I visited Clear Meadow Farm for the first time in my 3-4 years in Baltimore, and I'm glad I checked…read morethem out. Located about 40-45 minutes away from the city, the farm is easy to find (just type in the address on their website). The entry fee is very reasonable at $5 per car, and they also sell some food (i.e. chips, drinks, baked goods, pulled pork sandwiches) as well as sunflowers up front. Food wasn't particularly memorable but not bad, and the sunflowers were quite the deal (only $1 per stem, or 6 for $5). The actual sunflower field was reasonably sized. It was a bit difficult to navigate through the mud, and also a little hard to get good photos unless you go off the trail and into the flower beds (which you're not supposed to do), but the sunflowers were still pretty. Overall very glad I visited. Not sure if I'd necessarily make the trip out again anytime soon, but I definitely recommend it if you have not gone before!

Wonderful property to visit, a little tricky to get to, but a wonderful day. My sunflowers once…read morepicked did not stay perky too long, but I think I did not know how to care for them.

A Beautiful Small Farm Up in Northern Maryland…read more SITREP I had a joyful opportunity to travel to Northern Maryland and visit with Eddie & Laurie Downey, the very pleasant owners of the Downey Family Farm in Upperco, Maryland. THE SETUP But although I say "farm", it's MORE like a Ranch or even a Homestead, cause this wonderful spot raises BIG cattle, and by "BIG" cattle I mean TEXAS LONGHORNS! Eddie explained the fantastic inner workings of this enterprise, including the "studding"of the cows by visiting bulls! It was very entertaining to see Eddie give the longhorns treats, especially the baby longhorns. You can see the full extent of the farm's enterprises by visiting the their website link above. THE LOWDOWN *Chick-a-bow-wow, Chick-a-brown-cow*

This farm was so much fun to visit for an Easter event. My kids got to egg hunt, feed alpacas, play…read moregames, and pay a visit to the Easter bunny. The highlight was by far feeding the alpacas. They were gentle, fun for my kids to pet, and a great local experience. The ticket price for the event was somewhat steep in my opinion, but I would pay it again for the amount of fun we had.

It was fun feeding the alpacas and being able to get close . They were bigger than I imagined…read more There were other activities for the children inside the barn. The hot chocolate was a nice touch. The store had some beautiful items.

Nice getaway for a month with nature. Onsite free parking. $15 entry. Fheres a food truck on the…read morepremises. Sunflowers everywhere and you can take some home with you. It's lovely to see all the bees so busy at work that they don't pay you any mind. On sunny days bring a hat or small umbrella. I'd also advise long pants.

I was so excited that there was a sunflower attraction close by!…read more Tickets were purchased online and the whole visit was smooth sailing! Each ticket comes with 3 sunflower cuttings and they even offered 3 cuttings for my baby :) The attraction itself isn't huge but it's absolutely beautiful. They had some tractors and hay seats for photo ops, as well as an ice cream truck and slides for the kids. I believe there's also cows nearby but we weren't able to see them. The staff is super friendly, the attraction is clean and welcoming, and they offer hayrides! They have a covered seated area to sit and relax as well as a sandbox for the little ones. Pick some flowers, take some photos for the gram, and enjoy the beautiful sunflowers

Who are these adorable, gentle, soft and playful creatures? We met these gentle friends at Breezy…read moreHill Farm in Woodbine, MD which was about an hour's drive from DC. Alpacas, a member of the camelid family, are smaller and nicer than llamas, a relative. Mainly, they don't spit, at least not intentionally. We found these alpacas to be sweet, soft and silly. It was a little difficult to find the farm. The entrance is not clearly marked and we made at least two wrong forays onto adjacent properties before finding the farm. Once there we were welcomed by Heather, one of the owners, who gave us a brief rundown before introducing us to some of their goats, sheep, turkeys, donkey. She led us to the paddocks where the alpacas were, giving us instructions on how to approach them, how to feed them, how to pet them. Most had been recently shorn and Heather provided us with feed and the alpacas eagerly ate from our outstretched palms. They were soft and plush, the females more delicate eaters and the males (separated in a different area) were gobblers. These are animals, not pets, so while they are gentle, they do have wills of their own. It was a warm day and the alpacas enjoyed a spray from the hose. It was funny to see how excited they were to feed (reminds me of my dogs) and they ran after Heather when she got the food. Afterwards, we went to the barn where Heather, a fiber artist, demonstrated how the alpaca fur can be mixed with other fibers, how the wool is felted, and how it can be spun into yarn. There are textiles, yarn, garments for sale. Reservations are required. Sign up for the first time slot. Our tour ran over by 30 minutes and the next group had to wait. It is a picturesque drive to the farm but keep in mind that it turns into a two lane road through country lanes. We had left plenty of time for the drive but with our misdirected turnarounds and some road construction we ended up cutting it close.

We love this alpaca farm! The tour was personal and we learned so much. You can feed and pet the…read morealpacas. Afterwards you go into the shop and the tour guide can show you how they turn the alpaca fiber into clothes and other things. I would definitely recommend visiting and can't wait to come back!

