There's something for the whole family in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, home to many of the region’s most visited attractions. Close to Baltimore and Washington, DC, yet worlds apart, the charm of historic Annapolis beckons, as do the watermen's villages of South County.

The bustling BWI Gateway Community and shop-'til-you-drop Arundel Mills Mall anchor the North County. Layers of rich history and African-American heritage are at every turn.

Families can start their vacation in the BWI Gateway district of Anne Arundel County. Arundel Mills Mall, with its 1.3 million square feet of retail space and more than 200 of the best names in retail and entertainment, offers the ultimate “shoppertainment” experience.

Science lovers will want to visit both the National Cryptologic Museum and Historical Electronics Museum, home of the lunar TV camera that transmitted Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon.

Annapolis’s brick-paved streets and picturesque harbor beckon families for a getaway. Maryland’s capital city is home to more than 350 years of history. What better way to see it than on a horse and buggy ride? Annapolis Carriage takes families through the Historic District as in days of old. Then it’s off to the Annapolis Ice Cream Company for handmade ice cream produced on site and the opportunity to purchase a souvenir penguin for the road.

No visit to Annapolis is complete without a walking or riding tour of the city. Tour guides in colonial attire fill guests in on the gossip of the centuries as they wind their way along the brick-lined streets of the Historic District. Recent additions to the tour possibilities include Capital City Colonials’ eclectic tour of Eastport that includes information about boat building, oyster processing, glass manufacturing and more. Their Food and History tour includes food tastings at several restaurants along the way.

There’s no need to wait for Halloween for a great ghost tour. Ghosts of Annapolis Tours introduces the daring to haunted houses, restless spirits, and scary tales year-round.