Best for the energetic is a canoe, bicycle or even speed boat experience in Maryland with Blackwater Paddle and Pedal Adventures.  Chose from the adrenalin jolt of piloting a Sea Doo Speedster along the Choptank River, a calmer canoe adventure or full pedal power along the picturesque countryside of Dorchester County.  For more information and to make reservations go to www.BlackwaterPaddleandPedal.com

Best for mental stimulation has to be a treasure hunt that includes three of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC.  Authentic, antique items are used to create a complete treasure hunt package, including all the extensive leg-work in preparing clues so the adventure is completely turn-key. There are no clues for you to hide and no treasure to bury, just a great adventure to be had. Intrigued? Go to www.doublekeytreasurehunts.com to learn more or book your Washington, DC hunt package for just $129.

Inspired to learn more?  Go to www.CapitalRegionUSA.co.uk

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Press enquiries to Lisa Cooper / Kate Burgess-Craddy at KBC PR & Marketing

Lisa.cooper@kbc-pr.com / kate.burgess@kbc-pr.com

Tel: 01825 763636

Best for conspiracy theorists is a visit to Washington, DC, the city that’s a hotbed of political intrigue both in real life and in fiction, from the Watergate story of Nixon to Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol which is being filmed in the city this year.  Visiting the main movie locations is easy, especially when you take a tour with Capital Segway www.capitalsegway.com/lost_symbol_tour .  The two hour tour cost from $70 per person and takes in all the major sights mentioned in the book.  For a walking tour Lost Symbol map of the go www.washington.org/lostsymbol

Best for empty nesters is the luxury and charm of the Orient Express Inn at Perry Cabin in St Michaels on Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. The location for both The Wedding Crashers and Failure to Launch, the Inn is the perfect location for relaxation at the Linden Spa and celebration in style. 

3 nights at The Inn at Perry Cabin in a Signature room costs from £819.00 per person, based on 2 sharing (includes all taxes, direct return flights with BA from Heathrow to Washington, DC, and car hire for duration including all insurances).  Departure anytime time in September 2010.  Subject to availability. Visit www.perrycabin.com for more info or to book call Purely Capital Region USA on 0844 80 444 80 or go to www.PurelyCapitalRegionUSA.co.uk

 Inspired to learn more?  Go to www.CapitalRegionUSA.org

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 Press enquiries to Lisa Cooper / Kate Burgess-Craddy at KBC PR & Marketing

Lisa.cooper@kbc-pr.com / kate.burgess@kbc-pr.com

Tel: 01825 763636

Maryland Mountain Experience

The Catoctin Mountains of western Maryland form a 50 mile long section of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the hardwood trees that grow on their flanks create a wonderful array of stunning colours every autumn as the temperatures cool.  Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park are the perfect places to walk amongst the trees and experience the change of season first hand.

25 miles of hiking trails wind though both Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park, offering a variety of experiences ranging from easy to strenuous, many leading to outstanding scenic vistas and the roads of Catoctin Mountain Park offer scenic drives under the tree canopy.

During October each year, National Park Service Rangers conduct guided ½ mile walks, teaching the secrets of autumn colour in the eastern hardwood forest.  The walks take one hour and are appropriate for all ages.  For more details of dates and times of the guided walks go to www.nps.gov/cato .

Cunningham Falls State Park is 32 miles from Catoctin Mountain Park, linked by the “Journey Though Hallowed Ground Byway” which takes visitors past verdant farmland and historic sites.  Here the Cunningham Falls, known locally as McAffee Falls, are well worth a visit as at 78 feet they are the longest cascade in the state.  www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/cunningham.asp  

As well as hiking, both the parks offer great opportunities for wildlife watching, fly-fishing, canoeing, picnicking and even swimming in the lakes and rivers.  It is also possible to stay in the parks, either in a tent, a mobile home or by renting one of the cabins at Camp Misty Mount that are available until the end of October each year.

Blue Ridge Parkway Celebrates 75^th Anniversary

The famous Blue Ridge Mountains, a chain within the Appalachian Mountain range, continues south from Maryland down into Virginia.  This is the home of the Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile route known as “America’s Favourite Drive”.  While always beautiful, the Parkway, which celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year, is most vibrant in the autumn, when “leaf peepers” can marvel at the foliage’s flaming hues of scarlet, gold and orange.

