Sometimes when I wake up I have no idea where I am. I woke up Monday morning in a hotel close to the Baltimore/Washington airport. After a shuffle of appointments and many changes, my main destination for the day was Educational Etc., located on Ritchie Hwy, in Severna Park, MD.
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Educational Etc., located in Severna Park, MD.
Good thing I had lots of time. It seemed like a scavenger hunt trying to locate this place, driving up and down Ritchie Hwy from what seemed like one end to the other. When I finally located the place, which should have been easy to begin with, I was lucky to find the buyer was available. Lara, the store’s buyer, is also a mom of the cutest little six month old boy. He accompanies her to her office in the store every day, playpen and all.
Educational Etc. is a chain of three stores. The other two are located in Largo and Oxon Hill (Prince George’s County).
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Lara [left] was nice enough to make herself available to meet with me, despite my tardiness. As you can see, the inside of Educational Etc. [right] is as welcoming as their staff.
Those of you who know me will laugh when you hear of my next escapade. I do have one true addiction. I am addicted to the Internet. At home, I am connected all the time, like an umbilical cord. Since I’ve been on this trip, I usually have a ‘hi-speed hit’ by the time the afternoon rolls around. This addiction has led me to altercations in public libraries, stops at hotels along the highway, and many afternoons in Starbucks cafes. You can’t imagine how excited I was to find a café offering free Internet along Ritchie Hwy.
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Not originally one of my scheduled stops, but Corky’s Hard Bean Café should have been.
Corky’s Hard Bean Café, located in a Severna Park plaza, is a café full of soul. Not only do they offer free Internet, tasty meals, and great coffee, they have live music up to four nights a week (with only a three dollar cover charge). The walls are tastefully decorated with paintings and photographs of local artisans. There is a grand piano standing stately in the corner. Corky’s Hard Bean Café made my day. I got my fix of both coffee and the net, and was on my way. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, check it out. You can find the Hard Bean Café at 562B Ritchie Highway in Severna Park, MD.
The telephone number is 410-518-6077.