Brunswick Columbia Lanes: Beer and Bowling

Grab a pitcher of beer and a pizza and settle in for a round of bowling at Brunswick Columbia Lanes. As part of the Brunswick Zone chain of bowling alleys, Brunswick Columbia Lanes boasts contemporary technology—including newly installed automatic bumpers—at each of its 32 lanes. With a snack bar that some Yelp reviewers rate as above par, you have everything you need to spend a night at the alley.

Keep an eye out for special pricing and packages to snag a discount on bowling for you and a few friends or the whole family. Try Cosmic Bowling, which features flashing lights and thumping music, if you have some free time on a late night. You can also just grab a drink in the lounge or let your kids take a break in the arcade in between rounds at Brunswick Columbia Lanes.

Brunswick Columbia Lanes
7100 Carved Stone Road
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 381-7750
www.bowlbrunswick.com/about-us/142/1
www.yelp.com/biz/brunswick-columbia-lanes-columbia

Tocar Spa: R&R Through the Healing Power of Massage

Tocar Spa is a unique health spa that focuses on the healing properties of touch. Through their various styles of therapeutic massages, Tocar Spa’s skilled masseuses are able to tailor treatment to a client’s specific health needs and even offer preventative measures to help keep muscle pain and tightness at bay.

Services include Swedish massages, stress-busting deep tissue massages, hot stone massages, as well as massages targeted to athletes and expecting mothers. If you prefer to have a more relaxing massage experience with a group of friends, planning a group spa party is a fun and unique idea for a birthday or bachelorette party!

Tocar Spa is conveniently located in a large, modern office facility, but once you enter the spa’s doors you’ll feel like you were transported to an oasis of relaxation. Enjoy an hour-long massage and feel your stress fade away.

Tocar Spa
One Columbia Center
10025 Governor Warfield Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044
(443) 718-0611
www.tocarspa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/tocar-spa-columbia

Soak Up the Sun at Centennial Park

Centennial Park encompasses 325 acres' worth of the 7,000-plus park acreage in Howard County. That's plenty of space for Columbia's local outdoorsmen and -women to get some fresh air and exercise. Many of them come here to go for a run or a bike ride on the 2.4-mile path. It rings the lake, so no matter which part you traverse, you'll have a view of the sparkling water.

Some folks come just to fish in the lake. Rent a boat and spend a day angling for your dinner or just spend some time sunbathing. You can also explore the sights and smells of the buds that burst into colorful blooms in Centennial Park's designated wildflower space. You'll probably see birds dancing around the blossoms and splashing nearby in the lake. Take the kids to the playground if they're still small enough to enjoy a good slide (or two).

Centennial Park
10000 Route 108
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 313-7271
www.centennialmd.org
www.yelp.com/biz/centennial-park-columbia

Robinson Nature Center: Protecting and Showcasing Mother Earth

Robinson Nature Center doesn't just invite Columbia residents to explore nature; it pays homage to Mother Earth in every part of its daily processes. Solar panels generate juice for the facility (15% of its total electricity, in fact). Geothermal air conditioning and heating saves on traditional energy. Water-conserving features protect the globe's limited water resources. The nature center boasts an LEED Certification—one of only three buildings in the state that does.

But these are the things unfolding behind the scenes. Locals come here to check out the hands-on exhibits. Head to the NatureSphere, a domed planetarium that shows various films regarding natural phenomena. Spend some time in the Children's Discovery Room if you have little ones along. You can also meander the nature trail, which winds throughout 18 acres of land (connected to another 1,000 known as the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area).

Robinson Nature Center
6692 Cedar Lane
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 313-0400
www.howardcountymd.gov/RobinsonNatureCenter.htm
www.yelp.com/biz/robinson-nature-center-columbia

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

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

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

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