tourism and leisure

• Maryland

Arundel's 'Ranger Vince' back on familiar turf for Defenders Day

Anne Arundel County native Vince Vaise — best known by his fans as the ever-enthusiastic "Ranger Vince" — may no longer officially work in Baltimore after 27 years, but he can't stay away.

• Obituaries

Howard Marion Gamse

Howard Marion Gamse, a former vice president of Gamse Lithographing Company, died Aug. 11 of cancer in his Guilford home. He was 89.

• Maryland

Freeman to retire after 20 years as head of Farm Museum

Dottie Freeman has served as the face of the Farm Museum since 1994 when she was promoted to administrator, but her tenure will soon be over.

• Howard County

Chefs show their chops during Restaurant Week [Mostly Main Street]

We are in the midst of Howard County Restaurant Weeks right now. They end on Aug. 4.

• Tourism and Leisure

Baltimore's tourism industry sees growth in 2013

Baltimore's tourism industry continues to grow, according to Visit Baltimore's annual report, with 23.9 million visitors to the city spending a record $5.15 billion last year.

• Opinion

Don't pave paradise [Commentary]

This month, Baltimore confirmed its desire to replace its waterfront volleyball courts with a park-topped parking lot. How many cities want to turn their highly-popular waterfront area into a parking lot, removing a key discriminator between themselves and other cities trying to recruit young professionals and spending $32 million to do it?

• Howard County

A look inside the healing garden of Howard's 'Dr. Duke'

With its four terraces of thriving plants sloping down toward a babbling lily pond, Jim Duke's garden could certainly be considered a healing place.

• Cruises

Robert Suhay looks to make sailing history on the Chesapeake Bay

Starting Sunday, the 51-year-old from Norfolk, Va., will try to sail the Chesapeake Bay, from Norfolk to Annapolis, alone in a Laser dinghy, a one-man sailboat.

• Business

Group from Jordan visits Baltimore

Public and private leaders of the Jordanian city of Aqaba visited Baltimore on Wednesday to learn about creating a tourist destination from an industrial port.

• Maryland

Reisterstown named a Sustainable Community

• Maryland

Maryland Office of Tourism holds selfie contest

• Waterway and Maritime Transportation

Cruise ship Pearl Mist to embark on maiden voyage

The Pearl Mist, a 335-foot cruise ship that was readied at a Salisbury shipyard for the last year after a protracted legal dispute between its owner and builder, will embark from Baltimore on its maiden voyage on Wednesday.

• Baltimore City Paper

OPEN HOUSES AND TOURS

• Maryland

Outdoors: Southern Delaware more than beaches

• Maryland

Outdoors: Southern Delaware more than beaches

• Baltimore City Paper

Sports and Recreation

• Baltimore City Paper

Baltimore for Kids

• Baltimore City Paper

Breweries and Wineries

• Waterway and Maritime Transportation

If we only loved water as much as the waterfront

Column on the Baltimore harbor, potential

• Baltimore City Paper

HISTORY

• Baltimore City Paper

Sonic Youth Keep Finding Thrills in the Old Routine

• Baltimore City Paper

Q&A: Max Tundra On Sappy British Music, Taking His Sweet Time, and Friendster

• Baltimore City Paper

A supposedly fun thing I will never do, never, ever

• Baltimore City Paper

Ride the Ducks Calls It Quits in Baltimore

• Baltimore City Paper

No Brain, No Gain?: Here's a short history of the Gov's brain-optional priorities, as defined by the term that won't die.

• Baltimore City Paper

Arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal - Part 1

• Baltimore City Paper

What a Wonderful World

• Baltimore City Paper

Q&A: Roman Kuebler of the Oranges Band

• Harford

Harford County's fifth annual Restaurant Week has begun

Harford County's fifth annual Restaurant Week started Monday and will run through June 14, offering all kinds of valuable dining experiences around the county at a fraction of the normal cost.