Just 75 miles from Washington, DC, exploration of Shenandoah starts with the Skyline Drive which leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The roads take visitors along the crest of the mountains, through woods and past spectacular vistas, where eagles hang in the air so close that you feel you could reach out and touch them.

The Blue Ridge Mountains were so-named because the airborne water generated by the trees creates a faint haze, giving the mountains a blue tinge when seen from a distance.   Tens of thousands of creatures make their homes in the park, from black bear to tiny aquatic insects in the mountain streams.  Hardwood forests dominate the park and remnants of boreal forests prove that continental glaciers were once close by.

During the autumn, the deciduous forest becomes a blaze of brilliant colour that changes on almost a daily basis – the cooler the night, the deeper the colours become, until the leaves fall from the trees in late October/November. 

The Park is also a wonderful place to view another of nature’s wonders – the night sky.  Being so elevated and away from the light and air pollution of cities, means there is a great chance to see many of the 2,500 stars visible to the unaided eye on a dark, moonless and cloudless night.

 www.nps.gov/shen  www.blueridgeparkway75.org

 Harvest-Time at Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, originally the home of George Washington, is just a 30 minute drive from the centre of Washington, DC and is a “must see” destination for all visitors to the USA’s capital city.  During the autumn each year, a variety of events and festivals are staged including the Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tours and Fall Harvest Family Days.

The farm where Washington and his family lived was called the “Mansion House Farm”. This is the part of the plantation that visitors see today. Washington developed the property’s 500 acres to create a fitting setting for a country gentleman. He designed the grounds to include a deep border of woods, rolling meadows, serpentine walkways, a pleasure garden, a kitchen garden, and groves of trees. Between the Mansion and the shores of the Potomac River lay an extensive park. 

Today, Mount Vernon, as the house is now called, hosts a rain-or-shine celebration of the history of the Virginia wine industry on the east lawn, overlooking that same river.  The Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour is held this year from 1 to 3 October from 6 to 9pm.  At the adult-only event, participants sample wines from award-winning Virginia wineries, learned about the successes and failures of early wine endeavours in the State, enjoy live music and meet “George Washington” on the Mansion’s Piazza.

Guests can also experience an evening tour of the house and the rarely-open basement cellar vaults where George Washington stored his wine.   Picnics can be ordered in advance, to be enjoyed whilst listening to music and sampling the wine.  Tickets go on sale on 1^st September, costing $30 each. www.mountvernon.org

Later in October Fall Harvest Family Days takes place: as the name suggests a great occasion for the whole family.   Held at the four acre George Washington: Pioneer Famer sit,  Autumn activities on offer include wagon rides, wheat-treading in the 16-sided barn, 18^th century dancing displays, a straw bale maze, blacksmith demonstrations, bee keeping demonstrations, apple-roasting, corn husk doll demonstrations and early-American games and music.   All these great experiences are included in the admission ticket for the Estate at $15 per adult and $7 per child (7 – 11 years).  Children under 5 are admitted free.

Potomac River sightseeing cruises are half-price for festival goers courtesy of Spirit Cruises and Potomac Riverboat Company. www.entertainmentcruises.com

Teach your kids about American history at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.  See the original “Star-Spangled Banner” that inspired the national anthem, explore the history of the American presidency, and check out Dorothy’s red slippers or meet Kermit the Frog in the permanent exhibition “National Treasures of Popular Culture.” http://americanhistory.si.edu/

Giant Pandas are perhaps the most popular animals at the National Zoo and you can pay a visit to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.  These pandas are testament to the great conservation work of the Zoo as their baby Tai Shan was only the third panda ever to be born in the USA. As well as the pandas, you can many new arrivals including a rare Kiwi hatchling named Hiri and a pair of Andean bear cubs.  Everyone loves the zoo – especially when entry is free! http://nationalzoo.si.edu/

With more than 35 miles of ocean and bay beaches, Virginia Beach isn’t known as the “World’s Largest Pleasure Beach” for nothing. With a width of more than 300 feet between the boardwalk and the water, there’s plenty of room for every sun-worshipper. Beach volleyball is popular. Doubles, triples, fours and sixes are often played.

