Keep warm this winter in Calvert County, where you can have a great time in the great indoors.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in the Caribbean as you float in the heated pools at the Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center. Relax in a hot tub, dive into the balmy blue and let the kids loose on all the play features. Check out the fitness room or book an event in the party room. Float on.

Take a strike at winter woes at Lord Calvert Bowling Center, where features like the full-service grill, sports bar and video entertainment area mean full-on family fun. Check out the theatrical light and music show every Friday and Saturday night.


The brew is cold but the welcome is warm at Calvert County's four breweries: Scorpion Brewery, Mully's Brewery, Calvert Brewing Company, and Ruddy Duck Brewery and Grill . Sample award-winning beers that emphasize quality and flavor through the use of local ingredients. Take a tour, sample some suds and salute the season.

Wine warms the soul, and the Patuxent Wine Trail is the perfect tour for oenophiles. The trail's five wineries - Cove Point Winery, Fridays Creek Winery, Perigeaux Vineyards & Winery, Running Hare Vineyard, and Solomons Island Winery - offer a wide variety of wines that can be sampled in their tasting rooms. Put a cork in the winter blues.

Bring home sunny memories after a trip along the Patuxent Arts Trail. From Realism to Impressionism to abstract art, the seven galleries along the trail offer acclaimed works that take inspiration from the region's natural beauty. Amble from the scenic bayside town of North Beach to Solomons Island and revel in the local aesthetic.

Bask in the glow of the creative process when Annmarie Sculpture Garden and & Arts Center transforms its main gallery Jan. 14 through March 2 into open artist studios. Watch artists at work as they demonstrate their techniques and peruse finished works for sale. You can even experiment with the artists' materials or possibly help create a collaborative work.

Dive into the New Year at the North Beach Polar Bear Plunge Friday, Jan. 1, at 1 p.m. Net proceeds will be donated to Calvert Meals on Wheels, Inc. After the plunge, enjoy hot cocoa and roasted marshmallows around a warm bonfire.

Each year, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center presents a free community art activity celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drop in any time and help create an art installation Jan. 15-18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All ages are welcomed.

The Calvert Marine Museum welcomes Chris Haley, the nephew of Roots author Alex Haley, to speak about African Americans in Southern Maryland on Monday, Jan. 18. Join Haley, an actor, performer, writer, and speaker, at 2 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and stay for his talk in the Harms Gallery at 3 p.m. The presentation is free with your museum admission. Throughout the day, visitors are invited to write down their own dreams and add them to the Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream" board.