1 Climb Every Mountain
You don’t have to trek to the Rockies to do a little rock climbing. Climbing the Wissahickon schist formations at Rocks State Park has been popular since the early 1800s. You’ll be rewarded with great views of the Deer Creek rapids once you reach King and Queen Seat, formerly a ceremonial site for Susquehannock and Mingo Indians. You can climb on your own (climbs range greatly in difficulty, from 8 feet to 115 feet), or go with the pros at Earth Treks Climbing (800-CLIMB-UP), who offer escorted tours with all the equipment. Rocks State Park, Jarrettsville, Md. 410-557-7994 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us.
2 Shop for Bargains
Find the diamond in the ruff at Bargain Bill’s Flea Market Antiques & Collectibles, the largest outdoor market on the Eastern Shore. The twelve-acre spread boasts more than three hundred vendors, plus a 46,000-square-foot indoor market. Bargain Bill’s was featured on the PBS series “Collecting Across America” and named one of the top flea markets in the United States by Good Housekeeping magazine. If all that shopping works up an appetite, try Bargain Bill’s pizza, voted “The Best Darn Pizza on the Shore.” Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Laurel, Del. 302-875-9958 or http://www.bargainbill.com.
3 Pick a Winner
Be as picky as you like at Hydromont Berry Farm, a three-acre, family-owned strawberry farm in Charles County. No matter what your recipe calls for, the farm has a berry for you--its three varieties include Sweet Charlie, Chandler, and Camarosa. An open-air market offers jams, jellies, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, salsas, and salad dressings. Tours available. La Plata, Md. 301-932-0872 or http://www.hydromontberryfarm.com.
4 Step Back in Time to the Civil War
Just north of Dixieland lies Fort Delaware, a Union fortress built on Pea Patch Island, near Delaware City, Del., in 1859. Originally constructed to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia, the fort served as a prison for 10,000 Confederate prisoners of war. Damp, unsanitary conditions on the island contributed to the death of more than 2,400 of the prisoners, most of whom were buried across the river in New Jersey at Finn’s Point National Cemetery. After you take the half-mile ferry ride from Delaware City to the island, costumed interpreters will take you on a tour of the fortress and into the prison’s walls. Another ferry offers service to Finn’s Point. Be sure to explore the natural side of Pea Patch Island as well; it’s home to nine different species of heron, egret, and ibis. 302-834-7941 or http://www.destateparks.com.
5 Saddle Up for a Riverside Ride
The natural riches--woodlands, streams, ancient Indian lands--of Southern Maryland’s St. Mary’s River State Park look even better from the back of a horse. Circle the popular fishing spot that is St. Mary’s Lake--a trophy bass lake--on an eleven-mile trail astride a western mount from St. Mary’s River Stables. No experience required. Rates $30/hr; half-day rides $75. Leonardtown, Md. 301-994-1869 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us/outdooradventures/stmarysstables.html.
6 Explore “Maryland’s Everglades”
At 28,500 acres, Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area is the largest parcel of publicly owned tidal wetlands in Maryland. Located adjacent to better-known Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Fishing Bay has been called “Maryland’s Everglades,” and is a haven for herons, egrets, ibises, rails, and raptors. The best way to explore its miles of creeks, marsh gut, and open bays is by canoe or kayak. For a free Fishing Bay Water Trail map, call the Maryland Greenways Commission, 410-260-8771 or visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/outdooradventures/fishingbay.html.
7 Go Canoeing for Birds
Rent a canoe and bring your binoculars as you follow the Marshy Creek canoe trail at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. Brush up on your ornithological knowledge so you can tell the difference between the preserve’s 210 species of birds, including bald eagles, bobwhites, bluebirds, and orioles. During the summer months, try to spy osprey hatchlings leaving nests. Grasonville, Md. 410-827-6694 or http://www.wildfowltrust.org.
8 Ride Your Bike Across an Island
What’s the best way to get across Kent Island? The Cross Island Trail, of course. This six-mile-long, ten-foot-wide paved trail runs east to west across Kent Island, from Terrapin Nature Park on the Chesapeake to the Chesapeake Exploration Center on Kent Narrows. Along the way, bikers and walkers can survey canopied forests, peaceful streams, and visit the area’s public parks. Bring your own bike or rent one from Happy Trails Bicycle Repair in Stevensville, 410-643-0670. For a map of the trail, see http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/cross-island.html or call Queen Anne’s County Tourism, 410-604-2100.
