Destination Maryland

Nature lovers will find more than 400 miles of shoreline to explore in St. Mary's County. To find more out about the region, take a sail aboard one of the several historic vessels in the area that offer scenic cruises or sails.

CALVERT COUNTY

CELEBRATE THE CULTURE OF THE CHESAPEAKE

A hike through Calvert Cliffs State Park brings you to the majestic Calvert Cliffs on the Chesapeake Bay. Formed over 15 million years ago, the cliffs contain more than 600 species of fossils. The park is ideal for hiking and walking, picnicking, fishing, and fossil hunting, and there is a 45-minute walk one-way (two miles) to the beach. The area under the cliffs is closed due to landslide activity, but fossil collecting can be done along the open beach where there are no cliffs.

In Calvert County, you can also take advantage of some wonderful ecological spots. The Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary protects the country's northernmost naturally occurring stand of bald cypress. A boardwalk at Flag Ponds Nature Park leads through delicate wetlands. Three different scientific centers--the Academy of Natural Sciences' Estuarine Research Center, the American Chestnut Land Trust, and the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory--offer an introduction to this diverse and unique environment.

The rich maritime history and diversity of life found in the Chesapeake Bay come alive at the Calvert Marine Museum. Here you'll find boats, models, paintings, woodcarvings, aquariums and fossils. Outdoor exhibits include a boat basin, river otter habitat, and a re-created salt marsh. Enjoy a leisurely one-hour cruise around Solomons Harbor and the Patuxent River aboard the Wm. B. Tennison, the oldest Coast Guard licensed passenger-carrying vessel on the Chesapeake. Built in 1899, this nine-log chunk-built bugeye was later converted from sail to power, serving as an oyster buyboat. After your cruise, sample the fresh catches served at Solomon's excellent restaurants.

CHARLES COUNTY

SOUTHERN MARYLAND'S HIDDEN GEM

Charles County is a destination that combines history, the outdoors, culture and fabulous seafood into one unforgettable weekend. Explore the fossil hunting grounds of Purse State Park, or take in the forests and wetlands of the Mattawoman Natural Environment Area.

If you like history, you'll be intrigued by the small town of Benedict, the only spot in the United States where foreign troops have invaded our shores. The British army landed here on their way to Washington D.C. during the war of 1812. Two of the troops are buried at Old Fields Chapel Cemetery in Hughesville.

For a bit of exercise, you can take a 24-mile bike ride through history, following the trail of John Wilkes Booth. Your tour picks up his trail at the home of Samuel Mudd, the doctor who set Booth's leg before he continued his escape into Virginia. The route follows lightly traveled roads through rolling countryside and scenic farmland. Stop at the St. Mary's Catholic Church, built in 1848, where Dr. Mudd is buried. You will peddle around the Zekiah Swamp and end up in Pope's Creek on the Potomac River Here, you can enjoy a Maryland crab dinner without any guilt.