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family activities near laurel?
so the last weekend of july we get to go to laurel to spend two days with my ILs, three SILs at my SILs tiny, not very well air-conditioned house. bet you are all jealous, right? my ILs looooove to sit around all day and talk. there is not enough wine in the world for DH & i to enoy this. so, are there any options for fun activities nearby? our niece just turned three so i'm thinking maybe bowling or something like that . . .
any suggestions for a cheapish, preferably non or small chain restaurants would also be great since we hopefully won't be eating every meal at my SILs 
i'd really like to get everyone to cava in rockville (since i know that my MIL & one of my SILs would absolutely love it but that would be a hard sell to my super-picky SIL/BIL)
Re: family activities near laurel?
There is a farm in Ellicott City/Columbia that moved the Enchanted Forest things (I went to the original Enchanted Forest as a kid) to their farm. Here is the link
http://www.clarklandfarm.com/CEF%20Welcome%20Page.htm
I dont know Laurel as well as I know EC or Columbia.
In laurel there is a really great italian restaurant-pasta plus: http://www.pastaplusrestaurant.com/ really authentic and best italian we've had in the area.
we lived in laurel when i was in grad school at college park. there really isn't much there at all and most of the stores/restaurants are all chains. if you want to head down route one you can walk around ikea, or maybe walk around the maryland campus just to get out and let your neice run around. If you do head to college park I'd hit up either college park bagel or marathon deli-the BEST gyros: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&biw=1259&bih=829&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=greek+college+park+maryland&fb=1&gl=us&hq=greek&hnear=0x89b7c41e0d714699:0xeb8c0de36dd36d95,College+Park,+MD&cid=15364566455680491406
BFP #2: 11/16/11: M/C at 7 weeks
BFP #3: 03/24/12: C/P 03/28/12
BFP #4: 04/26/12: please be our baby
thanks again everyone! are there any family-friendly wineries? i'm thinking of something like chrysalis where we could bring a picnic, my niece could play, etc...
my BIL doesn't drink but the rest of the group might be swayed to do something besides sit around and talk. all. day. long. i need to buy a flask for bourbon.
thanks again!
plan A (if it's not too hot) is the farm/enchanted forest and iron horse wine. bowling and chung king are the back-up plan because my ILs miss chinese food.
i cannot tell you how glad i am to not have to spend two full days "just hanging out and talking". DH and i may still bring a bottle of bourbon each though