9 Meet Some Unique Trees
Get up close and personal with the myriad of trees and shrubs at Adkins Arboretum on a guided tour every Saturday at 2 p.m. The docent-led tours, held April through November, cover the grassy meadows, thick forests and beautiful native gardens within the 400-acre preserve on Tuckahoe Creek in Ridgely, Md. Tours are free for members; $5 for nonmembers. 410-634-2847 or http://www.adkinsarboretum.org.
10 Go Camping Without the Tent
So, you want to go camping, but you’re not so crazy about sleeping on the ground? Then bunk down at one of the area’s state parks with camping cabins. Most rustic cabins offer cots or beds, bathrooms, showers, fireplaces, and complete kitchens. In Maryland, you’ll find camper cabins at Pocomoke River, Janes Island, Tuckahoe, Martinak, Susquehanna, Elk Neck, Smallwood, and Point Lookout state parks. (http://www.dnr.state.md.us) In Virginia, Westmoreland State Park has twenty-six regular camping cabins, plus the Potomac River Retreat, a five-bedroom, five-bath abode right on the Potomac River (http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/westmore.htm). In Delaware, try Killens Pond and Trap Pond, or rent a yurt--round, canvas-walled structures with outdoor decks--at Lums and Trap Pond (http://www.destateparks.com).
11 Bunk Down
Sailing into the sunset gets literal on this “boat and breakfast” getaway on the seventy-four-foot Schooner Woodwind. The excursion begins out of Annapolis with a two-hour sunset sail on the Chesapeake, dinner in town on your own, and ends with a restful sleep. Awake the next morning to a gourmet breakfast on deck. Saturday nights, May through September. $245 per stateroom. 410-263-8619 or http://www.schooner-woodwind.com.
12 Check Out a Lighthouse with a Feminine Touch
Fannie Salter was the last female civilian lighthouse keeper in America in 1947 when she finally left the watch at Turkey Point Lighthouse after twenty-two years. In fact, Turkey Point has a long history of female keepers. Of its 115 years in operation, 89 of them were overseen by women. The “Lady’s Lamp” remains the highest on the Bay, situated on a 100-foot bluff overlooking the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Elk Neck State Park, North East, Md. 410-287-5333 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us.
13 Learn to Float on Water
Ultimate Watersports has been teaching windsurfing for twenty years now, so they ought to be able to teach you, too. The company, located on the Gunpowder River northeast of Baltimore, offers two-hour introductory lessons for $55 and six-hour “guaranteed to learn” lessons for $145. If windsurfing is not your thing, sign up for Ultimate Watersports’ catamaran sailing lessons or kayaking classes. 410-335-5352 or http://www.ultimatewatersports.com.
14 Go Fishing on the Fly
Theaux Legardeur, owner of Monkton’s Backwater Angler fly fishing shop and guiding service, estimates there’s about 2,000 wild brown trout per mile swimming in the Gunpowder River. “That’s a lot of fish,” he says. “You figure at least every couple of feet, you’re stepping over them.” Now all you need is a rod and reel. That’s where Backwater Angler comes in. It’s the premier guiding service on the Gunpowder, with nine experienced guides who know what and where the fish are biting. The company offers half-day, four-hour excursions ($195 per person and $225 for two), and six-hour trips with a stream-side lunch ($225 for one and $295 for two). All trips include full outfitting and instruction for beginners. No trips on Wednesdays. “That’s when we go fishing,” says Legardeur. 410-329-6821 or http://www.backwaterangler.com.
15 Follow in the Footsteps of an Assassin
“After being hunted like a dog I was forced to return wet, cold and starving."-- Diary of John Wilkes Booth, 1865. This nearly seventy-mile tour follows the escape route of John Wilkes Booth after he shot Abraham Lincoln. Historic markers along the course indicate the importance of localities. The return trip presents views of the Potomac River, Allen’s Fresh, and Zekiah Swamp. A map of the trail can be purchased from the Suratt Society for $5. 301-868-1121 or http://www.surratt.org.
