Spring Hike Along The Patuxent

Laurel Maryland is an old mill town located at the fall line of the Patuxent River.

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At the end of Main Street there are a few old stone buildings that were originally built as 4-unit apartments for the workers.

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The last building on the right has been restored as the Laurel Museum. Volunteers from the local historical society open it up every Sunday for tours. There was a nice exhibit there last Christmas when I visited.

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We'll meet at the museum for the last hour that it is open. Those of you who read every label can arrive at the museum early. Those of you who like to be energy-efficient can meet at 2:30 at the Greenbelt Metro Station for car pools.

PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR RSVP IF YOU NEED, OR CAN OFFER, A RIDE.

After the museum closes at 4, we'll walk past the mill site and into the woods where there are impressive ruins of the old dam and power plant.

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Then we'll follow the path that's been built along the river back towards the Main Street shopping area.

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By now it will be evening, and there are a couple of possibilities for dinner -->

Salute Restaurante Italiano 19 Yelp Reviews 3 Stars out of 5
504 Main Street, Laurel MD 20707
http://www.yelp.com/biz/salute-ristorante-italiano-laurel-2

Tampico Grill 52 Yelp Reviews 4 Stars out of 5
42 Washington Blvd, Laurel MD 20707
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tampico-grill-laurel?start=40

Personally, I was impressed by the selection of margaritas at the Tampico Grille.

After refreshments, we can stroll through the old town in the evening and look at the houses. The carpenters who built these homes 100 years ago left as their signature, fancy brackets on the porches and gables.

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We can count the variations as we walk off our dinner on the way back to the museum parking lot.