The Birdsong Society at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

Intelligent, with the present of flight, showy stunning feathers, melodic songs and quirky behaviors, birds are straightforward to like. For many people, chicken watching turned a enjoyable and straightforward approach to join with nature and get outdoors throughout the pandemic. In truth, birding is now thought-about the second hottest out of doors exercise after gardening.

But the advantages of birds go deeper than giving us a second of free leisure out our window. 

Birds remodel and defend landscapes world wide, preserving marshes, grasslands, coral reefs and forests wholesome. They’re additionally vital seed spreaders, pollinators and environment friendly exterminators. A latest research discovered they’ll devour as much as 500 million tons of illness and crop destroying bugs annually. (1) 

The conservation of birds is significant for the well being of the planet. But they’re good for our well being too. Studies present that being round birds and listening to their songs can decrease stress, cut back anxiousness and increase psychological well being.(2)

But have you ever ever considered mixing your love of birds into your travels? 

Now the brand new boutique Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel on Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia, Maryland is making it simpler than ever with their Birdsong Society room bundle designed particularly for chicken lovers.

Quickly changing into a hotspot for birders and nature lovers, this immersive birding bundle permits company to be surrounded by chicken songs in and across the lodge by a partnership with The Birdsong Society. 

For The Birds: The Birdsong Project

For The Birds: The Birdsong Project from The Bird Song Society is a considered one of a form artistic collaborative undertaking of musicians, artists, poets, actors and environmentalists who’ve come collectively to assist the conservation and training of birds.

This stunning and distinctive file assortment is offered to hearken to and luxuriate in within the consolation of your lakeside suite.

‘For the Birds’ The Birdsong Project 20 LP vinyl file boxed set. | Photo: Better Living

Book a Birdsong Society Suite at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel, and through your keep you’ll have entry to: 

• The ‘For the Birds’ The Birdsong Project Boxed Set: A 20 LP vinyl file assortment with 172 items of recent music, 73 works of bird-inspired poetry and a 60-page art-filled companion piece produced by Grammy Award-winning music supervisor Randall Poster impressed by the great thing about birdsong. See the total checklist of artistic contributors and artists right here.
• A Crosley Record Player to hearken to ‘For the Birds’.
• Warby Parker binoculars to borrow to your birdwatching keep.
• Complimentary snacks together with Boxed Water is Better and Shār path combine to maintain you fueled to your bird-watching adventures. 
• A Copy of The Maryland Bird Guide to take house. This lovable youngsters’s e-book by native 11-year-old chicken lover Xaviana Leis will present you birds you may anticipate to see in your go to and profit the Owl Moon Raptor Center, an area Maryland wildlife rescue. 

All proceeds from the purchases of The Birdsong Project ‘For the Birds’ by the lodge profit the Audubon society’s mission to guard birds and their habitat. 

About the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel 

The foyer at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel – Columbia, MD | Photo: Better Living

Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection (a gaggle of over 180 distinctive unbiased inns, upscale and luxurious inns), Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel is a contemporary lakeside retreat tucked into seven wooded acres overlooking the 27-acre Lake Kittamaqundi. A preferred native spot for health fanatics and nature lovers, it’s the right place to chill out and chicken watch.

Birdwatching from the balcony of a Birdsong Society Suite at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel | Photo: Better Living

The lodge affords 212 serene luxurious visitor rooms, beautiful eating, a shocking foyer and bar, a comfy café, and a fully-equipped health middle. Plus, the breathtaking floor-to-ceiling views will make you by no means need to depart this tranquil haven.

Guest room comforts and facilities embrace:

• Luxury Linens
• C.O. Bigelow Lavender-Peppermint Bath Essentials
• 55′ Flat Screen Smart TV
• A Mini Refrigerator
• A Keurig Coffee maker

The lodge can also be solely a 15-minute stroll from the Merriweather Post Pavilion which Billboard Magazine and Rolling Stone have acknowledged as the most effective out of doors amphitheaters within the U.S. For the final 40 years, it’s drawn a number of the greatest acts in music, together with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and Taylor Swift. 

That’s why celebrating and having fun with nature, music and birds with the Birdsong Project is a pure match right here. 

For extra intensive leisure, yoga and holistic therapies, go to the 27,000 sq. foot The Pearl Spa a brief stroll down the lake from the lodge.

Where to See Birds on the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

Geese flying by at dawn over Lake Kittamaqundi at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel | Photo: Better Living

Bird lovers will likely be joyful to be taught that Lake Kittamaqundi and its surrounding space at the moment are house to quite a lot of chicken species, together with water birds like belted kingfishers and nice blue herons. 