I was able to enjoy Cherry Crest Adventure Farms on the perfect fall day, and I'll be making a trip…read morehere an annual tradition. We spent hours at the farm, and could have stayed even longer. My kids loved everything from the large corn maze to the swings to the games to the playground equipment to the large sandbox filled with corn. My kids were 4 and 6 during our visit, but the farm can easily accommodate older or younger. Two notes; 1. The bathrooms in the back of the farm are new & super clean. 2. Don't feel pressure to purchase the add ones (apple chucking and paintball) - those sections are towards the back of the farm and easily avoidable. There was a variety of food options - a few standard theme park options along with specialty options like homemade ice cream.

Such a fun farm to take your family. I've been coming here…read moresince my daughter was about 4 years old- she's 14 now. Everyone we come, it does not disappoint. It's such a great time. Buy tickets online- tickets are cheaper. If you go during the week- it's cheaper too! They also have 50% off for active military and veterans, which is a great deal! They have all kinds of games, tug of war ropes, a play area/little town for younger kids, pig races. Some nights they have fireworks or bands. If you come- the corn maze is a must! All types of food vendors like burgers, fries, chicken fingers, ice cream and apple cider donuts. You can spend hours here and not get bored. They also have for pit and picnic table areas you can rent out and they provide logs and sticks so you can roast marshmallows or hotdogs. Definitely recommend this farm.

I've been here a few times now and my toddler loves it every time. He especially loves the tractor…read moreyou can sit on (if you have a tractor loving kiddo)! This year, they had a great deal on Groupon, which comes with a tractor ride around the farm. There's plenty of animals to look at, from baby pigs, horses, donkeys, turkeys, goats, a camel, dogs, etc. Friendly staff, clean bathrooms (yup, you heard that right), and plenty of places to sit to snack. I've also seen a few families host birthday parties here!

My partner and I had an amazing time at this petting zoo…read more There were horses, goats (like 30!), baby piglets, mama cow and calf that was born just that week, rabbits, llamas, emus, peacocks, turtles, and more! The farmers were knowledgeable and friendly teens/young adults. They were very sweet to the children and ensured that all the kids could pet the baby goat born that week. The best part of our visit was being followed around by Dolly, a goat that roamed the premises, scavenging for leftover corn and dropped treats.

Destiny Dairy Bar may be Heaven on earth. On a working farm, there a tiny dairy shop that sells ice…read morecream made from the milk of the farm's cows. They also sell chocolate milk and other snacks. It's here you can buy a plate of veggies to feed the baby pigs, goats, and cows in the greenhouse behind the dairy hut. It's such a fun experience!

One of my favorite ice cream stops. Situated on a working dairy farm with plenty of goats, pigs and…read morecows to pet, feed and take pics of. The ice cream is so good. Silky smooth and you can't beat the price. The Destiny Bar also has frozen meat and milk for sale. Staff are super friendly and accommodating.

What a cute spot! Best experience with horses! Those mini guys were absolutely adorable and well…read moretaken care of! Keep up the amazing work guys!

Land of Little Horses is such a hidden gem in Gettysburg! From the moment we arrived, we were…read morewelcomed with kindness and smiles. And a special gift for a special birthday girl. The animals are so well-loved and taken care of, and the shows are absolutely adorable and entertaining for all ages. You can tell the staff truly love what they do -- they go out of their way to make the experience special for each guest. Go spend the day at Land of Little Horses, you won't regret it.

Every one in a while, you visit a place that defies definition and blows you away. Manor Mill is…read moreone of those places. I visited Manor Mill yesterday with my husband, and I couldn't be more of a fan. I'm going to do my best to define and share what I loved about it. Manor Mill is a restored pre-revolutionary grist mill that plays host to a variety of activities within its many spaces. They offer classes (art classes, woodworking classes, ceramics classes), live music performances, art gallery space, yoga classes, and more. We visited yesterday for a musical performance by a folk musician we saw perform years ago in Texas. The concert took place in the Loft - a space on the third floor - that couldn't be more appropriate for a folk music concert: tons of history, great light, views of the woods behind the building, and a small, intimate space. The concert was really special. After the concert, Manor Mill's proprietor spoke for a few minutes about what Manor Mill offers to its community, including sharing information about some of the classes and a theater production that were coming up in the next few days and weeks (the theater production is a first for Manor Mill and sounds so amazing). He shared a list of things we could take advantage of since we were already at Manor Mill, and we did all of them. First, we went for a short walk through the woods behind the mill - their new Fairy Trail - which was really charming and cute (child and adult artists have shared art pieces that have been placed along the trail). About a quarter mile in total, it's a fun way to take in some of the woods - definitely worth a little jaunt if you're out there. Then we went back into the mill building to buy a record and give a quick thanks to the musical artist whose concert we had visited for. Then, we wandered through the two floors of the building that serve as the art gallery (some lovely pieces) before spending some time in the shop on the ground level. I loved my first visit to Manor Mill, and I can't wait to go back. I'm definitely looking forward to taking a class. Their upcoming classes and workshops range from food photography to marzipan painting, from beginner woodworking to traditional Chinese medicine, falconry to macrame, from watercolor to beginner welding. They also offer tons of other events: songwriter's night, readings by authors, yoga, guided meditation, and more. It's such a fascinating place, that offers such a range of activities and experiences. Now that I've been, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on their calendar of activities. We're lucky to have Manor Mill in this beautiful part of Baltimore County, and I can't wait to take an advantage of everything they offer in the future. Check it out! It's special.