I am a recent transplant to Maryland; prior to last fall I had lived my entire life in New Jersey. While long ago I had sworn I would never move south of the Mason-Dixon line (I don’t do well in heat) there are just too many job opportunities in my line of work in and around the Washington, DC area that it just made sense to move down here.

After renting a bit to get our bearings, a couple of months ago we purchased a townhome on the outskirts of town. One of the things that sold us on the place was the deck on the back.

It’s nothing special as far as decks go, but since the property backs up on to undeveloped farmland, it is an entirely enjoyable place to relax with a beer. This weekend has been absolutely perfect weather. Even during our latest heat wave, the evenings have been quite pleasant. After the kids are put to bed, and the responsibilities of the day are taken care of, there’s nothing better than sitting out there with the umbrella lights on and sharing a beer with my best girl.

There’s a good number of local craft brewers ’round here as well. Just up the road is Wild Goose Brewery (formerly Frederick Brewing), with Clipper City and Tröegs Brewing Company within an hour or so, plus others I’m discovering. Add at least three brewpubs within an hour’s drive and this is a good place for a beer lover to be.

While I love exploring new places and experiences, when you are in a place you love with people you love, and you’re enjoying a fine craft beer, how could it possibly get any better?