16 Go Golfing without Clubs
Disc golf is all the fun of golf without the plaid pomp and circumstance. A cross between Frisbee and golf, this sport is played using a disc that is tossed into a basket on an eighteen-pole disc golf course. Each toss counts as one stroke. There are even handicaps. Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, Del. 302-645-8983 or http://www.destateparks.com/discgolf.
17 Take a Scenic Drive
Spanning four miles from the entrance of Jug Bay Natural Area to the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, both in Upper Marlboro, the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Driving Tour is a picturesque survey of Bay ecosystems from nontidal wetlands to thick marshes to forest buffers. Signage along the drive explains some of the effects man has had on the environment, and vice versa. You’re sure to spot bluebirds, Canada geese, ospreys, and other critters along the way. Definitely stop at the forty-foot-tall observation tower, with sweeping views over the Patuxent River. 301-888-1410 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us/baylinks/11.html.
18 Take a Pirate Cruise
A boat ride is just a boat ride, but add a sword, sash, tattoo, and cannons, and a pirate adventure is made! Emily and Michael Tomasini, owners of Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake, will turn your kids into swashbucklers for a fun hour-plus cruise around the Naval Academy and Annapolis in search of bounty on a transformed thirty-eight-foot motorboat. Six cruises leave daily from the Annapolis City Marina dock in Eastport. $16/person. Reservations required. 443-398-6270 or http://www.chesapeakepirates.com.
19 See Where the Buffalo Roam
If you’ve ever wanted to see an American bison up close--all 2,000 pounds of the furry beast--visit Cedarvale Farm. The seventeen animals roam free on the sixty-acre farm. Don’t forget to try the buffalo meat, the original Native American health food; it can be bought as sirloin, short ribs, rump, T-Bone, New York strip, or the famous Buffalo jerky. Open to the public Sundays, 1-5 p.m. Churchville, Md. 410-734-7467 or http://www.cedarvalefarm.com.
20 Go Swamp Stomping
The Chesapeake region boasts the northernmost stands of towering baldcypress trees in the United States. Calvert County’s 100-acre Battle Creek Cypress Swamp in Prince Frederick is one of the best places to get up close on its 1,700-foot boardwalk through the preserve. Nature Center open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 410-535-5327 or calvert-county.com/cypress.htm. But Laurel, Del.’s Trap Pond State Park vies for the real northernmost crown, with a natural stand of these prehistoric conifers in the wetlands portion of the park. Explore the mysterious beauty of the swamp on a specially designated wilderness canoe trail that winds through Trap Pond into what used to be called the “Great Cypress Swamp” that covered much of Delaware. Rent canoes ($5/hr., $25/day) in the park. Kayaks, rowboats, and pedal boats are also available. 302-875-5153 or http://www.destateparks.com.
21 Be a Trail Blazer
Discover the rural backroads of Worcester County on two wheels. This major circuit known as The ViewTrail 100 winds through farmland, skirts cypress swamps, and runs along the Pocomoke River. Put on the brakes for antiquing or a gourmet lunch in the quaint towns of Snow Hill and Berlin. BYO bike or rent one in Ocean City or Assateague. Find a map at visitworcester.org/outdoors/bikes.htm or call 410-632-3110.
22 Spot a Song Sparrow...
or an egret, a heron, eagle, or a flock of wood ducks from the new handicapped accessible viewing platform or masked blind at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, a twenty-four-acre wetlands preserve in Easton, ideal for birdwatching. Stroll the Farm to Bay Trail to see woodland birds, especially woodpeckers. The center offers numerous programs, from “Tiny Tot Safaris” to women-only group hikes to paddling excursions on Pickering Creek. 410-822-4903 or http://www.pickeringcreek.org.
23 Play Croquet in Funny Clothing
Get your mallets ready for the Annual Liriodendron Croquet Tournament on May 8th, which benefits the Bel Air mansion, Liriodendron. Dozens of teams participate--many in Victorian garb. Spectators can enjoy antique car displays and music by the Peabody Consort. $50 per team to enter the tournament. 410-838-3942 or http://www.liriodendron.com.
24 Head Up, Up, and Away
You and two sleepy friends can rise with the sun in a colorful hot-air balloon named Zeus for a three-hour flight from Denton. Once back on the ground, enjoy a (non-alcoholic) champagne tailgate celebration complete with cheese and crackers and cookies. $250/person for this private, all-inclusive charter. Nash Balloon Adventures, 410-820-2074 or http://www.nashballoons.com.