Atlantic Avenue between 17th & 25th Streets is “Beach Street USA” with summer entertainment and festivals throughout the year. In the evenings, music can be heard up and down the boardwalk. Two stages, an amphitheatre, an orchestra, and a musical stage company all provide musical entertainment every night of the week. It’s easy to mix, mingle and have fun.

After baking in the sun, teens can roll along the boardwalk which stretches from 40th Street to Rudee Inlet. It’s a great place to jog, bike, rollerblade, or pedal a beach buggy. Didn’t bring your blades?  Rent some. Need a bike? Rent one.  Want to splurge a bit … Kayak with dolphins. Take an ocean kayak excursion and you’ll likely share the waters with a pod of our warm weather visitors.

www.vabeach.com

Capital Region USA offers a diverse and eclectic selection of transport options for holidaymakers throughout the Region, from horse power to wind power and even mule power.  You can let the train take the strain or enjoy exploring the wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway by car.  Sit on top a double deck bus in Washington, DC or choose a slower pace by guiding your own segway around the capital’s streets.  Here’s a few ideas:

 With Amtrak it’s all about the journey – not just getting to your destination

 Amtrak, the national rail network is headquartered in Washington, DC and offers a variety of scenic routes across the country that take in the Capital Region including the North East Corridor and Capitol routings. 

The North East Corridor runs from New York and Boston down through Washington, DC and Richmond to Newport News, just a stone’s throw from Virginia Beach.  Alternatively, Amtrak’s Capitol Route runs through Maryland and Virginia and the towns of Cumberland and Rockville. 

The newest Amtrak route in the Capital Region offers daily roundtrip service from Washington, DC, to Lynchburg, Virginia with stops in several picturesque Virginia towns, including Culpeper and Stanton.

 All routes offer spectator windows out into the wide spaces and vistas of the Capital Region as well as the smaller towns and cities, allowing you to relax from the comfort of your seat while someone else does the driving!

 For details of the routes, timetables and costs, go to www.amtrak.com

 Baltimore – birthplace of the American railway

 The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum (B&O) offers a nostalgic experience of America’s railway heyday, where you can take a ride along the first commercial railroad track in America.

This heritage museum in the heart of Baltimore, Maryland, offers a window on the past, rather than a window on the countryside.  It possesses the oldest, most historic and most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world. Dating from the beginning of American railroading, the collection contains locomotives and rolling stock, historic buildings, and small objects that document the impact of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) on the growth and development of early railroading and cover almost every aspect of an industry that left a permanent mark on the folklore and culture of America.

The Museum’s locomotive and rolling stock collection contains many unique examples of historically significant pieces from the B&O and other Maryland railroads and includes the finest collection of 19th century steam locomotives. The Museum’s roster of locomotives and rolling stock represent the first, last, best or only of their kind in existence today.

www.borail.org

 Getting to the Capital Region USA has never been easier from the UK

There are now eight direct daily flights from the UK into the Capital Region, with services from London Heathrow into Washington Dulles and Baltimore Airports, with prices from as little as £384.00 per person this summer.  British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines all offer direct services and other airlines offer one-stop services via New York and Charlotte, perfect if you’re planning an East Coast touring odyssey.

Virgin Atlantic currently offers daily flights from London Heathrow into Washington Dulles, with prices starting from £389.00 this summer.

British Airways also flies daily from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles and Baltimore, and their network of regional departure airports throughout the UK means that everyone has a departure point close by.  Prices start from £405.00 this summer.

 Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in its 75^th year

The Blue Ridge Parkway, an All-American Road as designated by the National Scenic Byways Commission, will mark its 75^th Anniversary in 2010 with celebrations, events and symposia along the parkway, including the 40 Days & 40 Nights Festival of arts and culture. 

Considered a national treasure, the 469 mile Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.  Development around the Parkway has been restricted but traditional agriculture has continued and visitors can get a true feeling for rural Appalachian life, from log cabins to split-rail fences and grist mills.

