Awaken Wellness: Rejuvenate Your Mind and Your Body

Awaken Wellness is a light-filled health and wellness facility located in a stylish and well-decorated office suite, and although it offers a number of different services, acupuncture treatment is its main focus. There are a variety of different styles of acupuncture treatments to help treat just about any physical or mental ailment, and skilled acupuncturists administer the relaxing treatments in comfortable, private treatment rooms. Awaken Wellness also offers massage therapy using hot stones, reflexology, and Swedish practices, and there is even a yoga program for everyone from beginners to advanced yogis.

Whether you’re struggling to lose weight, looking to make more positive lifestyle choices, or you simply want to take up yoga to meet your fitness goals, you can do it all at Awaken Wellness.

Awaken Wellness
7130 Minstrel Way
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 312-9922
www.awakenwellnesscolumbia.com
www.yelp.com/biz/awaken-wellness-columbia-2

Nottingham’s: A Popular Bar in Columbia, Maryland

Columbia’s most popular bar and live music venue has built a loyal following of locals who flock to Nottingham’s for strong drinks and good company. This is a classic neighborhood bar, welcoming to new faces but with a strong sense of community. If you get peckish, the menu is solid pub grub, nothing fancy but prepared well. Some favorites from regulars include the hot crab pretzel and the quesadillas. Locals go for happy hour, which offers great deals on well drinks, bottled beers, and appetizers. On sunny days, the outdoor patio area is bustling. Inside, the pool tables are kept in good shape if you feel like playing billiards. Every Saturday night offers live music as well, with a variety of local combos rocking the stage. Other nights include a Wednesday Ladies' Night with half-price drinks.

Nottingham’s
8850 Stanford Boulevard
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 290-0077
http://www.yelp.com/biz/nottinghams-tavern-columbia

La Madeleine French Bakery & Café: Casual Cuisine Straight From the French Countryside

La Madeline French Bakery & Café offers an authentic taste of French cuisine right here in Columbia. This quaint bistro is a part of a beloved chain of eateries with locations all over the country, and it is decorated with stone fireplaces, dark wood furnishings, and wrought iron accents for a true French country look. The bakery area hosts glass display cases filled with flaky pastries and colorful fruit tarts, while the kitchen creates French delicacies like beef bourguignon, French dip sandwiches, and seasonal salads. For breakfast, La Madeleine also offers elaborate eggs Benedict dishes and, of course, French toast.

Enjoy the chic ambiance over lunch with a friend, or take advantage of La Madeleine’s free Wi-Fi and sip a strong coffee while catching up on emails at the small café tables.

La Madeleine
6211 Columbia Crossing Drive
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 872-4900
www.lamadeleine.com
www.yelp.com/biz/la-madeleine-french-bakery-and-cafe-columbia

Waffee Comzytime: Waffles, Coffee, and Ice Cream

Tired of just plain ice cream? Come to Ellicott City's Waffee Comzytime for a delicious combination of waffles and ice cream. You'll feel welcomed immediately in the cozy store with bright orange walls. Head to the back to get some work done in the internet cafe or just stop in after dinner for a yummy dessert.

If you need a pick me up fresh brewed coffee is also available. Go for a regular coffee, a latte, or an Affogato, a mix of espresso and ice cream. Pair your drink with an authentic Belgian waffle. The mascarpone soft serve ice cream perfectly complements the sweet waffle. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly at this Ellicott City spot.

Waffee Comzytime
9065 Frederick Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 461-8999
https://www.facebook.com/waffeecomzy
http://www.yelp.com/biz/waffee-comzytime-ellicott-city

Greenberries: Where Parents Can Shop for All Things Kids

Columbia’s Greenberries sells new and gently used children’s clothing, toys, games, baby supplies, and books to local parents. You can also take a class or workshop on parenting-related topics at Greenberries – workshops and classes here cover a wide range of topics including breastfeeding, babywearing, birthing, Ayurveda, cloth diapering, and estate planning. Regulars like to shop at Greenberries for high-end children’s clothing, nursing products, and baby supplies at deeply discounted prices.

Regulars say that if you see an item you like on consignment here, it’s worth waiting a few days to see if the price drops – Greenberries management has a habit of dropping consignment prices after the item has been on sale for a certain number of days.

