Chesapeake Country PHOTOS AND STORY BY ALEXANDER LARSON AND KRISTINA KITCHEN America’s Byways The nation’s newest All-American Road, experience the special beauty of this tidewater region where pristine waterways, vibrant waterfront villages, and some of the nation’s best seafood beckon travelers to the Eastern Shore. Spanning 419 miles on land and another 12 nautical miles, this patchwork quilt of small towns is inextricably linked by the magnificent backdrop of the Chesapeake Bay. 26 / VISIT MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM Falling somewhere between a museum and a working boatyard, we loved exploring the Maritime Museum’s historic structures while getting to know real Marylanders who depend on the bay for their livelihood. What an amazing col-lection of Chesapeake Bay history—past and present.