Things to Do in Essex

Sports Authority Field's turf trembles beneath the stampeding cleats of the teams in the Mile High Classic, which will showcase some of the country's best collegiate lacrosse in a precursor to May's NCAA Tournament. As reigning national champions, the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers sprint into the event with last season's national and ACC Player of the Year, Steele Stanwick, whose average of nearly five points per game is among the nation's elite in 2012. The Penn Quakers, meanwhile, roll into the Centennial State with a chance to boost their national ranking by ousting the Cavaliers or carving "Quakers #1" into nearby mountainsides.

The backstories of most famous pirates are filled with ruthless deeds and dangerous raids. Inspired by their own kids' love for all things pirate-related, two mothers founded Urban Pirates. The swashbuckling crew whisks families on one-hour voyages around the Baltimore Inner Harbor in the 52-foot ship Fearless, regaling them with maritime songs, games, and activities. But the passengers aren't mere spectators—they become real members of the crew, donning pirate costumes complete with drawn tattoos and facial hair and manning water cannons to help protect the ship when it's stormed by rival pirates.

The charismatic buccaneers can also personalize their charters, whether by distributing eye patches and other goodies to birthday-party guests, hosting on-the-water weddings, or guiding corporate groups through team-building exercises, such as teaching a parrot to say "profits are up!" On evening adult cruises, they even encourage patrons to bring their own grog from home. And, though the Fearless stays moored for the winter, the crew hardly abandons their mission to spark young imaginations. Rather than take to the sea, they visit Baltimore libraries and put on free pirate-themed story events that also incorporate games and songs.

Pasadena Golf Center lets visitors create the satisfying thwack of a club hitting a golf ball in one of two locations. They can make out the sound on the 18-hole mini-golf course—where ears will also pick up the sound of trickling waterfalls and the gurgling of landscaped streams and ponds—or at the driving range. Golfers can manipulate a variety of clubs there since targets are set up at different lengths, and 20 of the range’s 34 hitting stations are covered to provide shade during warm months and heat during cold ones. In addition, a full setup of lights let them swing away into the evening or when Apollo's chariot of fire is in the shop. To assist in swing mechanics and proper alignment, the center organizes lessons led by Golf Academy of America–certified instructor, Brett Francisco.

Pasadena Golf Center is also equipped with a nine-station batting cage that challenges visitors with baseball pitches of varying speeds as well as slow- and fast-pitch softball. A 1,600-square-foot patio nearby can facilitate birthday parties or other special events.

Earth Treks' Climbing Centers are state-of-the-art indoor climbing gyms located in Columbia, Timonium and Rockville, MD. We pride ourselves on offering the best rock climbing in the greater Washington DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland region. Each gym is among the largest in the country with climbing for every skill level.

The Baltimore Blast is a professional indoor soccer team that plays at 1st Mariner Arena.

Baltimore Helicopter Services whisks their clientele away from the workaday hubbub of gridlocked traffic with the help of their fleet of luxurious charter helicopters. With a service area ranging from Norfolk to New York, the choppers can transport passengers to Pittsburgh in just 90 minutes. Taking off from their helipad located near Inner Harbor, the first-class helicraft also zip through city tours promising unobstructed sky-high sightlines, helping passengers snap shots of skyline residents including the Legg Mason Building, the Baltimore World Trade Center, and the 70-story statue of Cal Ripken, Jr.