By the time most of you are reading this issue, New Years Eve will have passed and you are probably in the middle of taking down the last of the season’s decorations! This is a bittersweet time of the year for many of us. We are sad that the holidays are over but happy that the hullabaloo that comes with them has died down. It’s a good time to take a break and get settled in for the winter for some of us and for others it’s the time to embark on new adventures. Either way, there is something in the Harbor to satisfy both.

For those looking to take a break, it may be a good time to check out the Harbor’s premier spa, Relache! (see add on accompanying page) Relache is located in the Gaylord Hotel and Resort and was named one of “America’s Top 100 Spas” by Spas of America. Their focus is your health, wellness and relaxation. There are 12 very luxurious treatment rooms including one for couples overlooking the river. They offer massages, facials, and body, hand and foot therapies along with a host of the latest treatments. Also available is a co-ed river view relaxation room, saunas and steam rooms. All changing areas have private lockers, showers and personal amenities. This is a place to be no matter your gender.

The Harbor is growing in leaps and bounds. The Tanger Outlet’s made their debut on Black Friday in November and appear to have been a very popular place for holiday shoppers. I must admit that I have yet to make my trek to the mall for a couple of reasons – I’m not a big “shopper” just for the sake of shopping in the first place and every time I drove by the parking lot was packed and had even spilled over into the parking normally reserved for special events on the Plateau. This meant that there must have been wayyy too many warm bodies looking for a good deal for me to hang around! I am going to check them out early next week when I am thinking that most of the people making returns will be done as well! There are some great stores to explore and some good deals to be had. It’s nice not to have to drive 50+ miles to an outlet!

The latest big adventure began with the approval of MGM Grand building the casino at the Harbor. I know that there are varied views on the impact that this will have to the county and the harbor in general but I will admit that I am very excited about this project! It is going to be a great addition to the waterfront and will bring much needed capital to the area. We here at the Old Town Crier have been proponents of MGM since the get go. They have a beautiful plan in place that will be nothing like the other casinos in our commuting area. We will actually have a Las Vegas style, high-end venue with big name entertainment, restaurants and retail! It will do wonders for the convention and visitor business in the area as well as provide another entertainment option for us locals.

There are also several new retail stores that have opened in the Harbor in the past couple of months including the Pepper Palace, GNC, SpagNVola Chocolatier, VIP Outdoor, Brookstone and Himalayian Art. We will be profiling individual stores in this space in the months to come so if you have a favorite place in the harbor, let us know and we will put them on the list to profile.

I am also looking forward to a new neighborhood restaurant that will be filling the space that Ashton Kutcher & partners Ketchup vacated a few months ago. Rumor has it that The Walrus Oyster and Ale House – D.C. restaurant veteran Michael Sternberg’s latest venture – featuring Eastern Shore influenced seafood and a raw bar is opening this spring. The concept is based on the poem, “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” Bob Kinkead is also part of the project and there may even be a kiosk serving lobster rolls along American Way. In the meantime, treat yourself to a waterfront experience at McLoone’s Pier House on the water, some lively Irish music and accompanying fare at Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen or watch your favorite sports team and grab some great American fare at the Public House on Fleet Street.

We hope that getting you all familiar with what is available at the Harbor will entice you to come visit – if you haven’t already – or to make your first trip to this very happening place.

Questions and comments may be made via email office@oldtowncrier.com, via blog on our website oldtowncrier.com or on our Facebook page Facebook/Old Town Crier Regional Magazine.

Written by: Lani Gering