How To Save Money By Using Cheap Parking Near O’Hare Airport?

BY  sagnika Oct 12, 2021

The Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit 2024, which took place from November 6th to 8th, saw the Maryland Tourism Coalition (MTC), like in the last 50 years, unite all segments of the state’s tourism and 300 delegates to develop Maryland tourism.  This event is likely to impact tourism and the state's economy. We can expect many developments in amenities and infrastructure, with names like American Airlines, United Airlines, Quality Inn, and Holiday Inn Express Easton, an IHG Hotel, participating in the event.  Further, thanks to proximity to airports like the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Maryland remains accessible to tourists across the globe. Moreover, the free things to do in Maryland, like  Exploring the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp or visiting the Salisbury Zoo, make Maryland a tourist’s delight. So, despite being considered one of the more expensive states of the USA, you can plan a budget-friendly itinerary here.  If you are ready to travel like a local and pick budget-friendly activities, the pocket pinch (flight and hotel) will be around $270-350 per person. However, if you are not already aware of the free and cheap things to do in Maryland, this Tour and Travel guide will be of great help.  Free And Cheap Things To Do In Maryland | Traveling On A Shoestring In this blog, I will tell you about what I have explored in Maryland and what all things can be done in Maryland. We will also discuss the food of Maryland attractions that you must try when you are visiting Maryland. We will cater to you about all the possible information about Mary’s land and tourist attractions in Maryland which you can follow up.  So let’s start to take a glimpse of the famous places in Maryland.  There are a lot of things to do in Maryland but before that, I will tell you tips for first-time New York visitors. Most people who visit New York, tend to confine themselves to Manhattan only. But the real beauty of New York lies when you leave Manhattan.  I think the best way to convey this to you is to first tell you about the things to do in Maryland. While telling you about that I will also give you some tricky insights about New York.  I would like to start by saying that New York is a secret city in the United States. New York has surprised me quite a little there are so many things to do in new york. All you have to know is when to visit New York to enjoy the most.  There are a lot of things to do in Maryland but before that, I will tell you tips for first-time New York visitors. Most people who visit New York, tend to confine themselves to Manhattan only. But the real beauty of New York lies when you leave Manhattan.  I think the best way to convey to you is to first tell you about the things to do in Maryland. While telling you about that I will also give you some tricky insights about New York.  April to June and late August to October are two ideal seasons to try the free things to do in Maryland. However, during these two seasons, the cost of accommodation shoots up due to a tourist influx. So, you really need to pick the activities or visit the places that will cost you less when traveling on a shoestring.  Here, we will provide you with all the possible information about Maryland so you can visit these places without hassle.  1. Visiting The Calvert Cliffs State Park Location: 0540 H G Trueman Rd, Lusby, MD Contact Number: +1 443-975-4360 Vehicle Fee: $5 for State Residents, $7 for Residents of Other States, $10 for Small Bus, $20 for Large Bus Hours Open: 7:30 AM to 5 PM Exploring the fossil-bearing Calvert Cliffs is one of the best things to do in Maryland. I loved the atmosphere and the place.  Here, the large collection of fossiliferous is known as the Chesapeake Group. Further, the cliff contains Miocene fauna.  Fossil Hunting | Know The Things To Do In Maryland Park At Calvert Cliffs State Park, you can go to the end of the red trail. There, you will find the open beach area for fossil hunting. Here, you will find fossils from the Miocene era, covering more than 600 species. Some common variations here are Miocene-era oyster shells, shark teeth, and Chesapectens, which you can hunt using shovels and sieves.  The Calvert Cliff in Maryland is mostly forested, with some ponds and wetlands. Moreover, the things to do here are hunting turkey, deer, and bird watching. You can also stroll along the beautiful flora-fauna-rich beach in Calvert.    