Many other national forests and state park preserves adjoin the Parkway corridor, providing an unsurpassed scenic quality.  Recreational areas with unique names abound where you can hike, fish or just enjoy a picnic: Humpback Rocks, Peaks of Otter, Rocky Knob, and Mabry Mill, the most photographed spot on the Parkway, are just a few.

www.blueridgeparkway75.org

The 40 Days & 40 Nights of Arts & Culture along the Blue Ridge Parkway will connect visitors to southwest Virginia’s performances, concerts, festivals, galleries, exhibitions, comedy, wine tastings and more.  The Festival runs from 1^st October to 9^th November 2010, beginning in downtown Roanoke, the largest neighbouring city on the Parkway and home to the Taubman Museum of Art, Center in the Square – featuring local artisans and food vendors – and Art by Night – the monthly gallery crawl featuring regional artists.

www.4040fest.com

A canal boat ride with a difference – mule power

Just as in the UK, the motorways of the 19^th century in the USA were canals, linking emerging industrial cities to transport goods along the Potomac River and further afield across the country.  The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (C&O) has been preserved as a National Historic Park and at both Great Falls in Maryland and Georgetown in DC there are visitor centres offering canal boat rides, where the replica boats are still pulled by mules and restored lockhouses along the Canal offer the opportunity to live the age for a day and night.

Mules were the preferred animal for canal boat captains in the 1870’s – small but very strong they were the perfect choice for pulling the boats along and even spent the night in the boat’s front cabin.  They are still used to this day on the C&O Canal, but in place of cargos of coal, lumber and grain, they now take passengers on an hour long ride back in time.  Park rangers costumed in period clothing are a fountain of fascinating knowledge and tell stories of life on the 184.5 mile long historic waterway, one of the capital’s earliest links to the west.

Stables of six to eight mules are kept at two centres along the Canal – at Thomas Jefferson Street in Georgetown, DC and at Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, Maryland.  There are another four visitor centres in Maryland at Brunswick, Williamsport, Hancock (seasonal) and Cumberland.

For those seeking more of an immersion experience – but not in the water of course – through the Canal Quarters Interpretive Program is it now possible for visitors to learn more about life on the C&O Canal by staying in an historic lockhouse for a day and night.

Household tools and furnishings reminiscent of different periods of the canal’s history convey the living conditions of a lock keeper’s family as it may have been during the 1830s, at the time of the Civil War, the turn of the twentieth century, or the 1950s.

The Canal Quarters Interpretive Program is a cooperative effort between the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and the C&O Canal Trust, a not-for-profit friends group. Three lockhouses, Lockhouse 6 near Washington DC, Lockhouse 22 known as Pennyfield Lock, and Lockhouse 49 in Four Locks near Clear Spring, Maryland, are now open. Two other lockhouses are being rehabilitated for this program and will be available in the near future.

www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/interpretiverangerprograms.htm

City exploring doesn’t come easier than in DC – by bus, by segway or by amphibious vehicle

Washington, DC is a majestic city, with wide open spaces and vast monuments to explore as well as the city streets.  Exploring all that on foot would take days and plenty of shoe leather, but there are plenty of easier way to do it, whether on the top deck of an open top bus, on a guided segway tour or on a “duck tour” that includes the Potomac River on the route using an amphibious vehicle.

The hop-on hop-off tour with Open Top Sightseeing Washington, DC operates all day, every day, with 30 stops throughout the capital where you can simply get off and explore at your own pace, catching a later bus to the next venue or to finish the circuit.  An entertaining, narrated tour brings everything to life and is a great way to get your bearings in this big city.  A 3-hour Moonlight Tour is also available.

www.opentopsightseeing-dc.com/hop.html

The more adventurous and technologically minded visitor might prefer a tour from a totally new perspective with DC Segway Tours.  The segway is a self-balancing, personal transportation devise that’s designed to be fun and easy to operate in any pedestrian environment.  After a 30 minute orientation and practice session, expert guides lead groups out into the city.  Cruise effortlessly through DC’s parks, past the Washington Monument and around historic buildings such as the White House and US Capitol with plenty of time to take advantage of the fantastic photo opportunities along the way.

www.citysegwaytours.com/washington-dc

DC Ducks offers another unusual tour experience, travelling in original WW II DUKW amphibious vehicles.  The 90 minute tour starts at Union Station and takes in the streets of the city before splashing down into the Potomac River for the most unique ride.  Each “duck” captain has his own unique delivery of the guided tour, which all adds to the experience.

www.dcducks.com

The Capital Region offers a plethora of great food events throughout the year, as well as some of the USA’s best restaurants, which can more than tingle the taste buds of the most devoted foodie visitors.  From farmer’s markets to festivals, seafood and oysters, to wine and garlic every possible preference is catered for and as more than 90 per cent of British holidaymakers list dining out as their favourite activity when visiting the USA, the Capital Region fits the bill.

