Patapsco

 The weather called for rain, so when we headed out to Patapsco State Park, we didn't expect to do much hiking.  Luckily, the rain just sprinkled a bit and we did get to do some walking around.  We found the cutest visitor center, where we expected to buy a park pass and maps.  The building (which I didn't get a pic of) is an old stone house, the only remaining house from the 1868 flood.  Water rose 45 feet in the valley on that occasion.  YIKES!  Anyway, we decided to wait one more month on the yearly park pass so it would be good through the end of 2013 and, just our luck, they were out of maps. So we asked directions from the volunteer in the center and tried to find the "tunnel' and the trail heads.

 We had a beautiful walk down this road (wrong one to the tunnel, but pretty nonetheless). We saw a millipede!  It was about three inches long and moving pretty fast on all those feet!

 Then...we found the tunnel!!  But the trail heads are not through the tunnel, they're past the tunnel.  Found them, but by the time we did we were hungry and wanted lunch.

 I loved this sign!  There is a lake...not the water you see here, but behind this area.  It was full of families fishing and picnicking.  There were a bunch of off road bikers in the park, apparently they have many trails for bicycles to ride on, off road.  We did a lot of walking around and never stepped foot on a dirt trail...all paved!  I hope once the real trails start there is plenty of dirt and more "woodsy" trails.  Oh well, more to explore on another day.

While Mike was working in the garage, this little turtle came wondering in to visit.

 We put him in the back yard, hopefully he will travel toward the river instead of the street.

That rain I mentioned at the beginning of the post?  Well, it arrived this morning!  It's early on Sunday and there's a soft rain storm going on...lightening and thunder, too!  Not cold though...still a bit warm and steamy.