2. Exploring The Washington County Museum Of Fine Arts  Location: 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown, MD Contact Number: (301) 739-5727  Hours Open: 10 AM  - 5 PM (Tuesday to Sunday), Monday - Free Admission and Parking: Free The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, the hub of many exhibitions and events, houses more than 6,500 permanent collectibles. Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Singer, Jr founded the museum, and they donated the initial exhibits.  Currently, the museum has sculptures, decorative arts, drawings, and prints. Further, the collectibles here are cosmopolitan, with a focus on 19th-century European art and American art.  Some of the most prominent collections in the museum are the European Old Masters, The Singer Memorial Gallery, American Narratives: 1700-1920, and The Eight to Abstraction: Modernism & Innovation.  3. Spending A Day At Assateague Island National Seashore Entry Fee: Standard Pass - $0.00–$25.00, Annual Pass - $45.00, America the Beautiful Pass (includes Senior Passes) - Free–$80.00 Hours Open: 24*7 The United States Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service manage Assateague Island National Seashore. You will find feral ponies walking and galloping across the island and the surrounding waters. Further, the Assateague Island National Seashore is for everyone. You can go fishing, catch crabs, take a bike ride, or hike through the barrier island.  Moreover, you can collect a permit and enjoy the most adventurous ride in Over Sand Vehicles or OSVs. Also, for a wonderful outdoor experience, you can camp at the Assateague Island National Seashore.  4. Sightseeing At Ego Alley Location: 1 Dock St, Annapolis, MD  Hours Open: 24 Hours Entry: Fee  Ego Alley is a narrow waterway that spills out into Spa Creek. This narrow waterway got its name from the expensive boats parading in the evenings and during the weekend.  A visit to Ego Alley is one of the free things to do in Maryland. Here, you can soak in the Sun while gorging on local delicacies.  Further, people gather in large numbers at Ego Alley for St. Patrick's Day in March, the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show in April, or the Independence Day Celebration in July.  5. Visiting The Beautiful Sculpture Gardens, Baltimore Museum Of Art Location: 10 Art Museum Dr, Baltimore, MD Hours Open: Monday and Wednesday to Sunday - 10 AM to 5 PM, Tuesday: Closed Entry: Free As you take a walk along the Beautiful Sculpture Gardens, you will discover close to 33 sculptures.  The sculptures here are a good mix of old and new sculptures of the last 100 years.  6. William British Planetarium  Location: 820 Commonwealth Avenue, Hagerstown, MD Hours Open: Monday-Friday (8 AM to 3:30 PM), Special Shows: Second And Fourth Saturdays (5:30-7 PM) Entry Fee: $3.75 for Adults, $2.75 for Children and Students If you love to see the stars, moon, Milky Way, and galaxy, then William British Planetarium is the place you must visit.  Enjoy an immersive planetarium show that looks back at rare classes of eruptions that have marshaled the energy that lurks. You will also be able to witness the details of the space. I enjoyed this place thoroughly because it took me back to my childhood. 7. National Aquarium Location: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD Hours Open: Monday-Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday - 9 AM-6 PM, Friday: 9 AM to 9 PM Entry Fee: Free for Children below 4 Years, $24.95 or Half Price on Fridays from 5-9 PM When you visit Maryland, you cannot miss the National Aquarium, especially its wide variety of sea creatures, such as sharks, dolphins, living reefs, and jellyfish.  It is a non-profit public aquarium known as the Baltimore Aquarium, by the locals. The aquarium's water capacity is more than 2.2 million gallons, and it ranks as one of the top three aquariums in the country. It features amphibians, reptiles, fish, mammals, and birds. 8. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park Location: 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD Hours Open: Tuesday-Sunday (10 AM to 4 PM), Monday Closed Entry Fee: Free Another activity that must be included in your list of things to do in Maryland is visiting the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park! The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park commemorates the life of the activist Harriet Tubman, who was formerly enslaved during the American Civil War.  The national park encompasses 480 acres and is managed by the US National Park Service Unit. The state of Maryland is responsible for the park's upkeep. Throughout the park, exhibits are dedicated to Tubman, who operated the Underground Railroad after she was free from slavery. 