publisher’s note I karl teel
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Celebrating our nation’s birthday
Another lap around the sun — that’s what technically defines what makes us another year older. Why celebrate? Well, it’s not about the completing of another lap — it’s a symbolic time of reflection on accomplishment and celebration of all that makes us happy in life. A nation’s birthday is no different, other than the fact it’s an entity, not a human being. Like a person’s birthday, we celebrate what it has brought into our lives. We all celebrate people who mean much to us: parents, siblings, children, friends, and colleagues. The Fourth of July means so much more than fireworks and a day off. It’s a time to reflect upon the enrichment our lives have had as a result of the existence of the good ol’ U.S. of A. I can sum up the lion’s share in a single word: Freedom. Freedom to practice your religion of choice. Freedom to select a rewarding career. Freedom to marry whoever agrees to it. Freedom to voice your opinion. Freedom to travel where you desire. How will you celebrate? The family picnic or barbecue, a gathering at the park, a keg of beer, a fireworks display, a visit with friends, just relaxing on a day off, or working to earn some overtime cash? It doesn’t matter. You have the freedom to
2 ~ Editor’s Note 3 ~ Publisher’s Note 4 ~ Travel Line
select the best choices on your personal menu of options. Of course, we here at Recreation News Media strive to provide you with a variety of options, whether it’s in our Calendar of Events, with its hundreds of events each month, or the travel ideas and vacation tips we provide in print in Recreation News, online at RecreationNews.com, or in our weekly email blast, The Weekend Update. Like our great nation, every service we provide our audience is absolutely free. While our great nation spans thousands of miles and, like any family, some members go back further in history than others, we are all one. For us here in the Mid-Atlantic coast, we are smack dab in the heart of the origins of our nation’s history. We’re surrounded by Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital, as well as other key cities from our history such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Annapolis, and countless smaller towns that played important parts in that history. Maybe a visit to the Smithsonian, fireworks on the mall, or a historical tour doesn’t fit into your plans for the holiday weekend, but consider some travel in the future this year to reflect on our heritage. The primary ingredient to a celebration begins with caring, and the primary way to show care is to act upon it. This year, as you celebrate our national birthday, take a moment to reflect and to appreciate what a gift it is to be here, and begin to set AAA COLOR CARD CO. some plans in motion to (814) 793-2342 see more of our counaaacolorcard.com try, its people, and its Raised Ink • Flat Foil history. We are here to Full Color Flat Ink Fast Turnaround help. 1000s Logos in Stock Happy birthday, Providing Quality Business America! Your family Cards Since 1976. loves you.
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6 ~ Mid-Atlantic Agritourism attractions 8 ~ Maryland by horseback 9 ~ New tours of Bedford 10 ~ Cruise Corner 12 ~ Hit the beach 13 ~ Calendar of Events DHG-1 ~ Discount and Housing Guide 16 ~ Mid-Atlantic caverns 18 ~ Hiking around Morgantown 20 ~ Martinsburg Bike Night 21 ~ Adventures in Taste 22 ~ Wine Doctor
On our cover Discover the pleasures of a Princess Cruise to Alaska in this month’s Cruise Corner. (Michelle Teel).
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Celebrate July Fourth with music, floats, and balloons at the National Independence Day Parade starting at 11:45am on Constitution Avenue (july4thparade.com) A July Fourth concert with patriotic music by the National Symphony Orchestra and musical artists starts at 8:00pm on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, followed by fireworks on the National Mall. (psb.org/a-capitol-fourth) The Smithsonian Folklife Festival continues through July 4 and again July 7–10 celebrating Basque country and the sounds of California with music, dance, crafts, food, and storytelling. (festival.si.edu) — gwen woolf
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