The British are a nation of beer lovers but the wonders of a good pint are now being appreciated all over the USA and 68 different American craft breweries will be showing off their produce at the second annual SAVOR festival taking place at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC on 5th June 2010. 

Tickets are limited and only available in advance, with sales opening  in February for the event billed as “a must attend for craft beer aficionados and foodies alike”. The reception-style sampling will allow visitor to choose from 35+ sweet and savoury appetizers and 136 craft beers. Luminaries of the American craft beer industry—brewery owners, brewers and representatives – will be on-hand serving your beer. www.savorcraftbeer.com

If you prefer the grape to the grain, spend some time at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland.  www.boordy.com

This is Maryland’s oldest family run winery, having been established back in 1945 by the Deeford family.  Their offerings include oak-aged cabernets, crisp chardonnays & seyval blancs, a Maryland port, and other specialties. Premium varietals are grown in the estate vineyards which Boordy farms in the Long Green Valley and in the Catoctin Mountain region.

The vineyard also has a fine dining restaurant and organises specially themed events each month to give visitors the chance to tour the winery, try the award winning wines and learn about winemaking.  Weekends in February are themed Fond of your Fondue, where savoury and sweet fondues will be available to try alongside the fine wine and entertainment from local musicians.  On Sundays in March, the experience will be Stew in your Juices where hearty home made stews will be teamed with award winning wines.

The Virginia Pork Festival (www.vaporkfestival.com) in the town of Emporia is billed as the world’s largest barbeque, so is perfect for pork perfectionists.  Sausages, chops and ribs along with more unusual chitterlings and trotters will all be on offer on 9^th June 2010.

Coincidentally, Virginia is also home to the Pungo Strawberry Festival, held every year in the last weekend of May. Visitors can enjoy strawberries offered in over 50 different ways, plus take part in many events including the pie eating contest or the great Strawberry bake off.

The ‘strawberry’ on this festival’s cake is that all proceeds are given back to the community with organisers looking to exceed the $600,000 they returned last year. Sweet!

http://www.pungostrawberryfestival.info

Cruising is continuing to grow in popularity and the Port of Baltimore has been part of that growth, with 2009 setting a new record with the operation of 81 home port cruises handling 167,000 passengers.  British holidaymakers have been part of that growth and their number is predicted to continue rising with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity all now operating out of the port.  Baltimore is a great embarkation city for cruises with plenty to see and do either before or after the cruise – its nickname “Charm City” is well deserved.

The Carnival Pride returns for its second full year of cruising to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.  Royal Caribbean brings a newer and larger vessel, the Enchantment of the Seas for cruises to New England, Canada, Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas.  The Celebrity Mercury will return for a second winter season in October, travelling to the Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Bahamas.

A number of UK tour operators offer cruise and stay holidays in Baltimore, including North America Travel Services, Key to America and Boy Voyage which offers a lead-in price of £1,195 per person for June departures which includes flights to Baltimore, 3 nights at the 4-star Sheraton Inner Habour Hotel and an inside cabin for 5 nights on the RCL Enchantment of the Seas sailing to Bermuda. (www.bon-voyage.co.uk)

So what is there to see and do in “Charm City” pre or post cruise? 

Baltimore has a sailing heritage, having been one of the first major immigration points on the Eastern Seaboard, second only to Ellis Island, so the Inner Harbour is one of the first stops many people make.  The Harbour is home to the National Aquarium and it’s vast four-storey tall tank filled with marine life, an outdoor sea lion pool and marine mammal pavilion, home of a pod of bottlenose dolphins. www.aqua.org 

Just a few blocks from the Harbour is historic Fell’s Point, a cobblestone waterfront area of patisseries, bars and galleries, whose brick row houses have become a Baltimore icon and have given the city a café culture.  