9.  Exploring The Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Location: 2880 Grays Road, Port Republic, MD Hours Open: Monday-Friday (9 AM to 4:30 PM), Saturday (10 AM to 4:30 PM), Sunday: 1-4:30 PM Entry Fee: Free Battle Creek Cypress Swamp is home to bald cypress trees and is the first preserve of The Nature Conservancy in Maryland.  You will also find pink lady’s slipper and May apple plants here.  Moreover, the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp has Warblers and Kentucky.  10. Visiting The Salisbury Zoo Location: 755 S Park Dr, Salisbury, MD Hours Open: 9 AM to 4:30 PM Entry Fee: Free Salisbury Zoo is home to a wide range of animals, including guinea pigs, great horned owls, gopher tortoises, painted turtles, box turtles, and burrowing owls.  Salisbury Zoo is accessible, and it has wheelchair facilities to offer more inclusivity to visitors. Don’t Miss The Local Food | Best Things To Do In Maryland My best experience in Maryland was trying local food like Steamed Crabs. The place is popular in the United States for fishing and its blue crabs. The dish of steamed crabs combines spices, herbs, beer, and blue crabs. Remember to add butter along with different blends of seasoning so you will get both a spicy and savory taste. Another great thing I had was the Crab Cake. Also, don’t forget to try the Roasted Pit Beef. Raising A Toast At Flying Dog Brewery | Best Things To Do In Maryland  The next on my ‘things to do in Maryland’ list is a visit to the Flying Dog Brewery. What can be a better place for a connoisseur than the Flying Dog Brewery as they believe “Beer is Art.”  Flying Dog Brewery has a good mix of year-round gems and some seasonal attractions. The Double Dog Juicy Double IPA is my favorite among the year-round attractions.  Again, the Deep Fake Non-Alcoholic is the best seasonal offering here.  The Flying Dog Brewery's tasting room is open from Thursday to Sunday. I had a great time tasting different seasonal beers there.  However, don’t forget to carry your ID, as they only serve beer to 21+ visitors. 

BY  Ankita Mar 20, 2024

Siam Square is a popular shopping area located in the heart of Bangkok city, and known for its classy shopping malls and plenty of street markets. This capital is different from others as it allows you to explore museums, visit amazing temples, and watch Thai boxing matches, all in one area. Whether shopaholic or not, you can enjoy amazing things like street and window shopping, viewing amazing art, and interacting with large wax statues of your favorite celebrities. Window Shop At Central Chidlom As a shopaholic who has fun window shopping, visit Central Chidlom to view products in its flower display. Get a foot massage at Siam Square from this stylish store that has seven floors internationally known for its huge, unique, and attractive display. Do Amazing Shopping At Siam Square The square is a huge hub of all essentials for shopping due to its large fantastic malls, small boutiques all over, and low-budget street shops. You can comfortably do street and window shopping, and after a tiring day of shopping join one of the many restaurants and cafes for food and drinks. You can do the shopping from 10 am to 10 pm, Thailand time. Watch The MBK Fight Night One of the most exciting things you can do in Siam Square is see Thailand boxers fight against worldwide boxers. On the last Wednesday of every month, you can watch a live Muay Thai Boxing match free of charge. The fight is hosted with live commentary, ring girls, and a music band at 444 Phayathai Rd, Wang Mai. Take Photos With Global Celebs At Madame Tussauds Museum Get a chance to brush shoulders with your favorite local and international celebs, Hollywood stars, heads of state, and sports heroes and heroines at Madame Tussaud Museum. You’ll find life-sized wax statues of famous guys and have a chance to touch, hug, and even kiss them. You can access them any day of the week from 10 am to 9 pm. Visit Jim Thompson House Art lovers worried about what to do in Bangkok are well-catered; they can access well-designed South Asian art at Jim Thompson House. Here you will find old-aged Buddha images, Chinese porcelains made in the 14th century, and 18th-century paintings. Visit the place on any day of the week, specifically between 10 AM to 5 PM to see all this art. Idol At Paragon Shopping Mall If you are having a tired day, just wander around the huge, plush, and luxurious shopping mall. To those who love admiring pricey and high-end electronics, materials, and clothing, you will enjoy moving from one floor to another looking at