25 Tarry in the Estuary
Find out the real skinny on the health of the Bay at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center. This research and education spot, where aquatic plants share space with turtles, snakes and toads, features great interactive exhibits on the Bay’s vital ecosystem. ("Critter Dinner Time,” on several Saturdays, is the best time to stop in.) Explore the 700-plus-acre reserve outside with a “Family Fun Pack,” a free backpack with a tour map, field guides, even trash bags to help keep the wetlands spiffy. You might even spy an otter. Open to public Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Abingdon, Md. 410-612-1688 or http://www.otterpointcreek.org.
26 Fish for Free
Attention all anglers! Head to Charles County’s Friendship Farm Park for spontaneous fishing in Nanjemoy Creek, one of several Chesapeake spots where fishing is allowed without a license. Regulars claim it’s a great spot to catch largemouth bass, catfish, perch, and bluegill. Open dawn to dusk year round. 301-932-3470 or http://www.charlescounty.org.
27 Watch for Eagles
It seems fitting that eagles soar over the Naval Warfare Center Wildlife Watching Area in Indian Head, Md. Daily sightings of these proud birds are routine here and at the adjacent 381-acre Chicamuxen Wildlife Management Area. Numerous other bird species also inhabit the twenty acres of wetlands within these primitive preserves, noted only with trail markers and the occasional bench. Off of Rte. 224. 301-743-5161 or http://www.charlescounty.org/tourism/outdoor.htm#chica.
28 Grind Out Some History
Take a trip to the eighteenth century at the working water-powered Rock Run Grist Mill, near Havre de Grace, and take home some free cornmeal made right before your eyes. The three-story stone structure, circa 1794, is only one of several historic sites in Harford County’s Susquehanna State Park. The complex includes the Steppingstone Museum, a preserved farm with house, barn, and exhibits of working tools of the late nineteenth century, and the Jersey Toll House, a restored mansion that serves as the park’s information center. 410-557-7994 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/susquehannahistory.html.
29 Kayak by the Light of the Moon
As the orange sun slips into the waters of Tangier Sound, pad-.dle your kayak along the water trails of Janes Island State Park in Crisfield. As you silently glide across the calm waters, the guides of Tangier Sound Outfitters will point out natural and cultural sites--Smith Island across the way, dolphins, and turtles. After a moonlight stroll on the beach, with pirate tales, paddle back by the light of the moon. May 1, June 5, and all the full moons of 2004. $25 per person or $40 couple. 410-968-1803 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us/outdooradventures/tangier.html.
30 Get Oriented
The sport of orienteering involves using a compass--or GPS, these days--to find out where you are, where you’re going, and where you have been. Broken Eagle Adventures, a Baltimore County outfitter, helps people develop the skill to use one of the most important, yet least understood tools for any outdoor adventure. In workshops, held at various central Maryland parks, you’ll learn how to use a compass, read a map, and use a map and compass together, and how to plot a course on paper and follow it in the field. Broken Eagle also offers organized backpacking trips, canoeing, hiking and other adventures. 410-529-6421 or http://www.brokeneagle.com.
31 Camp with Ghosts
Join in some creepy camping at Point Lookout State Park. See if you can spot some ghosts at Fort Lincoln, built to protect the area from the Confederates in 1865. (Much of the remains of the Civil War facility lie under the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, but the park’s visitor center contains numerous personal artifacts recovered from the site.) There are 143 wooded campsites available; twenty-six with full hook-ups. Prices start at $25 a night. An on-site museum re-counts the point’s history. Scotland, Md. 888-432-2267 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us.
32 Be Star Struck
Join the Delmarva Stargazers on June 8 to observe the rare “transit of Venus” as the small dot of the planet moves across the sun. This group of star lovers meets regularly to talk stars, and, on the first Friday nearest the new moon at Tuckahoe State Park, to view the Eastern sky. http://www.delmarvastargazers.org.
33 Paddle Through African-American History
Discover the rich African-American history with a self-guided kayak or canoe tour along the Lower Patuxent River Water Trail, which stretches from Hardesty to Solomons, Md. Ten storied sites are noted along the 110-mile stretch of the river. Couple them on a day trip or plan to camp along the way for a longer vacation. Stops include an early colonial cemetery at Patuxent Point; the slave cabins at Sotterly Plantation; Camp Stanton, where U.S. Colored Troops were trained for combat; and the first black-owned-and-operated airport in America. Call 800-784-5380 or find a map of the route with rich historical notes at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/aapax.html.
