Feet pedaling and hearts racing, some 1,300 cyclists from all over the world and all walks of life challenge themselves in the Race Across America from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis City Dock.     Race Across America is a test of speed, endurance and strength from the beginning to the end. Its intensive combination of distance, terrain and weather tests racers throughout their 3,100-mile journey. Across 12 states, cyclists climb more than 170,000...

    Mythology gave each of nature’s kingdoms its guardian. Forests and trees had Dryads, with oak trees having their own special nymphs, the Hamadryades.     Act quickly and you can step up as a modern guardian, training in a class of 25 as a Maryland Woodland Steward in a three-and-a-half day seminar October 4 to 7 at Shepherd’s Spring Center near Sharpsburg,     University of Maryland Eastern Shore partners with the Ruffled Grouse...

    Who has what it takes to be crowned the fastest server on the Bay?     Six-person server teams registered by local restaurants compete in an obstacle-course competition, dodging obstructions while demonstrating their skill. Teams vie for the chance to win bragging rights and a cash prize.     The challenge is free for the watching, but bring your pocketbook for food and drinks sponsored by Blue Dog BBQ Company and Jailbreak Brewing Company....

Naming a baby is an act of ­poetry, for many people the only ­creative moment of their lives. –Richard Eyre     So a wedding’s in your future … and maybe a baby.     Creativity and anxiety collide in the baby-naming process. Picking the right name has parents asking what really is in a name?     With competing influences such as originality, family tradition and nicknames, names can be a point of pressure as couples...