them. You could also enjoy luxurious and underworld dining in the same mall. Explore Erawan Shrine Find a time between 6 am and 10 pm to visit one of the most popular Hindu Shrines in Bangkok. You can go there to pray, meditate, or have fun watching Thai and lion dances in the shrine. Enjoy all forms of fun from amazing shopping, hugs and kisses from your favorite celebs, prayer and meditation, art, and window shopping at Siam Square. Best Places To Shop Around The Siam Square  Bangkok In this section, we discuss some of the great places you can visit in Siam Square. Enjoy Siam Paragon The Siam Paragon offers different brands, mainly the upmarket brands, where people can go out and shop. The glass and steel megamall covers a vast area. You will find around 250 shops there. You could also find Asia’s largest aquarium, a 16-screen cineplex, and plenty of gourmet restaurants and cafes. There, you could find the flagship stores in Prada, Louis Vitton, and the Thai bespoke stores where you could occupy the 4th floor. The place is great and offers a great shopping experience to the people. You will undoubtedly fly high inside the buzzing shopping mall filled with life. CentralWorld  The CentralWorld is undoubtedly one of the most visited places in Siam. It has got everything, from fashion to high-tech electronics and imported groceries. You will certainly get a glimpse of the best shopping experience. The mall is always buzzing with life. Some events and concerts cater to the requirements of people across diverse age groups. You can find the 15-screen SF World Cinema, Isetan department stores, and Zen there. Apart from that, you can also find hundreds of restaurants and cafes. MBK Center The MBK center is well known for affordable shopping. It's a gigantic place with around 2000 shops that occupy around seven floors of the retail space. One of the primary selling points of the place is the extensive range of products, photo equipment, video games, gold ornaments, and many others. Whatever you wish to shop for, you can easily find them here. It is indeed a great shopping experience where you get plenty of food choices. Siam Center Another shopping center that counts itself on the list of the trending fashion malls in Siam Bangkok is the Siam Centre. There, you get dozens of boutiques. However, you get products from Thai designers. The mall is one place where you find the utmost fun. Fashion brands like Steve Maddens, Adidas, Pull & Bear, Victoria’s Secret, and others. It's a fun place to explore the best offerings from the best brands. Gaysorn Village Gaysorn Village is one of the most luxurious upmarket shopping complexes. The place is a storehouse of the most high-end luxurious goods. The contemporary design and the innovative retail concept create an exclusive shopping experience that you definitely need to look for. You can expect a wide range of products from international brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, and Prada, among the best brands in Thailand. The most innovative designers in Thailand are the Senada Theory, Kloset Red Carpet, and Fly Now.  These products are highly competitive and of great quality if compared with the best foreign international brands. Apart from its renowned places, there are some other great places in Siam Square where you can have the best shopping experience. They include Erawan, Ermin Plaza, Hard Rock Shop, Center Point Siam Square, and others. Read Also: Crime Rate In Florida Trending Down While California Skyrockets: Report World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square

BY  Barsha Dec 28, 2023

Bangkok is home to over a thousand temples. Some of these temples are historical and have cultural significance, and some others or mainly for local prayers. During a Holiday in the Capital of Thailand, booking a Bangkok temple tour is a must to explore the city’s main highlights and most beautiful temples. In this article, we will be listing the best and most recommended 5 temples in Bangkok to visit. Wat Pho  Wat Pho temple (also known as the temple of the sleeping or reclining Buddha), is one of the most important temples to visit when being in Bangkok. The temple is home to the famous sleeping Buddha statue which measures 46 meters in length and 15 meters in height. The statue is covered in gold leaf and is a unique piece of art. This temple is considered as the largest temple in Bangkok and is the birthplace for Traditional Thai massage. It was the first public university in Thailand that specialized in religion, science, and literature. Till today, It is still a center of learning for traditional Thai massage and