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Places (POIs) visited during this tour

Place #1
Distance: 0.00mi , Attraction : University
Map Pin
3500 Sellman Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
POI 1 Tour Image
University of Maryland
And here we go! As we merge onto Interstate 95 just north of College Park, we’re officially leaving the Washington, D.C. metro area and beginning our drive north — a route that will carry us through Maryland’s heartland, past historic harbors, river crossings, and towns that helped shape the American story.

Now, here’s something important for this tour to work the way it’s designed: always follow the signs for I-95 North and skip the Express I-95 lanes; stay on the regular I-95. That’s how we’ll stay on track together.

If you do have to leave the route, no worries. Just restart the tour by selecting the next Point of Interest as your new starting point. The app will navigate you there, and the tour will pick up seamlessly.

Off to the east lies the FDA White Oak Campus, one of the nation’s leading centers for science and public health. This sprawling complex is where thousands of researchers and analysts work to ensure the safety of our nation’s food, medicines, and vaccines. Decades ago, this site was part of a Navy research facility during World War II, later transformed into a symbol of innovation and public service — fitting for a region that has always been tied to progress.

Just a few miles southwest sits the University of Maryland in College Park, founded in 1856. Once a small agricultural school, it has grown into one of the country’s top research universities — a hub of technology, policy, and discovery that reflects the modern spirit of the Washington region.

As we travel north, the city gradually gives way to quieter suburbs — stretches of green forest, red-brick buildings, and small towns like Beltsville and Laurel, where Maryland’s farmland meets the corridor of industry that links Washington to Baltimore. This stretch of I-95 is one of America’s great highways — a moving thread that connects countless stories, from commuters and truckers to travelers chasing the open road.

So settle in and enjoy the ride. Ahead lies a journey through places where science, history, and community intertwine.

Read More

  https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-campus-information/fda-white-oak-campus-information
Place #2
Distance: 3.96mi , Attraction : City
Map Pin
33JX+4V Konterra, MD, USA
POI 2 Tour Image
Laurel, Maryland
Just ahead, we’re approaching Laurel, Maryland, a small city that has long been a crossroads between Washington and Baltimore. What began as a quiet mill town along the Patuxent River became one of the first true commuter communities in the region — a place where Maryland’s industrial past and suburban present come together.

Laurel traces its roots to the early 1800s, when the Avondale Mill and other textile operations used the Patuxent’s steady current to power their looms. Cotton and wool from nearby farms were spun and dyed here, and the river served as both a lifeline and a boundary — winding through forests that are still part of protected parkland today. You can still see traces of those old mill foundations along Main Street, a historic corridor lined with red-brick buildings that once supplied goods for Washington and Baltimore alike.

When the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived in the 1830s, Laurel’s destiny shifted from water to steel. The train station quickly became a vital stop along the East Coast corridor, connecting local factories to larger markets. Commuters still use that same line today — the oldest continuously operating railroad in the country.

Over the years, Laurel grew into a blend of small-town charm and modern motion. The streets hold echoes of an earlier America — general stores, old churches, and neighborhood diners — yet the hum of traffic and technology marks its role in a region that’s always on the move. Not far from here sits Laurel Park, one of Maryland’s oldest horse racing tracks, where crowds have gathered since 1911 to cheer under wide summer skies.

As we leave Laurel behind, the road begins to open up again, leading us toward the Patuxent River — the natural border between Maryland’s counties and the next step north on our drive.

Read More

  https://www.cityoflaurel.org/
Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour

Map Pin Place 1 University of Maryland
Map Pin Place 2 Laurel, Maryland
Map Pin Place 3 Patuxent River
Map Pin Place 4 Jessup and Elkridge
Map Pin Place 5 Deep Run
Map Pin Place 6 BWI Airport
Map Pin Place 7 Baltimore, Maryland
Map Pin Place 8 Fort McHenry
Map Pin Place 9 Leaving Baltimore
Map Pin Place 10 Gunpowder River
Map Pin Place 11 Mariner Point Park
Map Pin Place 12 Bush River
Map Pin Place 13 Chesapeake Bay
Map Pin Place 14 Havre de Grace
Map Pin Place 15 Whitaker Wildlife Management Area
Map Pin Place 16 Elk Neck State Forest
Map Pin Place 17 Elkton, Maryland
Map Pin Place 18 Delaware
Map Pin Place 19 Brookside, Delaware
Map Pin Place 20 Delaware History
Map Pin Place 21 Wilmington
Map Pin Place 22 The Delaware River
Map Pin Place 23 Pennsylvania
Map Pin Place 24 Ridley Creek State Park
Map Pin Place 25 Native Americans
Map Pin Place 26 Philadelphia
Map Pin Place 27 Philadelphia Insights
Map Pin Place 28 Philadelphia History
Map Pin Place 29 Rancocas Creek
Map Pin Place 30 Delaware River Basin
Map Pin Place 31 New Jersey
Map Pin Place 32 Trenton, New Jersey
Map Pin Place 33 Six Flags Great Adventure
Map Pin Place 34 Townships
Map Pin Place 35 Princeton
Map Pin Place 36 Universities
Map Pin Place 37 New Brunswick, New Jersey
Map Pin Place 38 Raritan River
Map Pin Place 39 New York-New Jersey Bight
Map Pin Place 40 New York History
Map Pin Place 41 New York Skyline
Map Pin Place 42 New York



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