34 Tour Homes, Sweet Homes and Gardens
From Eastern Shore farmhouses to Greek revival mansions, the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage tours of three historic counties--Charles, Anne Arundel, and Talbot--introduce you to notable residences, churches, and intricately designed gardens throughout the region. Running on succeeding weekends beginning May 1, these tours usually stop for a garden-side lunch. Reservations are recommended. 410-821-6933 or http://www.mhgp.org.
35 Eat Soft-Shells by the Seashore
What better spot to usher in the soft-shell season than on Smith Island, where the majestic Chesapeake meets the Atlantic. The “soft-shell capital of the world” is home to the famous Ewell eatery, the Bayside Inn, where the view is even better than the sweet peelers. The restaurant opens for the season on May 29, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Bayside Inn Restaurant, 4065 Smith Island Rd., Smith Island, Md. 410-425-2771.
36 Take a Horse and Buggy Ride
Travel in style, the old-fashioned way, with a relaxing carriage ride around the picturesque town of St. Michaels, Md. The driver will tell the story of the region as you ply the byways along the water as well as the rural roads so many early settlers used. Rates $100/hour; reservations required. Chesapeake Carriage Company, 9072 New Rd., McDaniel, Md. 410-745-4011.
37 Rediscover Maryland
The vessel ferrying you to St. Clements Island may be a water-taxi, but seeing the spot where the Bay meets the Potomac will take you back to the time of the settlers on the Ark and the Dove. The Potomac River Museum details the history of the time--including the first Roman Catholic mass celebrated on these shores. History of other eras lives on outside in the form of a nineteenth-century schoolhouse and an early twentieth-century workboat. Boat trips start Memorial Day weekend; noon-4 p.m. weekends; museum hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, noon-5 p.m. weekends. 301-769-2222 or http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/museums/stclementsisland.asp.
38 Dive a U-Boat
Get deep into history, literally, when you dive Maryland’s first historic shipwreck preserve to get up close to an actual World War II U-boat. The rubber-sheathed (to mask it from sonar) Black Panther, which Germany turned over to the U.S. Navy after the war, is now sixty to ninety feet down off Piney Point in the lower Potomac River. A mooring buoy marks the spot, and a line guides experienced divers (these are murky waters) to this rare artifact. Get information from marylandhistoricaltrust.net (click archeology) or the St. Clement’s Island-Potomac River Museum before you head out. 301-769-2222.
39 Dig for Ancient Artifacts
Get your hands dirty in the interests of science on the annual field session with the Archaeology Society of Maryland. This year’s eleven-day event (May 7-17) rolls out in the “relic cove” known as Swan Cove, near Annapolis, part of the “Lost Towns Project.” You don’t need to be a professional to search for the clay kilns and relics from a seventeenth-century settlement prosaically named Providence; field training and workshops will be held throughout. Fee for non-members is a scant $45. 301-854-2475 or http://www.marylandarcheology.org/fs.htm.
40 Watch Italian Movies Under the Stars
Mamma mia! Every Friday night in Baltimore’s Little Italy is outdoor movie night. Bring your own lawn chair, grab a cannoli from Vaccaro’s, and watch an Italian-themed movie from a parking lot at the intersection of High and Stiles streets. The film festival has been a huge family favorite for several years. If you haven’t been, you owe it to your Italian mamma to go. http://www.littleitalymd.com.
41 Watch the Ponies Swim from Your Kayak
While everybody else is craning to see the ponies cross the channel between Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island, you’ll have a front row seat from your sea kayak. Join island native Jay Cherrix of Wildlife Expeditions on one of these special pony-watching tours on the last Wednesday in July. The tours fill up fast, so make your reservation now. Cherrix, who can trace his family’s roots on Chincoteague back three hundred years, also leads sunset and sunrise kayak tours throughout the year. 866-CKAYAKS or http://www.wildlifexpeditions.com.
