MD Scenic Byways - Digital Guide
Roots & Tides
2021-08-13 04:30:50
MOSTLY SCENIC AND QUIET, WITH SOME TRAFFIC IN ANNAPOLIS
drive type
Explore the timeless traditions and deep maritime roots of Western Shore towns along the Chesapeake Bay. Go sailing, bird watching, museum hopping or just relax on a sandy beach.
47 MILES FROM ANNAPOLIS TO PLUM POINT
The recreational opportunities are plentiful with each golden Chesapeake Bay day. Enjoy a relaxing beach getaway, navigate the bay’s waters, visit a heritage site or savor a delicious seafood meal. From bayside towns to fishing communities, this byway showcases the history and culture of this region.
Annapolis to Fairhaven
INCLUDING MD 2, MD 253 & MD 468
Begin in Annapolis, where there are more 18th-century buildings than any other city in America. Visit the Maryland State House, which served as the nation’s capital in 1783, and the Banneker-Douglass Museum to learn about the area’s African-American heritage. Also available are guided walking tours of the U.S. Naval Academy, featuring glimpses of a midshipman’s life and a history that dates back to Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones.
Of course, no trip to “America’s Sailing Capital” is complete without a fishing excursion or relaxing charter boat ride. Finish up with a delicious seafood dinner or unwind at a local pub.
Head south into Edgewater and tour Historic London Town and Gardens, where archaeological digs have unearthed artifacts dating back to the 18th century. Gardens and reconstructed colonial buildings are also located on the 23-acre property.
Many sites along this byway are part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, which connects visitors to history, culture and recreation along the bay and its tributaries. One official gateway is the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, which encompasses 2,800 acres of forest, cropland, pasture, freshwater wetlands, tidal marshes and estuaries. Family-oriented activities include hiking, kayaking and guided canoe tours.
Check for powerboat and sailboat rentals in Edgewater, or continue south and charter a ketch in the 360-year-old Quaker settlement of Galesville. Nearby is another Chesapeake Bay Gateway, a restored waterman’s cottage in Shady Side known as the Captain Salem Avery Museum.
Fairhaven to Breezy Point Beach
INCLUDING MD 423, MD 261 & MD 263
For a quiet, relaxing beach vacation, head south into Rose Haven, North Beach or Chesapeake Beach. Enjoy ports, marinas, museums, restaurants, antiques shops and bed and breakfasts while admiring the waterfront views. The resort community of Chesapeake Beach is also the location of a water park with slides, fountains and waterfalls.
The sandy, half-mile-long Breezy Point Beach is great for picnicking, swimming, fishing and crabbing. From here you can head south to Plum Point, or turn inland to connect with the Star-Spangled Banner Byway.
MARYLAND LORE The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is housed in an 1898 railway station and contains exhibits about the old Victorian resort and amusement park that operated there.
TRIP TIPS: Take to the water along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which covers nearly 3,000 miles of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Never far from a friendly shore, the trail is easily accessible and marked by "smart buoys' that transmit observational data and communicate historical information.
CHESAPEAKE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
Annapolis • 410-260-2488
https://home.nps.gov/cajo/index.htm
CAPTAIN SALEMAVERY MUSEUM
Shady Side
410-867-4486
www.captainaverymuseum.org
CHESAPEAKE BEACH RAILWAY MUSEUM
Chesapeake Beach
410-257-3892
www.chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com
GALESVILLEHERITAGE MUSEUM
Galesville • 410-867-9499
www.galesvilleheritagesociety.org
HISTORIC LONDON TOWN AND GARDENS
Edgewater • 410-222-1919
www.historiclondontown.org
MARYLANDSTATE HOUSE
Annapolis • 410-260-6445
www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdstatehouse/html/home.html
SMITHSONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER
Edgewater
443-482-2200
www.serc.si.edu
U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
Annapolis • 410-293-8687
https://www.usna.edu/visit/index.php
For information about amenities found along this byway, please refer to the chart on page 62.
SIDE TRIP
Continue south to Prince Frederick, site of a vineyard and cypress swamp sanctuary, as well as 15 miles of hiking trails within the American Chestnut Land Trust.
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