• Opinion

The dolphin problem [Editorial]

The National Aquarium must balance the moral case for releasing its marine mammals with its status as a prime driver of Baltimore's tourism economy.

• Travel

Maryland tourist destinations prepare for a boost in business

Visitors trying to shake off a particularly snowy winter and rainy spring could give a boost to Maryland's tourist destinations this summer compared to last year.

• Howard County

Ellicott City native in 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at Arena Stage

Dressed in skinny jeans, flats, a white shirt and still wearing her stage makeup, the petite Ashley Blair Fitzgerald sits cross-legged in a small conference room after her matinee performance in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" at Arena Stage in Washington.

• Entertainment

For some authors, it's a tour de farce

Authors tell stories of reading to an empty room, sick kids and sleeping in their truck while on tour

• Food & Drink

Chef education tours resume on Chesapeake Bay

The Maryland Seafood Marketing Program has started up its fourth season of chef education tours

• Baltimore City

Guilford centennial celebration to end with benefit gala for Sherwood Gardens

Guilford centennial celebration to end with benefit gala for Sherwood Gardens

• Travel

Under Armour's Brand House in SoHo opens

Under Armour opens its largest specialty store to date today in SoHo, hoping to attract tourists from around the globe

• Arts and Culture

Tour hours expanding for historic Phoenix Shot Tower

Preservationists and city hope to restore, draw visitors to structure built in 1828

• Howard County

Participants navigate Howard housing at annual fair

The eighth annual Come Home to Howard County fair on Saturday, April 12 attracted 900 people who spent half of a sunny, 70-degree day at Long Reach High School, sitting in information sessions, taking community tours and hoping to win a housing lottery.

• Cruises

Cruise departs despite apprehension over viral outbreak

Passengers on the Grandeur of the Seas left Baltimore for the Bahamas after ship was scrubbed after second wave of stomach illnesses

• Travel

Baltimore-based cruise ship set to depart tonight despite viral outbreak

For the second time in two weeks, a Baltimore-based cruise ship is dealing with an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

• Travel

Howard site is a key player for shows like Disney on Ice and Monster Jam

Monster trucks, wild animals and figure skaters draw millions to Feld Entertainment's live shows each year. But some of that magic comes from an unlikely arena — an industrial complex in Jessup.

• Baltimore Hotels

New projects abound in Baltimore's challenging hotel market

Baltimore's hotel market is at a crossroads as investments pour into properties new and old amid a nationwide pickup in business and leisure travel. As new hotels open, older properties scramble to remain competitive in a market in which demand for rooms remains healthy but has yet to rebound to pre-recession levels.

• Opinion

Bill thwarting wind energy project could hurt state [Commentary]

If you work in Maryland, you have good reason to be concerned about climate change and to be in favor of more clean energy like land-based wind power. Unfortunately, a bill moving in Annapolis right now would severely handicap Maryland's ability to pursue onshore wind development within our borders.

• Travel

Hanging out in Haiti with Madison Smartt Bell

Haiti travel

• Harford

Harford close to getting state authority to enact lodging tax

Harford County is close to receiving elusive state authority to levy a tax on hotel and motel room rentals, thanks to a backdoor legislative tactic deployed by the leader of the Maryland Senate, with the blessing of a leading candidate for county executive.

• Opinion

Smoke-free beaches [Editorial]

Rehoboth Beach recently joined the growing ranks of coastal resort towns that ban smoking on the beach so why not Ocean City?

• Carroll County Times

Slow to warm up to Carroll Farm Museum open in winter

This year marks the first time since its opening in 1966 that the Carroll County Farm Museum has kept its doors open in the dead of winter.

• Travel

Sea & stay: Cruises vie to offer onboard recreation

Cruises recreation

• Travel

Baltimore-based ships win notice from cruise critics

• Howard County

Snowplow-busted mail box and other snow woes [Mostly Main Street]

While most of us are looking forward to maybe getting out to Sunday brunch soon, one lucky person will be winning an entire year of dates in a contest sponsored by Howard County Tourism.