Downtown Baltimore Child Care is WONDERFUL! Two locations: University of Maryland's Baltimore campus, and in Mount Vernon. Website is www.dbcckids.org. A national model child care center, and a frequent "Best of Baltimore" nominee.

I vote for Downtown Baltimore Child Care Ctr as the best child care center.

Two vacation suggestions that are less than a tank of gas from Baltimore:

1. Chincoteague Island. Houses are cheap to rent for a week, and it isn't the frenetic, commercial experience like O.C. The town has two miniature golf courses, three ice cream parlors, a truly great minicipal playground, bike rental shops, and a movie theater that is open on the weekend. You can walk or bike everywhere, including over the bridge to the Assateague National Seashore, which has only the basic things that you need: lifeguard, toilets, changing areas, showers. A nature center on the island and a NASA museum on nearby Wallops Island are great for rainy days! Buy freshly caught seafood and grill it at your rental house...no need to eat out.

2. Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown/river plantations. Something for everyone! My kids loved the Jamestown settlement recreations of the fort and Indian village, as well as the glassblowing at Jamestown island. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge, which has its own indoor waterpark, which is a vacation in and of itself!

Downtown Baltimore Child Care (DBCC) is an amazing child care facility. All three of my children have attended the center and I have recommended it to many families.

My 19 month old has been at Downtown Baltimore Childcare at their University of Maryland site since she was 4 months old. She spends the day playing, which includes art, outside play, music, dancing, etc. The center has excellent child:teacher ratios and an innovative, play based curriculum. I highly recommend DBCC!

If we are talking day trips, the Corn Maze in Southern PA (just up 83) is the best one in the area, in my opinion. It has many different kinds of mazes besides the main corn maze and a covered picnic area where you can have food.

The website is http://www.mazefunpark.com/

It can be hot during the main part of the summer, so September or early October are the perfect time to make a day of it.

Knoebel's Amusement Park is about 3 hours from Baltimore, up Route 81 in PA. They have free admission, parking, and picnic pavillions, and you buy reasonably priced tickets for the rides. If not all members of your family go on the rides, it's a great deal. They have big roller coasters, kiddie rides, and a water park area. It's in the woods, so it's shaded by big trees. There's a campground on site that seems to be popular, and there are hotels close by. Without an admission fee, you can go in the afternoon, spend the night, and go back the next day before you go home. http://www.knoebels.com/

I'm usually very careful about recommending anything to anybody. Recommending a day care provider holds an even higher importance. However, I've absolutely no reservations in recommending Downtown Baltimore Child Care to my friends and associates. I've had a child there for four years and my wife and I have been very satisfied with all aspects of care that DBCC has provided. Other positives about DBCC are its locations (Park Avenue and Univ of MD - both downtown), the working parent convenient hours, and the diversity. The diversity is probably the biggest gift that DBCC has given our youngster.

I used to go to Cascade Lake in Hampstead they have water activities, and slides, concessions and a game area.

I have to agree with the raves about DBCC. It is filled with love and a sense of adventure. They have an outstanding staff, the lowest teacher:child ratio in the area, and a fantastic parent community.

Best day care center: DBCC. We had 2 kids at DBCC for 5 years each. They still like to go back and visit their old teachers. We tried another day care center before DBCC, but it was a disaster.