in the latter.  They also got to see sheep dogs herding sheep around obstacles and into pens.

We gave each child $8 for lunch.  There were a number of food vendors at the festival, but most of them charged too much for the kids to buy enough for a good lunch with this money.  Giving the kids money and helping them pay for food was a good idea.  Several of them returned the money they didn’t spend, but two or three didn’t spend wisely and were surprised to learn that they had to live with the choices they had made. 

The kids also found a street musician who gave them wash boards, jugs, etc., so that they could play in his band.  They were delighted to have a chance to perform for all of the people walking by. 

OUTING SUGGESTIONS:  We took fruit, juice boxes, cookies, and water bottles with us, which was a good idea given the price of food at the festival.  It is also important to know that there are no water fountains at the festival.  Plan accordingly.



OUTINGS #2 DATE: May 13, 2006

TEAM: Dickey Hill Elementary School

ACTIVITIES:  Hiking on the Billy Goat Trail

DESTINATION:  C&O Canal National Historic Park, Great Falls Tavern Visitor's Center, Potomac, MD

The C&O Canal is a living reminder of a time when America depended greatly on its waterways for transportation.  The Canal stretches 184.5 miles along the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD.  At the Great Falls Tavern Visitor's Center near Potomac, MD, displays and short films interpret canal and local history and the geology of the Great Falls of the Potomac.  

According to MidAltlanticHikes.com (www.midatlantichikes.com), the Billy Goat Trail is a moderate 4 mile hike that is a great place to take the family or beginners that are developing their “hiking legs”.  The hike follows the Potomac River as it forces its way through the rocky crags of Great Falls and the narrows just above Mather’s Gorge.

GETTING IN:  $5.00 per non-commerial vehicle, while it is $40 for a commercial vehicle carrying 7-25 passengers.  Open All Year 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (extended summer hours).  

DIRECTIONS:  1-1.5 Hour from Baltimore
From Baltimore on I-95 South:  Take I-95 South to the Capital Beltway (I-495).  At the beltway, take I-495W towards Silver Spring.  At exit 41, take Ramp onto Clara Barton Pkwy towards Caderock / Great Falls MD.  After driving about 1.8 miles, turn LEFT (West) onto MacArthur Blvd and travel about 3.0 miles.

NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  Suburban Hosp Healthcare Syst
8600 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-1497
301-896-3100

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:  The kids enjoyed seeing snakes, turtles, and salamanders.  

OUTING SUGGESTIONS:  If one has balance problems, this hike can be problem because it requires rock scrambling.  Also, since  much of the hike is exposed to the direct rays of the sun, it is good to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.



OUTINGS #3 DATE: May 20, 2006

TEAM: Franciscan Youth Center

ACTIVITIES:  Washington National Zoo

DESTINATION:    Washington National Zoo , Washington, DC
The National Zoological Park is located in the spacious and picturesque Rock Creek Valley.  The Zoological Park contains a plethora of exhibits.  Beside conventional exhibits - Lions, Tigers, Elephants, Primates, etc. - the park contains Panda Bears, a Small Mammal House, and an exhibit regarding the research on animal thinking.  

GETTING IN:  The Zoo borders Rock Creek Park with entrances at 3001 Connecticut Ave., on Harvard St. and on Beach Dr. It is open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm between April 15th and October 15th. The rest of the year it is open daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. It is closed on December 25th. Admission is FREE, but parking at the Zoo lot is $16 for all day.

DIRECTIONS:  From Baltimore (~1.25 Hours)
From I-95 South - Follow I-95 South to I-495 (the Capitol Beltway).  Exit onto I-495 West in the direction of Silver Spring.  Continue on I-495 West.  Exit 33 Connecticut Avenue.  Go South on Connecticut Avenue for approximately 5 miles.  The National Zoo is located on the left at 3001 Connecticut Avenue.

NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  The George Washington University Hospital, 900 23rd Street, Northwest, Washington, DC 20037, (202)676-6000

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:  The children loved seeing the animals, but it was a long day and they were getting a little bored by the end.  A surprised was the interest that the group had in the reptile and invertebrate houses.  The kids actually decided to skip the big cats to see them, and most of the children cited these houses as their favorite part of the trip! 

OUTING SUGGESTIONS:  We had a small group, so we all stuck together.  However, if the group was over 10 people a recommendation would be to split into smaller groups to keep track of everyone when the zoo is as busy at it is on a Saturday in late May.  
 
We did try to make it to some of the Zoo’s daily events, but had a lot of trouble sticking to a schedule…  but it really didn’t matter, because no one seemed to notice and they had a great time.