Head to the lake’s pier to identify one of many many species of geese like ring-necked geese, geese, northern shovelers, pied-billed grebes, and hooded mergansers that go to the lake.  

Then discover the 1.4-mile wooded and paved path across the lake accessible behind the lodge. If you need extra time in nature, take the connecting path (a 20-minute stroll) over to close by Wilde Lake, one other attractive native spot for herons and different water birds like cormorants. 

Completing the loop round each lakes is ‌4.6 miles lengthy. 

An excellent blue heron flies by a Birdsong Project Suite at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel | Photo: Better Living

Book a room with a balcony the place you may see and listen to water birds like cardinals, wrens, chickadees, warblers, blue jays, geese, geese from the consolation of your individual balcony. We had been even fortunate sufficient to see a blue heron gliding by at nightfall.

A double-crested cormorant takes a swim in Lake Kittamaqundi | Photo: Better Living

 💡 Tip: Check right here for every day chicken sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi

Best Time to See Birds at Lake Kittamaqundi

You’ll have the perfect likelihood of seeing probably the most number of birds early within the morning, beginning at daybreak and within the late afternoon by nightfall. But we had chicken sightings strolling the paths all through the afternoon throughout our keep.

Birds are ‌least energetic at midday. Whole Foods is a brief stroll from the south finish of Lake Kittamaqundi (2 minutes) so it is a nice time to seize lunch and take a espresso to go to benefit from the lakeside. 

Where to Eat on the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

When starvation units in after a full day of birding, the lodge has some implausible eating choices.   

The Osprey Cafe: Grab Fresh Gourmet Coffee + Pastries 

The Osprey Cafe at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel | Photo: Better Living

If you don’t need a sit-down breakfast, however want a bit of one thing within the morning, the stylish lobby-side Osprey Cafe serves up gourmand Lavazza espresso drinks, like latte’s, breakfast sandwiches and snacks 7am to 2pm. 

The espresso is scrumptious, however the rotating collection of recent baked pastries, together with croissants and muffins, baked by in-house pastry Chef Brian Holland are a scrumptious deal with.

Take your order to go or seize a seat in entrance of the fireside and benefit from the lake views. 

 ➡ See The Osprey Cafe menu.

The Rookery Bar: Craft Cocktails + Delicious Bites 

After a enjoyable day of birding, head over to the lodge’s Rookery Bar & Lounge for a seasonally impressed craft cocktail and a chew when you get pleasure from a mesmerizing sundown over the lake.

The Rookery Bar at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel | Photo: Better Living

Try a few of their latest refreshing fall impressed additions to the drink menu, just like the Autumn Lak Sangria made with white wine and fall fruit, or the Pearadise cocktail made with bourbon, pear liqueur, bubbly ginger ale, and tangy lime juice. 

For one thing with a contact of candy, the pumpkin spice espresso martini made with vanilla vodka, Kahlua and garnished with cinnamon is the right after dinner drink.

If you’re hungry and might’t pull your self away from the lake views and pleasant vibe, order up some dishes from their artistic bar menu that features apps, salads, burgers and sandwiches. 

Corn and Crab Chowder at Lāk – Columbia, MD | Photo: Better Living

You can’t go incorrect with the Bavarian Pretzel with beer, cheese and stout mustard. But when you’re a crab lover, the Corn and Crab chowder is a should. Creamy candy corn and a beneficiant quantity of lump crab are in a wealthy creamy wealthy broth and “garnished” with three mini crab desserts. It’s the crab chowder of all chowders and it’s unimaginable. 

The Rookery Bar opens at 4 pm every evening and, together with craft cocktails, additionally has an excellent craft beer and wine choice. See the most recent menu.

Lāk: A Stellar Dining Experience for Breakfast or Lunch 

For a particular eating expertise, Lāk (pronounced “lake”) is the Merriweather’s Lake House Hotel’s cool and fashionable, American wonderful eating restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner every day, and brunch on the weekends. 

Now Chef Kristina Brown, previously of the Four Seasons Baltimore, is working to make it a premier Columbia eating vacation spot. 

Brown’s philosophy within the kitchen: “I believe food should be kept simple and tasty. Together with the Merriweather culinary team, we are creating dishes that speak for themselves without added distractions or over-the-top ingredients.”

Made from-scratch, with regionally sourced and grown Howard County elements when potential, at Lāk you may style the emphasis on taste and freshness in each chew. 

Try the plump and scrumptious Old Bay brined colossal black tiger Shrimp Cocktail for an incredible begin. Or get your greens with the Chopped Kale Salad topped with apples, pecans and goat cheese after which tossed with a tangy, candy and spicy cranberry chipotle French dressing.

