many shops and restaurants. Of course, no visit is complete before you channel Fritchie’s patriotic spirit by leaning out of the second-story window to announce: “Shoot if you must, this old grey head, but spare your country’s flag!” No vacancy? No problem! If history’s your thing, check in to the Governor Calvert House in Annapolis. Once home to two Maryland governors, the hotel features a glass floor where guests can see the original foundation, dating back to 1695. made with materials from another nearby decommissioned lighthouse. And although you’ll be staying on a historic site that’s open to the public, your beach access while staying on the property is just for you. If there are more passengers aboard your ship than one lighthouse can handle, consider docking at the Lighthouse Club Hotel in Ocean City. Modeled after the octagonal Thomas Point Shoal Light Station (the most recognizable lighthouse in Maryland), the hotel features 23 water-view suites (bay or wetlands) complete with fireplaces and feather beds. Afternoon cookies are a delightful tradition; so is watching the sunset from the hotel’s wrap-around front porch. For a nightcap, don’t miss the Lighthouse Clubhouse, an intimate spot for slowing down and catching up with friends. The Lighthouse Club Hotel is part of Fager’s Island, a small collection of properties where guests can eat, sleep and dance—all without having to call an Uber. No vacancy? No problem! Want an even more hands-on experience? Gather a group of friends and book an overnight adventure through Historic Ships in Baltimore. Participants on the USCGC Taney adventure, for example, must work together to save the ship in a sinking simulation. ✥ TO THE LIGHTHOUSE For nearly 200 years, the Cove Point Lighthouse has guided vessels to the shipping channel of the Chesapeake Bay. Standing 45 feet above a rocky coastline with a beacon visible for 12 nautical miles, the lighthouse was automated in 1986, meaning the keepers’ home—a handsome duplex adjacent to the tower—would be unmanned. If a simple tour (offered by the Calvert Marine Museum during the warmer months) won’t do, visitors can rent one or both sides of the home and stay on the grounds of the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay. Each apartment has been renovated to include modern conveniences such as Wi-Fi and central air, but also boast notable historical momentos, such as photos from the museum archives, locally made furniture and cabinets and a table Pictured Clockwise: Savage River Lodge; Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree Campground; Yurt interior at Savage River Lodge; Cove Point Lighthouse; Barbara Fritchie House DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 33
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2020 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 33
