From Watching a Baseball Game to Going Outside to Play, Maryland Offers Something for Everyone, From the History Buff to the Outdoorsman, the Sailor to the Landlubber.

Here are some of the latest attractions that have been added or upgraded for visitors to Maryland.

Travelers will enjoy the recently opened Monocacy Battlefield Visitors Center. Located just south of Frederick on Route 355, the center tells the story of the July 9, 1864 Civil War "Battle that Saved Washington" - named because it delayed for a day the Confederate march on a defenseless national capital, giving time for Union reinforcements to arrive and secure Washington, D.C. The new visitors center greatly expands the interpretation of the battle with several vignettes (describing the battle from Union, Confederate and civilian perspectives), a fiber-optic display of the day’s actions and other interactive displays. 4801 Urbana Pike, Frederick.

In the 17th-century the first Provincial Secretary of Maryland, John Lewger, built his house overlooking the St. Mary’s River. This house witnessed the rise and fall of Maryland’s first capital and the awakening of new ideas about government, religious freedom, individuality and class. This year, the re-created house will be open to visitors who will learn these stories and more through state-of-the-art audio, video and hands-on exhibits in historic St. Mary’s City. Route 5 & Rosecroft Road, St. Mary’s City.

Green Ridge State Forest was designated part of the Great Eastern Trail. The 43-mile circuit trail loop at Green Ridge State Forest takes hikers past ancient geologic features and waterfalls while experiencing spectacular views from ridge tops. Along the trail, hikers will also experience a rich diversity of trees, wildflowers and wildlife. The Great Eastern Trail will eventually link the Finger Lakes of New York to the southern terminus of the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama and once completed, will provide hikers access to more than 10,000 miles of trails.

Maryland’s newest baseball team, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will throw its first pitch on opening day, May 2. Legendary Baltimore Orioles third baseman, Brooks Robinson, is the proud owner of the Blue Crabs, who will play in the eight-team Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which includes the Lancaster Barnstormers. The team’s home will be in Waldorf at the Regency Furniture Stadium, a 4,200-seat facility.

Though best known as a watermen’s community, Smith Island is also a paddler’s paradise for day or overnight trips. The meandering creeks, or "guts," through the island’s 8,000 acres of marsh provide extensive paddling opportunities close to three island communities where paddlers can feast on fresh crab cakes and the island’s trademark nine-layer cake. A waterproof map ($3) and more than 60 way finding signs through seven different trails will guide you through this unique Chesapeake Bay experience.

Capuco Tours of Hagerstown, 90-minute guided walking tours cover Hagerstown’s rich history by introducing participants to the Colonial, Civil War and industrial aspects of this unique Western Maryland city. Tours also cover Hagerstown’s architecture. Join one of the scheduled tours on select dates. Groups of 12 or more may make an appointment. www.marylandmemories.com, 301-791-3246, ext. 120.

Presidents, Civil War soldiers, bucket brigades and book wagons (the original bookmobile) are but a few of the topics encountered along the self-guided Hidden History Walking Tour for Historic Hagerstown. www.marylandmemories.com. Catoctin Mountain National Scenic Byway, can be enjoyed with the help of a 14-page driving map and guide that lists 15 outstanding attractions and travel experiences to be found along Route 15, Maryland’s third National Scenic Byway. Included sites and themes along the 38-mile byway include transportation heritage, orchards, Civil War, Main streets and Catholic heritage among others.

Travel through beautiful rolling farmland, down historic byways and into charming downtown Frederick on Maryland’s first wine trail. Take a day or a weekend to visit the six Frederick county wineries and learn how these vineyards produce more than half of Maryland’s wine production.

Cecil County has just opened its first licensed winery. Dove Valley Vineyard & Winery, which held its grand opening Thanksgiving weekend, was named after the abundance of nesting doves in the vines. The family-owned winery, located in a picturesque log cabin, produces eight different varieties of wine. The vineyard has been producing grapes since 1998. Dove Valley grapes are grown at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The area has just the right soil, sun and air flow to produce premium grapes. The wines are hand crafted from start to finish. Guests can sip wine on the porch or take a walking tour through the property and learn firsthand about the process of growing and making wine. www.dovevalleywine.com 645 Harrington Road, Rising Sun.

Carroll County is rich in history and tradition. Civil War troops from both sides walked through here on their fateful march to Gettysburg. The Carroll County Farm Museum offers visitors a glimpse of a 19th-century farm and hosts the immensely popular Maryland Wine Festival. Both Piney Run and Bear Branch Nature Centers welcome the most avid outdoors person. And McDaniel College is training camp for the Baltimore Ravens. All over the county visitors can find farmer’s markets, antiques, tea rooms and even pro-bull riding in the Agriculture Center in Westminster.

Summer may be when most of us head toward Ocean City, Md. The popular beach location is full of fun attractions, beautiful accommodations, lots of outdoor activities, top restaurants and the sand and surf that lures us to its shores. However, you don’t have to wait until summer to have fun in Ocean City. Springfest will be May 1-4 at the Inlet Lot on the southern end of the boardwalk. Featured will be lots of food, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and more. You must purchase tickets for some of the concerts but the rest of the activities are free.

Enjoy the Chesapeake Bay in Kent County. Visit Betterton Beach, a five-acre landscaped, family-oriented waterfront park with a swimming area and shoreline access for fishing. Picnic pavilion and boating are available. The park is located near the mouth of the Sassafras River at the northwest part of the county. Chestertown may be best known for its annual Tea Party Festival, May 24, along the Chester River to celebrate the resistance to British rule. The day includes a re-enactment of Colonists pouring tea into the river, a Colonial parade, a wacky regatta, fine arts and crafts, family activities and food, of course. Rock Hall is a quaint fishing town on the Chesapeake’s eastern shore. It’s a unique boating destination and a great place to enjoy the outdoors.

Some other festivals you may want to plan for include:

• Maple Sugarin’ Festival, March 2 at the Hashawha Environmental Center, 300 John Owings Road, Westminster, featuring maple syrup pancake brunch, demonstrations and sales.
• The Yacht Show at National Harbor, June 5-8. A first-of-its-kind in the Mid-Atlantic region, this showcase for large luxury yachts will feature new, brokerage and charter yachts ranging in size from 60 feet to more than 150 feet in length. This inaugural event has been selected to be the finale of the much-anticipated grand opening of the $2-billion, 300-acre National Harbor resort community.
• Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival, May 31-June 1. Join fellow wine enthusiasts at the first wine festival featuring the finest wines in the area, local food, artisans and entertainment all with the backdrop of the Chesapeake Bay. Terrapin Park Nature Area, Stevensville.
• Key Ingredients: America by Food - A Smithsonian Institution Exhibit, February 29-April 12 in Dorchester County. Key Ingredients: America by Food has traveled to various destinations in Maryland since June 2007. The Dorchester County Historical Society will host the final display. Dorchester County highlights Soup Day biscuits.
• Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, Baltimore, will be on display through March 30 and features 64 contemporary quilts explore the connection between two distinctly American art forms - jazz and quilting. Quilt making, like jazz, evokes a host of complex rhythms and moods, captured by the creative process and presented in a woven masterpiece by the artist. Just as the varied styles of jazz are an intricate and complex montage of notes and beats, the Textural Rhythms quilts are a complex montage of fabric textures, intricate appliqué, and conventional piecing.