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Written By Evan Balkan

It is summer. It is hot. And it is tough to muster the energy to go anywhere but the pool. But you want something new. Haven’t anything planned? Not to worry; here are some suggestions for spur-of-the-moment summer fun – no appointments necessary.

Winterthur in Pennsylvania and the Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania. OK, we’re cheating. Yes, there is “winter” in the name, but you are not going to escape the heat there. On the other hand, there are so many wonderful distractions at Winterthur (winterthur.org) that you may forget all about the heat.

Winterthur, home of Henry Francis du Pont, was built in 1932 to mimic 18th- and 19th-century European country homes. At almost 100,000 square feet, it is the fifth-largest historical home in America, containing 175 rooms furnished with exquisite art from a collection of almost 90,000 objects: primarily American decorative arts from the 1600s to mid-1800s.

Winterthur’s 1,000-acre garden has long been considered among the finest in America; in summer, 7,500 varieties of plants are in bloom. And on site, there is also the three-acre Enchanted Forest for kids.

Winterthur is only one of many attractions in the Brandywine Valley. Enough ch‰teaux abound to make Brandywine, in places, look like the Loire River Valley. This is the Brandywine of the American School of painting; the Wyeth family its most famous resident artists. And protections from development mean plenty of shade along the area’s winding roadways.

In Pennsylvania, check out the Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens; in Delaware, look for the Hagley Museum and the exquisite Nemours Mansion. If you want luxury, book a room at the Inn at Montchanin (montchanin.com); for more modest accommodations, head into nearby Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city. See thebrandywine.com for the lowdown.

The museums, the Nemours Mansion and the Inn at Montchanin are approximately a two hour drive from Westminster.

If you really want a respite from the heat, head underground, to the Crystal Grottoes Cavern (crystalgrottoescaverns.com), in Boonsboro, where it is 54 degrees year-round. Miners discovered the caverns in 1920, and they have been attracting visitors ever since. Crystal Grottoes claims more “formations per square foot than any cave known to man.” Stalactites and stalagmites abound, some of them tinted a fantastic blue. The passages are generally quite high; no crouching involved.

Just a few miles from Crystal Grottoes is Antietam Battlefield (nps.gov/ancm/index), site of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. The power and solemnity remain almost palpable, and certainly enough to remind you that summer heat is no big thing, really. But if you do need a cool-off, the whitewater mecca of Harpers Ferry is a half-hour down MD 67. Historicharpersferry.com has recommendations for river running, as well as accommodations.

Crystal Grottoes is 1 hour from Westminster.

Sometimes it is a futile to try beating the heat; better to simply embrace it.

The Battle Creek Cypress Swamp (calvertparks.org/bccss) in Calvert County is an ideal place for this. What better environment to feel as if you have descended into some Deep South cypress swamp?

A few hundred millennia ago, the weather was even hotter. So hot, in fact, that cypress swamps thrived in Maryland. Today, Battle Creek constitutes the northernmost limits for cypress. A quarter-mile boardwalk winds through the trees, which provide habitat for many songbirds and wildflowers.

Bear the heat and imagine a few hundred thousand years ago; then, you would have seen mammoth here. When you leave, take comfort in realizing that you have either been transported back in time or to some Louisiana backwater. You are in Maryland, and before you know it, it will be fall.

After Battle Creek, continue your time travel by going south to Historic St. Mary’s City (stmaryscity.org); Maryland’s first capital and fourth-oldest permanent colonial settlement in North America. There, costumed interpreters and reconstructed buildings recreate 17th-century life. And you will get a renewed appreciation for air conditioning. (visitstmarysmd.com) for more to do in St. Mary’s County as well as accommodations.

Battle Creek is under 2 hours from Westminster, St. Mary’s another 45 minutes.

Paradoxically, sometimes heat can cool you down. Think downing hot tea under baking Saharan skies. A similar phenomenon is at play at steaming spas. And there is no better spa destination than Berkeley Springs, WV (berkeleysprings.com).

The town first showed up as Medicine Springs on a 1747 map. Today, five separate spas call Berkeley Springs home; this in addition to the springs that have attracted clients for centuries (George Washington among them) at Berkeley Springs State Park. Shops selling homeopathic remedies, antiques and more crowd downtown. Restaurants abound as do accommodation options, from cabins in nearby Cacapon State Park (cacaponresort.com) to B&Bs and the centrally located Country Inn (thecountryinnatberkeleysprings.com).

Amid the shopping, don’t forget the spas (and saunas, massages, acupuncturists, pedicures, manicures and . . . you get the idea: relaxation is serious business in Berkeley Springs). Check out the website for lodging.

Berkley Springs is an hour and a half from Westminster.

An essential part of summer in America is the good old road trip. Yes, I-70 isn’t far. But for a more pleasant ride, take some travel time. The country’s first National Road began in Western Maryland in 1811. Southeast from Carroll County, the National Road is MD 144 toward Baltimore. You can see Ellicott City, with the country’s oldest surviving rail station, plus a ton of shopping and eating options along its preserved 19th Century Main Street, as well as Oella (1808), home to Benjamin Banneker, the African-American mathematician and contemporary of Thomas Jefferson.

Westward, take in the antiques at New Market and the area’s wine tours before checking out the museums and cosmopolitan vibe of Frederick. Like pioneers before you, continue west on the National Road (US 40), to see America’s first monument to George Washington as well as several state parks. The recreational treasures of Western Maryland await beyond Cumberland, itself a pleasant destination.

Following the historical road allows you to slow down, choose an appropriate length, and enjoy the scenery as America’s original westward route rolls through the piedmont of Carroll to the Appalachians, just as it did more than two centuries ago. The website marylandnationalroad.org provides very detailed overviews, including sites, restaurants, and accommodations.

Leaving Fido or Tabby Behind?
Sometimes, your dog or cat complicates a spur-of-the-moment trip. If you are leaving home for a few days and require pet-sitting, here are some resources. The following services can come to your home while you are gone to feed and exercise your pet:

Dogma Pet Sitting
3515 Carrollton Rd, Hampstead; 443-244-0728; www.dogmapetsit.com

Golden Love Pet Sitting
Westminster; 410-596-9673; www.goldenlovepetsitting.com

TLC Pet Services
New Windsor; 866-891-5905; www.alotoftlcpetservices.com

Boarding:
Misty Ridge Animal Resort
2922 Old Liberty Rd., New Windsor; 301-253-5664; www.mistyridge.com

Lucky Stars Country Kennels
2818 Hampstead Mexico Rd., Hampstead 410-239-2100; www.luckystarskennel.com

Airpark Animal Hospital and Boarding
1000 Littlestown Pike, Westminster; 410-848-9188; www.airparkanimal.com

We’ve Gone to the Dogs
1219 Old Taneytown Rd., Westminster; 443-536-5772; www.wevegonetothedogs.net

Camp Yuppie Puppy
3430 Uniontown Rd, Westminster; 410-857-8230; www.campyuppiepuppy.com

Mariah-Belle Manor
6628 Runkles Road, Mount Airy; 301-829-9968; www.mariahbellemanor.com