Welcome to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, a long recognized "Community of Excellence", dedicated to providing quality support to servicemen, servicewomen, DoD civilian employees, and their families. Strategically located between the cities of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Fort Meade has it all, whatever your interests.

In addition to the resources on Fort Meade, there is also plenty to do in the surrounding communities: visit the many historical sites of Annapolis; tour the White House in Washington, D.C.; or take in a game of football, basketball or baseball with one of the many professional or college teams in the Baltimore/D.C. area.

Maryland

Statewide:

Maryland Office of Tourism Development: http://mdisfun.org.

Ocean City: Maryland's 30-mile share of the Atlantic Ocean is less than three hours from Fort Meade. Enjoy a weekend on the shore, soaking up the rays and tumbling in the waves. Take a walk along the three-mile boardwalk down into games of chance, thrill rides and tasty foods. Call the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce at (410) 213-0552 for tourist and resort information, or go to www.oceancity.org/main.asp.

Antietam: General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North culminated with the Battle of Antietam, in Maryland. For more information call (301) 432-5124: www.nps.gov/anti.

Baltimore:

Official visitor's site: www.ci.baltimore.md.us.

Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association: www.baltimore.org/index2.htm.

Baltimore Sun Newspaper's visitor guide: www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/visitor.

The Inner Harbor: Spend the day in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and witness first-hand what makes Baltimore one of the greatest cities on the East Coast. The Inner Harbor is home to the National Aquarium and the Maryland Science Center and Davis Planetarium. Call 1-800-543-1036 for detailed information on what the harbor has to offer.

Fort McHenry: This historic site, located in south Baltimore, features a replica flagpole on the 1814 site that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that later became our national anthem. For more information call (410) 962-4299 or visit www.nps.gov/fomc.

Annapolis:

Founded in the mid 17th century, Annapolis has been the capital of Maryland since 1695. For further information regarding tours, call (410) 974-3400.

Official city website: www.ci.annapolis.md.us.

Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitor's Bureau: www.visit-annapolis.org.

United States Naval Academy: Visit Maryland's capital, Annapolis, and walk the grounds of the world famous higher institution for U.S. Naval officers established in 1845, home for approximately 4,500 midshipmen and women. For more information call (410) 263-6933 or visit www.navyonline.com, or www.usna.edu/visit.htm.

Washington, D.C.

The White House: www.whitehouse.gov. The President's house, one of the most popular sights in D.C. Conceived by the Father of Our Nation as a Holy Fortress from which to guard against the tyranny of "big government" and "social programs". Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. Call (202) 456-7041 for more information.

National Gallery of Arts: Take a taste of the finer things in life and view the collection of Renaissance paintings, Dutch masterworks, and French impressionism, as well as 20th century paintings and sculptures in this national gallery. Located at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, D.C. Call (202) 737-4215 or go to: www.nga.gov for more information.

Lincoln Memorial: The classic Greek temple memorial is located at West Potomac Park on the West End of The Mall near 23rd Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Call (202) 426-6895 for more information.

Jefferson Memorial: A monument to our third president, this 19-foot bronze statue stands beneath a rotunda inscribed with passages from the Declaration of Independence. Located at the south end of 15th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Call (202) 426-6821 or (202) 619-7222 for more information.

Virginia

Virginia: www.virginia.org.

Mount Vernon: The home and plantation of George Washington, located on the south bank of the Potomac River, 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. Call (703) 780-2000 or go to www.mountvernon.org for more information.

Arlington National Cemetery: Tomb of the Unknowns, Amphitheater, Arlington House and the grave of President John F. Kennedy. Call 1-877-907-8585 or visit www.arlingtoncemetery.mil for more information.

Shenandoah National Park: Some 70 overlooks allow any lover of nature to stop and view the Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Shenandoah River Valley. Located at 3655 US Hwy 211, East Luray, Virginia 22835. Call (540) 999-3500 or 800-778-2851 or go to www.visitshenandoah.com for more information.