In recent years, the neighbourhood of Hampden has become very avant garde and is now full of art galleries, used-clothing stores and the iconic Café Hon. You’ll see stylish 20-somethings in vintage jeans sharing cigarettes with “Hons,” the nickname for women who wear classic beehive hairdos. These Hons inspired the annual Honfest – a celebration of all things 1950, especially big hair, wide skirts and horn-rimmed spectacles, which takes place in June each year. www.honfest.net

If contemporary art is more your scene, then a visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art is a must as the collection includes works by Picasso, Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin and van Gogh, as well as the world’s largest collection of work by Henri Matisse.  www.artbma.org

When children are part of the holiday, it’s always vital to keep them amused too and Port Discovery is the perfect place for them to let off steam after museums.  Disney “Imagineers” have helped create a delightful tomb-raider pyramid setting where children can play among settings from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. www.portdiscovery.org

Food is always an important part of any cruise holiday and Baltimore can certainly hold it’s own on that score.  The best chef in town, as voted by readers of Baltimore Magazine in 2007 and 2008, is Cindy Wolf of Charleston restaurant in the Harbor East neighbourhood.  Cindy’s cuisine is rooted in French fundamentals and the Low Country cooking of South Carolina, engaging both regional and international influences. The restaurant offers an extensive prix fixe menu from which guests choose between three and up to six courses. Desserts are always offered on the house. Chef Wolf’s constantly changing menu focuses on natural preparation of the very best products, purity of flavour and visual presentations that are elegant and uncluttered. www.charlestonrestaurant.com

 Dr Ruth appointed Secretary of new Department of Love & Relationships in Washington, DC and launches “Date Nights DC: A 28-day Stimulus Plan”

With Valentine’s Day not far away, it’s the time to spark new romances and rekindle relationships and the USA’s capital city, Washington, DC has to be the best place in the world with its new “Date Nights DC” promotion in February 2010.  On offer are value-added packages, discounts and fresh, original date ideas at DC’s hotels, restaurants and attractions.  A new “government-inspired” Department of Love and Relationships has been created, with well known sex and relationship expert Dr Ruth Westheimer taking the role of “Secretary”.

Date Nights DC was inspired by President Obama and First Lady Michelle who have frequently had “date nights” in the city, raising awareness of the great restaurants and culture scene there.  Says Dr Ruth “Barack and Michelle Obama set a good example by enjoying time with each other and with their children as they get to know this very romantic city and I encourage others to do the same.”

The Stimulus Plan is the brainchild of Destination DC, the city’s official tourism agency.  To complement it and explain the mission of the Department of Love and Relationships, Destination DC has also created a special website at www.DateNightsDC.org, with five key components:

Create a Date: a searchable database of more than 80 creative date ideas to help plan outings, organised by neighbourhoods and themes such as movies, politics, food & wine and LGBT.

• Date Concierge: an option to call, email or text the “Date Concierge” who will book each element of your desired date, from hotel room to dinner reservations to car service, at no cost through a partnership with the Washington Area Concierge Association.
• Date Night Deals:  special offers from hotels, restaurants, tours and attractions for “date-friendly” experiences.  For example, the luxurious Fairmont Washington, DC Hotel is offering a “Make Your Honey Happy” Date Night package, with honey cocktails and amenities sourced from the hotel’s own bee hives.  Date Night participants can also take advantage of discounts from City Segway Tours, Madame Tussauds, the Newseum and other organsiations.
• The Hook Up: a platform for information about events, promotions and happenings.
• Archives & Records: a place where couples who met, courted and/or married in DC can share videos and photos chronicling their relationship.

 “Date Nights DC” will run throughout February 2010 and the website www.DateNightsDC.org is already live. The hope is that the promotion will become an annual tradition.

 Romance on the Water: Share the thrill and awe of whale watching with your loved one this winter in Virginia Beach.

A shared memorable experience unites a couple in a unique way, so this February if you’re looking for some romance, why not try a whale watching expedition in the Chesapeake Bay, just off the coast of Virginia Beach.  The sight of giant humpback and fin whales surfacing and diving inspires awe and wonder and will never be forgotten.

