If you're looking for a nice place outside the city to spend a weekend afternoon in the woods or water, my dog Dizzy recommends Downs Park in Pasadena. He took me and my husband, Doug, there this week. As you can see from the photos, Dizzy especially liked the water part.

We played on the dog beach with Dizzy's new Grriggles neoprene toy given to him by his friend at Unleashed, Jill Rosen. he also enjoyed saying hello to the other dogs on the beach.

After splashing in the surf for a while, we hiked for about an hour on a trail through the woods. We saw lots of birds and a family of deer.

In all, there are five miles of paved and natural trails in the park. There also are ballfields, a children's playground and a pier. Hours are 7 a.m. to dusk, except Tuesday, when the park is closed.

If you're closer to Annapolis, Dizzy also enjoys Quiet Waters Park. Same hours. Six miles of trails, plus canoe and kayak rental.

Both parks are $5 per car to enter.

Just an idea.

Baltimore Sun photos of Dizzy/Doug Beizer