Let's do our first Ice Cream walk of 2010! This one is always fun. We end with a stop at Rita's. I gave them a heads' up and they will be opening a little earlier for us. We'll keep an eye on the weather for the weekend. Some forecasts are saying showers, but I'm going with the ones that aren't.

The 2-mile walk starts at the KC village center, follows the Middle Patuxent River, and is just beautiful! It's paved with several small playgrounds for rest stops. There is also a pond along the way where we may see a great blue heron and turtles. Plus, there are several spots along the river where the dogs like to take a dip when it's hot.

Then, when the walk is over, we'll head up to the KC village center courtyard where we can get ICE CREAM (!) and other cold treats at Rita's Ice , which has 4 walk-up windows for ordering with your pooch in tow. Or, you could head into the Starbuck's at the Harris Teeter. Or, the Bagel Bin. Or the Subway, Italian restaurant, Chinese restaurant, Michael's Pub, or heck . . . the liquor store! There's something for everyone here!

Be sure to park behind the Amherst House (shown in the picture below). The walk begins there, and you'll avoid all the Harris Teeter traffic.

DIRECTIONS TO AMHERST HOUSE:

Take Route I 95 to Route 32 West. First exit - Brokenland Parkway. Straight to traffic light. Left onto Brokenland Parkway. Right onto Guilford Road. Left onto Eden Brook Drive. Second left into parking lot. Amherst House straight ahead. Park behind the Amherst House.

For Mapquest or a GPS, use: 7251 Eden Brook Drive, Columbia, MD