 Thanks to the food-rich mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the warm Atlantic Ocean waters, humpback and fin whales can be seen diving, breaching, spyhopping and lobtailing off the Virginia Beach coast each winter.  These massive creatures can weigh up to 70 tons, range up to 79 feet in length and consume an impressive 1½ tons of food each day.  With speeds of up to 23 mph, the whales display amazing behaviours when searching for food and communicating with each other. 

The characteristic “singing” of humpback whales produces long, complex songs that are language between these animals.  Fin whales, otherwise known as the “greyhounds of the sea” are among the fastest of the great whales and can travel in groups of three to seven individuals.

To get up close and personal with the whales, it’s best to join an organised whale watching trip as the local captains are experts at knowing where to see these amazing animals and how to do it safely to not disturb them.  Packages are available from as little as $83 (£50) per person to until 14^th March 2010.  The package includes three days, two nights’ accommodation, admission aboard a 2–2½  hour Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Centre whale watching boat trip, and admission to the Virginia Aquarium, including the new Restless Planet exhibit and the 3-D IMAX theatre.  A wide range of other winter activities are also on offer, including ice skating at Neptune’s Park until the end of February.

To book a package go to http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?featureid=423

 For more Virginia Valentine’s offers go to: http://www.virginia.org/Site/features.asp?FeatureID=80

 From quaint and historic to high tech and high adrenalin – Maryland offers romantic getaways with an adventurous twist.

The historic town of St Michaels in Maryland was recently named as one of Life magazine’s Most Romantic Towns in America and so has to be the perfect location for a Valentine’s vacation.  Known as the “Hamptons” of the Chesapeake Bay, St Michaels is a Victorian maritime village and yachting haven, where quaint shops, antique emporiums, art galleries, restaurants and romantic B&Bs line the streets.

Local skipjack sailing boats provide a great waterborne adventure, whilst Maryland’s renowned crabs and oysters are an epicurean delight.  For more cerebral entertainment, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers a window into the seafaring history of the region. www.stmichaelsmd.org

A total contrast to the relaxed pace of St Michaels can be found in the town of Savage, also in Maryland, where Terrapin Adventures has put together a special Valentine’s Day package of high-adrenalin activities for couples.

Certainly not for the faint-hearted, Terrapin Adventures specialises in outdoor activities with a high ropes challenge course, 330 foot zip line, giant swing and rock climbing tower all available at Savage Mills.  Also on offer are horseback riding, tubing, sailing, kayaking and myriad of other outdoor activities that get the heart pumping.

The special Valentine’s Day experience on Sunday 14^th February costs just $59.95 (£38) per couple, providing two hours on the high ropes, zip line, swing and climbing tower.  Hot chocolate drinks and Hershey kisses chocolates top off the experience, as does the chance to win one of the many special gifts being offered by local shops at Savage Mill.   Sessions start at 12 noon and 2pm.  www.TerrrapinAdventures.com

 Even though we’re heading into the depths of a British Winter, turn your thoughts to Spring by planning a trip to the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC from 27 March to 11 April 2010.

 This annual festival celebrates the coming of Spring and commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees by the Japanese in 1912, many of which were planted in the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.   3,800 more trees were given in 1965 and flowering cherry trees now adorn the length and breadth of the city. The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival is of course centred around the blossoming of these beautiful trees but includes many cultural, sporting and culinary events.

 Activities take place every day over the two-weeks, like two-hour bike rides showcasing the natural beauty of the trees in their colourful glory and cruises along the river to view the banks festooned with pink blossoms. 

 There are also signature events like the Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, presented by Southwest Airlines on Saturday 10 April.  The Parade showcase entries from across the USA and around the world, including marching bands, cherry blossom queens from the US and Japan, giant balloons, floats and the national Cherry Blossom Festival All Star Tap Dance Team and Youth Choir.

 Immediately following the Parade is the Sakura Matsui Japanese Street Festival, presented by the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC, presenting more than 80 organisations highlighting Japanese performances, arts, crafts and food.

 For more information go to www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Green Fingered Exploration during Virginia’s Historic Garden Week

 This will be the 77^th year that Virginia’s historic homes and gardens have opened their gates to explorers from all over the world.  Now dubbed “America’s Largest Open House”, more than 250 of the State’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks will welcome visitors between 17 and 25 April 2010.