Greenberries is open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Greenberries
6925 Oakland Mills Road
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 290-6253
www.greenberriescompany.com
www.yelp.com/biz/greenberries-company-columbia

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park: Jump and Play in Columbia, Maryland

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park might just be one of the most fun attractions in Columbia, Maryland. Activities to try here include Open Jump, Ultimate Dodgeball, and the Foam Zone, where you can jump and flip into a pit filled with foam cubes. Guests can also burn calories in Sky Zone’s Skyfitness and Skyrobics classes.

Local families say their kids and teens love Sky Zone, but parents have a good time here, too. Book your child’s birthday party or make Sky Zone the destination for your next corporate event, family reunion, or group outing.

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park
7175 Oakland Mills Road
Columbia, MD 21046
(443) 546-4477
www.skyzone.com/columbia
www.yelp.com/biz/sky-zone-columbia

Daedalus Books Warehouse Outlet: Shop Thousands of Remainder Books

Daedalus Books Warehouse Outlet in Columbia calls itself the best remainder bookstore in America, and it certainly is popular among local budget-conscious readers and holiday shoppers. Here you’ll find 10,000 square feet of warehouse space packed with remaindered books, DVDs, and CDs. Regulars like the great selection and low prices, though you won’t find a café or any other bells and whistles in this bookstore. The books sold here are publisher leftovers that didn’t sell during the first weeks of their print run, so you can pick them up new for a fraction of the list price.

While regulars love the selection at Daedalus Books Warehouse Outlet, they do warn that if you see something here you want, you’d better buy it before it disappears. There’s no guarantee Daedalus will ever stock the same book, CD, or DVD again. Daedalus Books Warehouse Outlet is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Daedalus Books Warehouse Outlet
9645 Gerwig Lane
Columbia, MD 21046
(410) 309-2730
www.daedalusbooks.com/Main/Stores/Col/WareHouseOutlet.asp
www.yelp.com/biz/daedalus-books-warehouse-outlet-columbia

Pet a Goat, Ride a Pony at Clark’s Farm

Part petting zoo and part functioning farm, Clark's Farm plays a dual roles in Ellicott City. In the section dedicated to family fun, kids can pet itty-bitty goats and other farm animals or hop on in the bed of a trailer for a hayride. Or they can explore the Enchanted Forest's tree maze—a perfect place for a birthday party—and take a ride on one of the farm's ponies.

For adults, the retail part of the farm might hold more appeal. It's a seventh-generation family farm that provides the local community with fresh produce and meat that's never tainted with steroids or hormones. Chicken, lamb, pork, and eggs are all available. Best of all, the farm employs sustainable practices in its processes, helping to make sure that the farm's around for many generations to come.

Visit the Clark's Farm website to learn more!

Clark's Farm
10500 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 730-4049
http://clarklandfarm.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/clarks-elioak-farms-ellicott-city

The Mall in Columbia: Maryland Shopping

The Mall in Columbia has been a hub for commerce in the region since it was first constructed in 1971. The exhibit buildings for the Rouse Company in Columbia were designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry, but the corporation decided to give the shopping mall contract to another firm. Since opening, the shopping center has undergone several major expansions, adding floorspace and several anchor stores.

The mall's major anchor retailers are J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears, with a large AMC movie theater occupying the sixth slot. The remainder of the mall hosts almost 200 stores and services. The place is enormous, so you might want to consult the conveniently placed maps to plot a route through the place.

The Mall in Columbia
10300 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 730-3300
www.themallincolumbia.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-mall-in-columbia-columbia-2

Toby’s Dinner Theatre: Where All the World’s a Stage

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening, book some tickets to Toby’s Dinner Theater for a quality meal and a night’s worth of excellent performance art. This Columbia institution has staged more than 32 seasons of plays, all held in a round theater where no seat is more than 30 feet from the stage. Sightlines and acoustics are top of the line.

Most dinner theaters don’t really win accolades from the theatrical establishment, but Toby’s is the exception: This venue has been nominated for a staggering 57 prestigious Helen Hayes Awards. The productions here are unilaterally crowd-pleasers, drawing from the long history of Broadway. One of the most notable things about Toby’s is that the venue doesn't use pre-recorded music; instead, the venue relies on a live band to perform the accompaniment at each show.

As for the food, it's served buffet-style with a wide array of choices, including a full-service bar and sundaes at the end of your meal!

Toby's Dinner Theatre
5900 Symphony Woods Road
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 730-8311
www.tobysdinnertheatre.com
www.yelp.com/biz/tobys-dinner-theatre-columbia-columbia

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