Roadtrip: Leaving politics aside in DC

Day 1: Potomac | Day 2: Bowie | Day 3: Delmarva

Washington, D.C. is currently viewed as a place of intense conflict, typified by partisan bickering and deep-rooted ideological conflict.

But in these contentious times, we'd do well to remember that one of the few things that everyone can agree on is the great game of baseball. The D.C. area boasts far more than just the perpetually hapless Nationals, as many Minor League teams are located within a short drive of our nation's capital.

This edition of Road Trip will focus on three such teams: the Potomac Nationals, Bowie Baysox and Delmarva Shorebirds. In addition to well-known D.C. attractions, this trip can include visits to 18th-century mansions, expansive state and national parks and a 300-pound bronze turtle.

Nationals tickets | 2010 Nationals schedule

No Minor League team is situated as close to DC as the Potomac Nationals, Washington's Class A Advanced affiliate. The club's Woodbridge, Va., location is approximately 20 miles south of the capital, so a visit to a P-Nats game can easily be coupled with a day of DC sightseeing.

One hardly needs to be reminded what Washington has to offer. From the White House to the Lincoln Memorial to the Smithsonian Museum, the city provides an overwhelming array of inimitable tourist attractions. An entire vacation could be spent in DC, and many thousands of words could be written about entertainment options for the discerning tourist. But in the interest of providing a more wide-ranging column, we'll simply once again note the P-Nats proximity and move on.

Located just west of DC is Arlington, Va., best known as the location of the National Cemetery that bears its name. With more 300,000 graves spread out over 600 acres, the site serves as the final resting place for soldiers of every American conflict since the Civil War. As such, it is a sobering reminder of the sacrifices that have continually been made on behalf of the nation's founding principles. Another well-known Arlington point of interest is the DEA Museum, which provides a thorough history of drugs, drug addiction and drug law enforcement. Visitors can stroll through a detailed exhibit that illustrates America's long relationship with narcotics, from 19th-century opium dens through the scourge of crack cocaine.

Although it is a region associated with vast urban and suburban sprawl, the DC metropolitan area does provide its share of outdoor getaways. Mason Neck State Park is located just east of Woodbridge, nearly 2,000 acres of protected land that serves as a heron rookery. The park is also home to bald eagles, offering a great opportunity to actually see the birds that have long served as a symbol of American strength and ingenuity. To the southwest is the far larger Prince William Forest Park, which gives denizens of the 21st century a rare chance to experience the East Coast as it was before the onslaught of ever-multiplying humanity changed it irrevocably.

A glimpse into another era can also be had in Woodbridge itself, as the town is home to the Rippon Lodge. Built in 1747, the house has been restored and is now open to visitors interested in an authentic slice of Colonial life. Another well-known Woodbridge destination, and one especially pertinent to this column, is the P-Nats' Pfitzner Stadium. During the past quarter-century, the 6,000-seat facility has hosted farm teams of the Pirates, Yankees and Expos. The current "Nationals" name was adopted in 2005, in recognition of the newfound proximity of the recently relocated parent club.

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Baysox tickets | 2010 Baysox schedule

For those so inclined, the drive between Woodbridge and Bowie (home of the Double-A Baysox) offers an excellent chance to learn about the life of times of George Washington. Mount Vernon, Va., was the sprawling plantation home of the first president, a historic site that is now run as a year-round tourist attraction. Visitors can take a tour through the house and surrounding buildings, watch films and view artifacts at the education center and pay their respects at the gravesite of George and his wife, Martha.

A short drive north of Mount Vernon is Alexandria, a history-soaked town that offers a veritable smorgasbord of old-time attractions. Keeping on the topic of George Washington, one would do well to visit the Masonic Memorial in his honor. A decidedly idiosyncratic tribute, this 10-story shrine includes one-of-a-kind artifacts such as the "Clock of Death" (commemorating the exact moment Washington died). There are many other worthwhile ways to pass the time in Alexandria, among them the Gadsby's Tavern Museum (an 18th-century tavern and hotel) and the Stadler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (a self-described "time capsule of 19th-century drug production").

The desire to commemorate important people and events has resulted in an impressive statue-to-people ratio throughout the DC area. This propensity for bronzed immortality has spread as far north as College Park, Md. Visitors to the University of Maryland can spend some quality time with 300-pound Testudo the Terrapin (in honor of the school's turtle mascot) as well as a bust of 1960 graduate Jim Henson and one of his most favorite creations, Kermit the Frog. Why not stop and pay tribute to a modern-day American legend?

And finally we arrive in Bowie, a town of approximately 50,000 whose origins stem from the late 19th-century railroad boom. That history can be explored at the aptly named Railroad Museum, and, if time allows, a stop at the Radio and Television Museum (located at a 1906 storekeeper's house) is recommended as well. The Eastern League's Baysox franchise play in Prince George's Stadium, a 10,000-seat facility that opened in 1994. The team's proximity to several military bases results in a strong armed forces fan base, who may be asked to assist the team in one of its many promotional stunts (such as a recent attempt to break the world record for number of people simultaneously sitting on Whoopie Cushions).

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Shorebirds tickets | 2010 Shorebirds schedule

Just east of Bowie is Annapolis, most famous as the site of the Naval Academy which bears its name. Tours of this premier maritime training facility are offered daily, and those who haven't gotten their fill of statues will want to check out the bust of Hyman Rickover. Students rub Rickover's nose for good luck before tests, a fitting tribute to the four-star admiral and inventor of the nuclear submarine. The campus also boasts a statue of "Bill the Goat," who is currently in his 36th incarnation as the school's ornery horned mascot.

But enough about statues, it's time to head east. The Delmarva Region is so named because it encompasses the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The peninsula region's baseball team of choice is the Class A Shorebirds, who play at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Md. The team's name is a nod to the abundance of waterfowl in the region, a claim to fame that can be further explored at the city's Ward Museum of Waterfowl Art. The museum includes a reconstructed wetland environment as well as "The World Championship Gallery," which displays world-class bird carvings.

Other Salisbury attractions include a first-rate zoo and the Poplar Hill Mansion, a 215-year-old publicly owned residence that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and as an added bonus, is alleged to be haunted.

But one of the best things about visiting Salisbury and the Shorebirds is that it puts one in close proximity to a pair of premier vacation destinations. Ocean City, Md., is located approximately 30 miles east, a beach town that boasts a seemingly limitless array of seafood restaurants, hotels and miniature golf courses (just steer clear during the annual underage bacchanal that is "Senior Week" for high schoolers). Further south is Chincoteague Island, a bucolic fishing village famed for its population of wild horses.

Such a setting couldn't seem further removed from clamor and the discord of Washington, D.C., and isn't that the point? Baseball always serves as a good excuse to get away from it all.

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