holiday vacations

Right-wing pundits who ignored Bush's golf game seem to hate Obama's

If all you want for Christmas is a bit of free parking at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, consider your wish list fulfilled.

Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, in conjunction with the Howard County Marine Corps League Detachment 1084, is inviting everyone to celebrate Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday on Sunday, Nov. 9, The last Old Town Farmers' Market for the season will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8. Banneker Park over in Oella is offering an after-school explorer series. Howard County Historical Society has scheduled several new programs in their "Music at the Museum" series. Howard County Historical Society

The last cruise night of the season will be held at the Perryville Outlet Center Saturday

On Monday, the average price per gallon in Maryland stood at $3.08, 11 cents down from a week ago and 24 cents below a month ago, according to driver advocacy group AAA Mid-Atlantic. The last time Maryland's average gas price was this low was in January 2011.

Nearly three-quarters of a million Marylanders are expected to hit the roads and airways this Labor Day weekend, continuing a trend of high holiday travel in the state this summer.

Nearly 35 million Americans are expected to travel for Labor Day weekend this year, a slight increase over last year and the most since recession-driven declines began in 2008, according to driver advocacy organization AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Anne Arundel Religion briefs

Anne Arundel Religion briefs

The wet threat of Hurricane Arthur may have forced changes to many local Fourth of July celebrations, but it's impact on travel in Maryland during the long holiday weekend was limited, transportation and vacation resort officials said Monday.

As one of summer's busiest weeks for holiday travel approaches, officials in Baltimore are warning visitors and commuters of multiple construction projects causing major congestion on several city thoroughfares.

Normalcy remains elusive for the residents of the Charles Village block that collapsed in April, as an active construction site still hums outside the doors that they only this week have been allowed to come back to.

After an unusually cold and snowy winter, many Marylanders are expected to take advantage of the sun forecast for this holiday weekend by getting out of town.

Reversing a decades-long trend, more mothers are opting to stay home with the kids, as they confront a tight job market and the rising cost of child care

In more than 30 years in corporate America I have worked with — and learned from — many talented women (and men). Now it's my turn to mentor. I believe the messages for today's professional women are immensely positive, and I intend to write more about them in coming weeks. We did not get here quickly or quietly, but through the hard work and sacrifices of our mothers, aunts and grandmothers. The debt we owe them we can only try to pay forward.

For many making and/or trafficking in illegal booze, the convenience of having Route nearby connecting Baltimore and Washington made rum running to the big cities during Prohibition easier, as long as they remembered to slow down along Dead Man's Curve, even after its rehabilitation.

Senior Alyssa Thomas scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed her 1,000th rebound as No. 8 Maryland routed the visiting College of Charleston, 103-51, on Sunday in the Terrapin Classic championship game in College Park.

It took a hit because of the weather, but the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour of Havre de Grace drew a crowd when it was staged a week later than had been planned.

From now until New Year's Day, nearly 2 million Marylanders are expected to hit the road, catch flights and settle into train cars en route to holiday destinations, about the same number as made trips last year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. But who is traveling and where they are headed is changing, officials say, along with America's evolving demographics.

Cold temperatures, sleet and snow did not stop the nearly 200 people who came out for the Laurel Historical Society's Holiday House Tour on Saturday, Dec. 14. Warmly dressed people braved the cold weather to tour brightly lit homes and buildings, elegantly decorated for the Christmas holiday season. The event attracted newcomers and those who regularly take the self-guided house tours.

Although the previous weekend's snowy weather forced organizers of the 35th Annual Delta Christmas Fair to cancel the home tour portion of the event, participating homeowners still campaigned for the event to be held Sunday, allowing visitors to northern Harford County and southern York County, Pa., to see a variety of homes and historic sites that were decorated for Christmas.

When Kim Little and her husband Jeff purchased their historic Darlington stone house six-and-a-half years ago, it was in "deplorable condition," she recalled.

Forget that namby pamby Elf on the Shelf stuff, if you really want to get your kids to behave at Christmas time, tell them about Krampus.

Take a Holiday Candlelight Tour of Montpelier Mansion Friday, Dec. 13 and Sat., Dec. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m., at 9650 Muirkirk Road. Local garden clubs display creative skills throughout the house with holiday greens and candlelight.

This year's AMC Holiday House Tour in Harford County will be held on Sunday, Dec. 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. AMC Holiday House Tour

Seven locations across historic Laurel are preparing to be showcased in the bi-annual Laurel Historical Society's Holiday House Tour Saturday, Dec. 14, from 2-6 p.m.

In Baltimore, at least, nothing messes up holiday plans like a good snow.

The 2013 Delta-Cardiff-Whiteford Holiday House Tour, which has been rescheduled to Sunday, Dec. 15, from 1-5 p.m., will offer visitors four area houses and a historic Welsh cottage, all decorated for the holidays.

As many Marylanders are busy preparing for the holidays, the state's politicians are scurrying to raise money for an election next summer.

Midnight Madness, a holiday tradition for decades, is Friday, Dec. 6.

Lacrosse coach Beth Kennedy was honored at the annual Howard County Celebration of Sports on Oct. 15.

If you traveled for Thanksgiving, you'll likely pay more for gas getting home than you did getting away.

Temperatures were forecast to rise into the mid-40s by Wednesday morning in the Baltimore area as rain continues, but gusty winds and possible snowflakes could still blow in by the afternoon to again slow those traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Day trips in Maryland

As most Americans doze off in front of the TV after a few too many helpings of turkey and pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, some 20 million others will be heading out to work. Called on by their employers to work on the holiday, most feel they cannot say no — they need the money or fear reprisal.

Sykesville Main Street will lead off with a holiday shopping extravaganza, 12 Hours of Christmas, on Friday, Dec. 6, from noon until midnight.

While the number of Marylanders traveling for Thanksgiving this year is expected to be slightly lower this year compared to last year, there will still be hundreds of thousands of people on the roads, rails and in the air.

Forecasters are keeping an eye on storms in several regions of the U.S. that could dump cold rain or even some snow in the Baltimore-Washington area in the days just before Thanksgiving, potentially complicating plans during the busiest travel time of the year.