Maryland Official Visitors Guide - 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide
The Great Chesapeake Bay
Jim Meyer 2018-12-12 01:04:38
ROAD TRIPS
Experience the best of the bay with inspiration for the journey, from the headwaters full of soaring eagles to a sail on the Chesapeake.
Our kids had never seen an eagle, so we began our road trip at Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River just a few miles from the Chesapeake headwaters. “We can’t see an eagle,” my 4-year-old said from the back seat as we pulled up to the overlook. “Eagles only live on TV.” But before we’d even gotten out of the car, a massive bald eagle crested the art deco dam, and our kids’ jaws dropped. It was the perfect start to an unforgettable adventure.
Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway
From the dam, we followed the river south past towering purple wisteria and crossed the crown of the Chesapeake Bay into Maryland’s famous Eastern Shore. Golden farm fields spread out to broad water vistas and warm, welcoming towns dotted the landscape. We spent our afternoon strolling the charming streets of Colonial Chestertown. Then after ice cream, we pulled the kayaks off the roof and launched right from the town center, and not for the last time on this trip, I wondered, “Why have I never been here before?”
OUR FIRST MARYLAND STEAMED CRABS
We ate dockside at Waterman’s Inn in nearby Rock Hall. Herons fished in the shallows behind the pier, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge peeked over the distant horizon. We sipped fresh-squeezed Orange Crushes—the unofficial cocktail of the Chesapeake—and ordered the legendary steamed crabs: Bright red, fresh from the pot, and crusted with Waterman’s mouthwatering, secret crab seasoning. Our boys pinched each other with the claws, while my wife and I picked our way through a true Maryland feast. If you’ve never had real Maryland steamed crabs, you owe yourself the trip. And don’t be afraid—locals love helping the uninitiated navigate this Maryland seafood adventure.
In St. Michaels, my wife spent the day strolling from boutique to boutique, while I took the kids out for a sail on the skipjack H. M. Krentz. I drifted off to the song of the Chesapeake Bay—the whipping of sailcloth in the strong breeze, waves lapping at the hull, seabirds calling in our wake, the laughter of my sons—and wondered again, “Why have I never been here before?”
CASTING LINES & ISLAND HOPPING
The next morning, we took a half-day fishing charter aboard the Tuna the Tide out of Kent Narrows. Captain Mark has been doing this for 40 years and knows the bay better than the fish do. He pulled us in over a school of rockfish, and as the lines danced with fish after fish, my wife landed her 22-pound rockfish. I didn’t catch anything, but I did get Captain Mark’s amazing rockfish ceviche recipe.
Roots & Tides Scenic Byway
Star-Spangled Banner Scenic Byway
Farther south, we began our island-hopping adventure in the tiny fishing communities of Smith Island and Deal Island. In Deal, we toured a little dockside place called Island Seafood where the owner showed us the day’s catch of live crabs, pufferfish and seahorses he had caught right off the dock. The real reason for the island excursion, though, was dessert.
CAKE WARS & DESSERT ISLANDS
Everyone knows about Smith Island Cake, Maryland’s official state dessert, made of layer upon layer of wafer-thin yellow cake and rich chocolate icing. But my wife wanted to try the less famous Deal Island Devil Cake. She still prefers Smith Island Cake, but—with its thick layers of German chocolate cake slathered in an otherworldly white, buttercream icing—I’m a Deal Island Devil man. Try them both and decide for yourself.
After a side trip to see the wild ponies on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore, we made our way across the mouth of the Chesapeake and into Southern Maryland on the bay’s Western Shore. We visited Historic St. Mary’s City and mingled with Colonial re-enactors, then headed to Solomons Island to tour the famous Calvert Marine Museum. My 4-year-old loved the giant megalodon shark skeleton, and my wife posted about a hundred pictures of Calvert, Chessie-Grace and Chumley, the museum’s three adorable river otters. After touring the Drum Point Lighthouse, my 7-year-old decided he is going to be a lighthouse keeper.
OH SAY, CAN WE COME BACK DAD?
Our kids spent the next day at Six Flags America with their grandparents, meeting Batman and riding roller coasters. My wife and I had a rare evening together in Annapolis. We walked the bricked streets by the U.S. Naval Academy and took in the million-dollar mega yachts of “Ego-Alley” over rum drinks at Pusser’s Caribbean Grille. I didn’t want our Great Chesapeake journey to end.
Our last big stop was in Baltimore, where we stayed in the waterfront neighborhood of Fells Point. We spent the day riding the Water Taxi and took selfies at Fort McHenry on the ramparts that inspired the National Anthem, toured the National Aquarium in Baltimore and walked to Camden Yards to see the Orioles play the Red Sox. We didn’t catch a home run ball, but the Oriole Bird did kiss my 4-year-old. It was a perfect end to a perfect road trip. The next morning at work, I wondered, “When are we going back to the Great Chesapeake Bay?”
Best of the Bay by Sea
After 25 years of cruising the Chesapeake, Rex Noel, editor for Waterway Guide, shares some amazing routes. He recommends exploring quaint small towns with a lot of history as well as anchorages that take you into larger cities, like Baltimore and Annapolis.
As for the narrow tributaries, he says, “those are some of our favorite places.” Explore the Patuxent and Choptank, drop anchor at the heart of town in St. Michaels and in Haven Harbour in the watermen's town of Rock Hall, named “The Pearl of the Chesapeake,” or join in the mayhem at Pirate & Wenches Fantasy Weekend.
Plan Your Trip at: VisitMaryland.org/driving-tours
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Get an Inside Look at the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway
Take your time experiencing the special beauty of this tidewater region with its pristine waterways and vibrant historic waterfront villages.
Maryland scenic driving tours are designed to take travelers to new experiences throughout the state. Find out more at VisitMaryland.org/scenic-byways.
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