A summer day in Baltimore County, Maryland

Discover how to make the most of the destination’s extensive outdoor options.

By WP Creative Group

With summer quickly approaching, many travelers are in search of destinations that offer sunshine, waterfront views, and fun activities.

Baltimore County, Maryland, boasting 200 miles of waterfront, is an ideal destination whether you’re planning a solo or couples trip, or a big family vacation. From golfing along the Chesapeake Bay, paddleboarding, or enjoying delicious seafood at a local spot, there’s a range of fun summer activities for everyone.

A golfing getaway

Baltimore County Golf has five championship golf courses and a United States Top 50 ranked Driving Range – perfect for golf enthusiasts or those new to the green.

In addition to annual passes, they offer weekday instruction for solo travelers and families. Their Rocky Point location is the only waterfront course on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. “The 10th green, the 11th tee, the 11th green and the 12th tee have spectacular views of all the water activities going on in the bay. In the summertime, you look out and you see hundreds of boats and jet skis. It’s just fantastic,” explained Joe Rahnis, golf instructor and Director of Golf Operations for Baltimore County Golf. In addition, the course’s clubhouse offers spectacular bay views. 

The Rocky Point location also offers plenty of amenities – both at the course and nearby – that allow visitors to make a full day of their visit. “At Rocky Point, there’s a little pavilion area that you can sit in, have a hot dog and drink and overlook the water. If you’re ready to leave the course, Hard Yacht Cafe and Carson’s Creekside Restaurant serve great dinner,” Rahins said.

Rahnis has been golfing for 39 years – and believes Baltimore County is the perfect place to try your hand at the sport. “Our mission is to provide an outstanding golf experience to all guests, regardless of caliber of play. We have a little bit of something for everybody; it doesn’t matter if you’re a 12 year old prodigy, or 82 years old and don’t hit it as far as you used to,” he said.

Fitness made fun

If you’re looking for a fun twist on your fitness routine, try a class with FloYo Fit. Founded by fitness instructor Jessie Benson in 2012, FloYo Fit combines yoga with stand up paddle boarding for a uniquely challenging workout on the water.

“We do have really beautiful waterways,” Benson says. “We see Chesapeake Bay otters. We have bald eagle nests all around us. People are looking for more than just a great workout. With paddleboarding, they are outside, they’re feeling refreshed, and they’re connecting with others in the community.”

It’s that feeling of being refreshed that made all the difference for Benson and her own yoga practice. “It was just a totally different experience. Imagine lying in savasana and seeing a great blue heron fly over your head or a little fish jumping next to you in the water. That’s really what made me fall in love with it,” she says.

While Benson admits that clients are sometimes a little skeptical about being able to stay afloat, the practice of paddle board yoga makes several modifications to make balance a little easier.

“The first thing to know is that we use really big boards,” Benson said. “These are 12 feet long and 30-32 inches wide, so it’s a really solid platform. We’re anchored, so you’re not drifting away from the instructor. It’s also a modified practice – even a warrior [pose] is done on your knee instead of standing all the way up. And finally, falling in is part of the fun! You’ll fall in, you’ll cool off, and you’ll get back on the board.”

The company offers a range of classes that serve a variety of skill-levels and interests. The signature FloYo class consists of vinyasa yoga sequences, focused on strengthening poses, balance and breathing techniques, while the FloYo® Fit is a more athletic interval-based class, focused on interval training, body weight exercises, and paddle drills that increase heart rate and build strength. FloYo® Girl is a girls’ empowerment program for ages 8-13, which consists of a two-hour journey of exploration through paddle boarding, yoga and mindfulness.

Best-in-class seafood

After spending a long day on the water, head over to Costas Inn, a family-owned restaurant that’s been serving the Baltimore County area since 1971. Costas N. Triantafilos and Tsambika Kefalas, Greek citizens, arrived in the United States and married, forming the union that remains the guiding force behind Costas Inn. Today, their son Pete Triantafilos serves as the general manager.

“I’m second generation, so I’ve been a part of it since the beginning,” Triantafilos said. “We’ve built a landmark institution in Baltimore County, on the east side. We’ve gotten to be a destination place and a place where if people want to come into town, they make sure to stop at the Costas Inn to just get some of the authentic Baltimore flavor that we offer.”

The menu at Costas Inn features everything from raw oysters and seafood pastas to salmon BLTs and award-winning crab cakes. “Crab cakes are very personal for every restaurant,” Triantafilos said. “We make it just as authentic to Baltimore as you can. There’s not a lot of bells and whistles. It’s just the flavor of the crab meat, blended in with our spices, to just enhance the flavor, not to overpower it.”

The crabs at Costas Inn are also hand-sorted to ensure customers get the biggest and best. In their peak season, the restaurant can go through 11,000 to 12,000 crabs per week. “We’re only serving the biggest and heaviest and fattest crabs available,” says Triantafilos.

Other menu highlights include their stuffed mushroom with Crab Imperial, crab and jalapeno poppers, Oyster Rockefeller, and their homemade crab seasoning — which is so popular with the locals that you can even purchase online or at local Baltimore County grocery stores, the perfect way to take a piece of your Baltimore County vacation home with you.

Discover all Baltimore County has to offer this summer. Plan your stay.

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