42 Kayak by the Cliffs
Kayaking turns dramatic when you glide by the dolomite and shale heights known as Horsehead Cliffs in Westmoreland State Park, in Montross, Va. The kayaking is draw enough, but these special two-hour tours also include a guided tour of the Potomac River shoreline and a fossil search. Tour rates $16/hr. single; $22/hr. double. Reservations recommended. Times vary. 800-933-PARK or http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/westmore.htm.
43 Walk with Walking Dead
“Meet” Mr. Williams, the 1930s street lamplighter, still a familiar sight in Cape Charles--even if he is dead. Each Saturday evening at sunset from April through Halloween, you can learn the favorite haunts and habits of local spirits during the ninety-minute Cape Charles Ghost Walking Tours. Tours also include introductions to an 1890s schoolmarm who reportedly has been seen floating down the stairs of an old schoolhouse and a little boy dressed in a white nightshirt who mysteriously appears by his mother’s antique bed. To book a tour, call Cape Charles Tours, 757-331-2274. --Donna Bozza Packer
44 Sail to a Vineyard
Majestic birds and marvelous sailing are the highlights of the Rappahannock River Eagle and Winery Cruise. The Captain Thomas leaves from Tappahannock, Va., at 10 a.m. and cruises up the river, past tall cliffs and bald eagle habitat. At lunchtime, the boat docks at Ingleside Vineyards, one of the largest wineries in the state, where you can witness the winemaking process in action, taste local vintages, and browse the gift shop. The cruise returns at approximately 4:30 p.m. $22 for adults, $11 for children. 804-453-BOAT or http://www.tangiercruise.com/rappahannock/mainR.htm.
45 Volunteer on a Skipjack
Ever wanted to experience life on a skipjack? You can aboard the floating classroom The Dee of St. Mary’s. Volunteers help crew the fifty-six-foot-long vessel, built in 1979, which introduces school children and others to Bay ecology and the lives of watermen. You’ll help dredge for oysters and haul in crab pots on the St. Mary’s River--and have a good time doing it. Shore-based volunteers are also needed. Chesapeake Bay Field Lab, Piney Point, Md. 301-994-2245 or http://www.skipjacktours.com.
46 Shoot ‘Em Up
Take aim at an afternoon of shooting at Chesapeake Sporting Clays in Henderson, Md. This Caroline County club (attached to an eleven-room bed and breakfast) features the whole range of target shooting from forty-seven stations, including wobble trap (challenging random target throws) and “five-stand,” where you and four challengers compete. Prices start at $15 for fifty clays; guns and private instruction are available for hire. 410-758-1824 or http://www.chesapeakeclays.com.
47 Walk Princess Anne
This lower Eastern Shore town, named for King George II’s daughter, celebrates its eighteenth-century heritage daily with a self-guided historic walking tour. The handful of buildings from that era, including St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, circa 1757, and the town’s oldest, the William Geddes House, circa 1755, are joined by homes and public buildings of Federal, Victorian, even Greek Revival architecture of the last two centuries. 800-521-9189 or http://www.townofprincessanne.com.
48 Take the Cat Sailing
The windy channel of Assawoman Bay is ideal for catamaran sailing. Hone your sailing skills by renting a cat at Fenwick Island State Park. Sunfish, trimarans, and kayaks are also available. No experience required. Hobie Wave rentals are $45 per hour. Park opens Memorial Day. Bayside on Coastal Highway between Fenwick Island and Bethany Beach, Del. 302-352-3401 or http://www.c-kayak.com.
49 Hike with a View
Stroll the land as it looked in George Washington’s day in the four-thousand-acre Piscataway National Park, established to preserve that eighteenth-century Mount Vernon view across the Potomac River. Hike, fish, watch birds, have a picnic as the colonials might have done. You won’t be surprised to look up and see homesteaders in period garb at the National Colonial Farm on the grounds, a living history museum that re-creates the life of a middle-class working tobacco farm. Near Accokeek, Md. off of Indian Head Highway. 301-763-4600 or http://www.nps.gov/pisc/index.htm.
50 Go for a Row
If you’ve ever wanted to experience the excitement of sculling on open water, spend a weekend at Calm Waters Rowing in Lancaster, on Virginia’s Northern Neck. Beginners to expert rowers can hone their skills during a three- or four-day training session on a private lake. All equipment, training, meals, and accommodations--in a nineteenth-century bed and breakfast--are included in the rates, starting at $615. 800-238-5578 or http://www.calmwatersrowing.com.