 Truly a magnet for amateur garden lovers and professional horticulturists from all over the world, Historic Garden Week offers the chance to see the landscapes and cultivated gardens of a raft of historic properties, some of which specially open for the week, such as Tuckahoe Plantation, the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson.  Many also offer special Garden Week activities and extended opening hours.

 Those interested in architectural history and interior design also have many treats in store, with beautifully renovated historic properties open to the public, such as Westover Plantation on the bank of the James River and considered to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the USA.

 Historic Garden Week is one of the flagship annual events staged by the Garden Club of Virginia, an active association of 47 garden clubs, whose members collectively form a group of more than 3,300 civic leaders from around the State.  It exists to celebrate the beauty of the land, to conserve the gifts of nature and to challenge future generations to build on this heritage.

 Their mission is to restore historic gardens and landscapes, conserve Virginia’s natural resources, inspire a love of gardening and provide education for members and the general public.

 The full schedule of tours will be available on www.vagardenweek.org in January and more information on the Club at www.gcvirginia.org

Gardens, wineries and national parks showcased at MyCapitalGardensUSA with introduction by Monty Don

 The states of Maryland and Virginia, along with the US capital city, Washington, DC, have hundreds of wonderful gardens, National Parks, wineries and farmers’ markets to offer.  MyCapitalGardensUSA was created to bring information about them together in one place to help visitors plan their green-fingered tours around the region. Gardening Guru Monty Don says “There is a wide range of spectacular gardens to visit, many loaded with history as well as exciting examples of the most modern ideas about contemporary garden design.”

 MyCapitalGardensUSA highlights a rich and diverse collection of the best ‘secret’ and historic gardens on the eastern seaboard of the USA.  The website, developed by the Capital Region USA in association with the National Gardens Scheme (NGS), features the ‘pick of the bunch’ of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC’s botanical gardens, National Parks, wineries and farmers’ markets.

 These include Jefferson’s Monticello, featured in Monty Don’s very personal expedition ‘Around the World in 80 Gardens’ broadcast by the BBC and described by him as being “perhaps the most famous garden in the whole region – if not the whole of America.”

 “There is a wide range of spectacular gardens to visit in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC,” said Monty.  “I made my pilgrimage to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Autumn, when the fall colours were at their best, but I long to return in Spring and see it again – and many of the other gardens I missed first time round such as Dumbarton Oaks, Ladew Topiary Gardens and the fabulous arboretums in this region.”

 For more information  visit http://wwww.mycapitalgardens.co.uk

New Patuxent Wine Trail in Maryland’s Calvert County showcases award-winning wineries

 Maryland’s newest wine trail was inaugurated earlier this year, featuring five recently opened wineries: Fridays Creek Winery, Running Hare Vineyard, Perigeaux Vineyards & Winery, Cove Point Winery and Solomons Island Winery.

The Patuxent Wine Trail can be found in Calvert County, part of historic Southern Maryland, known as the Pleasant Peninsula which is sandwiched between the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay.  The region offers stunning water vistas and beautiful rolling farmland that soothe the soul and a soil and climate that are a close approximation of the famed Tuscany region of Italy, enabling local wine makers to create sumptuous award-winning wines to rival those anywhere in the world.

 Every aspect of the region’s natural wonders is on display at the five wineries on the Patuxent Wine Trail. In Northern Calvert County, Fridays Creek Winery is situated on a working farm near the narrow reaches of the Patuxent River. Head south on the trail to Running Hare Vineyard to find rolling hillsides full of vines, a familiar sight to many Europeans. Farther south, at Perigeaux Vineyards & Winery, take in the scenery amidst lush woodlands between the Patuxent River and St. Leonard Creek. The southern tip of Calvert County features Cove Point winery just south of the verdant Calvert Cliffs State Park near the Chesapeake Bay, and Solomons Island Winery on Hungerford Creek near the lower Patuxent River.

 Roam through the tour and sample superb wines in a restored tobacco barn, in the folds of a gently sloping vineyard or along the banks of a pristine creek. You will be treated with warm Southern Maryland hospitality and take home a wealth of memories.

 For more information go to http://www.patuxentwinetrail.com/