Go Walk The Columbia Lakefront: The New Path Has Circled Lake Kitt So You Can Eat And Run

From the trail to Whole Foods

The Columbia Association opened a path Friday that circles the downtown lake and opened all kinds of new options for you to eat and run ... or eat and stroll.

The lake -- officially Lake Kittamaqundi, but now Lake Kitt in the blog as dubbed by Jack in an email to me -- is really a new nexus for Howard County food.  The Whole Foods sits right on the lakeside, along with Clyde's, the Tomato Palace, Le Comptoir, Petit Louis and Sushi Sono.

The new trail along a stream

That's great eating, and the CA's new path makes for great walking as well.  For years, the path had circled only part of the lake.  Now it goes the whole way, and we circled with a stroller in about a half hour.  It's an easy walk, and it's beautiful even in cold weather.

(Update: See the story by Luke Lavoie in the Sun.)

You're not going to do better than lunch at Sushi Sono and a walk around the lake.  But all the restaurants are popular, and you can really enjoy an afternoon and even shop for groceries.

I'm impressed by the new trail.  They did pretty work, and there are places to sit and to check out the stream running against Rte 29.  Today is supposed to be beautiful so soak in some warmth. And please suggest dishes at any of the lakefront restaurants if you have favorites.  People have talked up the pizza at Tomato Palace, but I haven't eaten there myself.

Jack, who works with the Bicycle Advocates of Howard County, shared an old map that showed how the trail used to deadend.  He said the new trail was one of the initiatives under a "Connecting Columbia" plan.