medicine. During your visit to Wat Pho temple, you can book a traditional Thai massage session that combines stretching, pulling, and rocking techniques to relieve tension and enhance flexibility and circulation. It's often described as a combination of yoga and meditation. This Temple is very popular among Bangkok temple tours since it has a strategic location near the Chaophraya river, the Grand Palace, and other important Landmarks in Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew Wat Phra Kaew is located inside the Grand Palace. This temple is home to the Emerald Buddha, one of the most revered Buddha images in Thailand. Despite its name, the statue is actually made of jade or jasper rather than emerald. This temple is considered as the Personal chapel of the Royal Family. Wat Phra Kaew was Constructed in 1782 when King Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok.  The temple's architecture is a stunning example of Thai craftsmanship, with intricate carvings, colorful mosaics, and gold-leafed figures adorning its structures. The Great thing about visiting this temple is that you will have the opportunity to combine the visit of both the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew since they are both within the same location. They are also within a very short walking distance from Wat Pho, making combining both of them in a half-day visit a very popular choice among tourists visiting Bangkok. Wat Arun  Wat Arun is Known as the temple of Dawn and it dates back to the Ayutthaya period. It has a unique design, similar to the Ayutthaya temples design and having some Khmer elements as well. The temple was renovated by King Rama II and It has been a significant symbol of the Rattanakosin Period and the shift of the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. Wat Arun’s towers (known as prangs) are decorated with colorful porcelain and seashells, making it visually unique. The central prang is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. The temple is located along the Chaophraya river and is often included on the same day when visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. You just need to take a ferry boat to cross the river to reach the other side of the City and visit this amazing temple. Wat Arun has undergone several renovations in the past years and the last significant restoration completed was in 2017 under the supervision of UNESCO. Wat Traimit  Wat Traimit is another beautiful temple in Bangkok with unique features. It is famous for housing the world's largest solid gold Buddha image. The statue is about 3 meters tall and weighs approximately 5.5 tons. The Golden Buddha dates back to the 13th or 14th century, originating in the Sukhothai period. However, the exact origins and history of the statue are still subject to debate and research, and no one has confirmed it. Wat Traimit is one of the most sacred temples, not only in Bangkok but all around Thailand. The building is a beautiful example of modern Thai Buddhist architecture. The temple complex includes a museum where visitors can learn about the history of the Golden Buddha and the Chinatown area where the temple is located. In addition to that, it also offers insights into the Chinese community's role in Thai society. Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple) Wat Benchamabophit is famous for its use of white Carrara marble from Italy, which gives it a distinctly elegant appearance. This feature is unique among Bangkok's temples and of course, is the reason why it gained the name of the Marble Temple of Bangkok. This temple was built in the Late 19th Century during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), in 1899. It is a fine example of modern Thai religious architecture from the end of the 19th century. The temple's design is a fusion of traditional Thai architecture and European influences. Wat Benchamabophit is associated with the Thai royal family and has been used for numerous royal ceremonies. When you hold a five Thai baht coin, you will find the image of this temple on the back of the Coin, reflecting its importance and significance in Thai culture. The temple is home to 52 Buddha images, representing various styles and postures from different periods of Thai history. This collection offers a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Buddhist art in Thailand. The temple complex includes beautifully maintained gardens and courtyards, adding to its serene and tranquil ambiance. Read Also: Crime Rate In Florida Trending Down While California Skyrockets: Report World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square