With the warm weather steadily approaching, and students beginning to fill up the quad, there is excitement in the air on the evergreen campus. Spring opens up new opportunities to get outside and embrace the warm weather. Much like other students, I am very excited to be able to explore and see what Baltimore has to offer while focusing on being safe. This guide features a few places that I am very excited about visiting throughout the remainder of the semester.
- Sherwood Gardens
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Located only a mile away from Loyola’s campus this is a great place to go if you don’t have a car on campus or you don’t feel comfortable getting in an uber. You can easily walk with your friends to this community park home to 80,000+ tulip bulbs. It is the perfect place for pictures or for a casual stroll. It was voted the Best Urban Garden in Baltimore Magazine’s 2020 annual Reader’s Poll.
- Gunpowder Falls State Park
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This scenic hiking area in Glen Arm, MD is home to countless hiking trails and beautiful waterfalls. It is a great place to go on the weekend if you want to escape the city. The state park is divided into six different areas each with specific things to do in them including fishing spots, mountain biking trails, and picnicking areas.
- Visit a Local Plant Nursery & a Craft Store
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I am a big supporter of buying plants to take care of while at college. They liven up your dorm room and can be a great way to provide fresh herbs for your cooking. The perfect weekend activity is to go to your local nursery (Green Fields Nursery is only a few miles away from Loyola) and buy a new houseplant. You can explore the nursery and pick out the perfect plant for your dorm, whether it’s a succulent, an air plant, or anything else. Buy a pot to go along with it and pick up paints from the craft store to decorate it!
- Art Museums!
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While visiting museums you can effectively stay six feet apart from the other museum-goers while admiring the unique art. The Walters Art Museum has free general admission and opens on March 17th. This museum is close to many great restaurants where you can order food to go and enjoy the Mount Vernon area.
- Picnic on the Quad
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If you don’t feel like going off-campus to enjoy the beautiful spring weather hanging out with your friends on the quad is a great choice. Grab your hammock, picnic blanket, and charcuterie board for a nice afternoon in the warm weather. This has easily become one of my favorite activities while on campus. Seeing all the groups of people gathered on the quad, playing music, throwing frisbees, and swinging in their hammocks brings me joy. It makes me very excited to be hybrid learning during this crazy semester.
While we are unable to explore the city like we normally may have during a spring semester I am excited to be in charm city while the weather gets hot. The city is large and the opportunities are endless, stay safe and enjoy it!