Half Rack of New Zealand Lamb at Lāk – Columbia, MD | Photo: Better Living

For a hearty and satisfying entrée good for the cooler months, we adored the superbly seared Half Rack of New Zealand Lamb served over decadent creamy polenta and completed with a crimson wine demi-glace. If you’re fortunate to go to on an evening with the Short Rib particular, order it. Chef Kristina’s brief rib is braised till fork tender after which served over ultra-creamy potatoes, recent sauteed spinach and topped with hearty mushrooms and delicate micro greens. It’s good.

Seasonal pumpkin brownie at Lāk – Columbia, MD | Photo: Better Living

For a candy end, go for the scrumptious seasonal pumpkin brownie served in a skillet and topped with whipped cream. It’s nearly too fairly to eat. Almost.

➡ See Lāk’s menu and hours.

Other Local Spots in Columbia, Maryland For Birdwatching

Wilde Lake:  After you’ve explored Lake Kittamaqundi, take the path on the north finish of the lake (to the left if leaving from the again of the lodge) to close by 22-acre Wilde Lake that flows downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi. This is an excellent spot for seeing water fowl like double-crested cormorants, herons and turtles sunning themselves. The path round Wilde Lake is gorgeous and 1.46 miles lengthy. 

It’s a few 20-minute stroll from Merriweather Lakehouse lodge or you can even take a 2 minute drive over.  See the path map. Birding info.

Double-crested cormorants having fun with the solar on Wilde Lake | Photo: Better Living

Centennial Park: An 8 minute drive north of the Merriweather Lake Hotel this award-winning 337-acre park is house to quite a lot of wildlife similar to white-tailed deer, beavers, foxes, turtles, 37 species of waterfowl (herons included) and quite a lot of songbird species. See the path map. Birding info. 

Lake Elkhorn Park:  Only 3.4 miles from the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel, this park includes a 37-acre lake the place you may hike the two.5-mile paved path and seven.3 miles of interconnecting paved paths good for birdwatching and seeing different wildlife like foxes and deer. The park is open from dawn to sundown and has ample parking and restrooms. See the path map. Birding info.

The Robinson Nature Center: Less than 10 minutes south of the lodge, on 18 acres, this Nature middle with two-stories of hands-on reveals has a 1.1 mile nature path with river views and entry to historic mill ruins. See the path map. 

What to Bring With You

Birdwatching alongside the paths of Lake Kittamaqundi | Photo: Better Living

The binoculars within the room are a candy gesture, however when you’re severe about birding, convey alongside a extra highly effective pair. They begin at about $20 on Amazon.

And if you’d like birding photos, convey alongside a digital camera with a zoom lens. Even the most costly cell telephones don’t have sufficient zoom energy to get birds which can be too far-off. 

Prepare to decorate in layers if visiting throughout colder climate. Don’t neglect to convey your complimentary water and path combine with you on the lake path.

About Columbia, Maryland

Named the “safest city” by Forbes Magazine, Columbia, Maryland is an ideal vacation spot for many who need to join with nature, however nonetheless be minutes from quite a lot of eating, buying and leisure choices. Its rising downtown space, referred to as Town Center, is house to the Mall of Columbia. A five-minute stroll from the lodge, the mall has over 200 locations to buy and eat. 

The Lakefront District in Columbia, Maryland | Photo: Better Living

One of the distinctive traits of Columbia is that it maintains 3600 acres of open area, 114 miles of trails, and 5 lakes for anybody eager to chicken or just benefit from the open air. 

The Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel in Columbia, Maryland | Photo: Better Living

Columbia’s Lakefront District, the place the Merriwether Lake Hotel is, is a well-liked spot for festivals and different out of doors occasions all year long. A couple of minutes from the lodge is Columbia’s well-known Merriweather Post Pavilion. This out of doors live performance venue inside 40-acres of preserved land known as Symphony Woods, was named the second greatest amphitheater within the U.S. by Billboard journal.

Final Thoughts

For a soothing lakeside luxurious getaway that mixes birding journey and conservation with luxurious lodging, implausible eating on Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia Maryland, e-book The Birdsong Society at Merriweather Package by February 29, 2024.

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Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel Location and Parking

• • Hotel: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Collection
  • Hotel Address: 10209 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, MD 21044
  • Website: https://merriweatherlakehouse.com/
    
  • Tel: +1 410-730-3900
  • Parking: Parking on the lodge is free and straightforward. Self-park within the storage straight throughout from the lodge. 
  • Proximity to Major Cities: Only half-hour south of Baltimore and 1 hour from D.C.