Maryland

Natural History, March, 2004

From the Appalachian Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, from the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers to the Atlantic Ocean, the beautiful state of Maryland boasts a vast assortment of outdoor activities, unique attractions, and historical landmarks. In addition to its most famous cities, Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland offers a wealth of diversity in its geography and attractions. You can take a driving tour along Maryland's Civil War trails--there are more than sixty Civil War sites here--a sailing trip to view Chesapeake Bay lighthouses, an outing to a local pasture where some of the state's famed thoroughbreds graze, or tour the world's oldest continuously operating airport, the College Park Aviation Museum.

If you are interested in the Great Outdoors, start your Maryland exploration in the Western Region, where you'll find rugged mountains, crashing waterfalls, and a piece of the Appalachian Trail. This is also Deep Creek Lake country, home to the largest lake in Maryland, famous for its boating and fishing. In the Capital Region, adjacent to Washington, D.C., you can experience three centuries of Maryland history and American life, from the earliest colonists to the pioneers in space flight. Here, you can visit the homes of Francis Scott Key or Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, then learn about space travel at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Maryland's Southern Region boasts historical sites dating back to prehistoric times. Here along the Atlantic Coastal Plain--where many people still farm, or fish from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac and Patuxent--you can learn about the life of Native Americans before European contact. The Central Region offers vineyards, immaculate public gardens, and Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

What's new in Baltimore, Maryland's largest city? Visit the brand-new Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park (1414 Thames Street), one of the city's most historic waterfront properties and a national cultural center dedicated to African-American maritime history. The facility's centerpiece is a working shipyard, reminiscent of the first black-owned marine railway and shipyard in the country. The site honors Isaac Myers, the shipyard's owner, as well as Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave who worked as an abolitionist.

Don't leave Maryland without a stay in the beautiful Eastern Shore, with its abundance of creek to bay fishing, quiet country roads, and beaches. This is the best place to enjoy a succulent, super-fresh dinner of Maryland's famous crabs, to explore a fragile Chesapeake marsh, or simply to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

ANNAPOLIS/ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTRY

Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is home to so many of the Mid-Atlantic region's most visited attractions. Historic Annapolis, Maryland's capital, charms visitors with its maritime heritage, African-American heritage, and charming historic homes. Travel south of Annapolis to Historic London Town & Gardens and see public archaeological digs and a natural shade garden that includes an artful combination of native and exotic plants. Continue your tour of south Anne Arundel County with the new audio travelogne, Roots & Tides, a Journey Through Southern Anne Arundel County. The CD and accompanying map take listeners past old tobacco farms and 18th-century mansions though the picturesque watermen's villages of Deale, Shady Side, and Galesville. Historians, archaeologists, musicians, and local residents tell the story of this unique slice of the Chesapeake Bay shoreline.

For more information or to request a free visitors' guide to Anne Arundel County, call 410-980-0445, ext. 10, or visit www.visitannapolis.org.

CALVERT COUNTY

Calvert Count, a short drive from Washington, D.C., is a place where time really does move a little more slowly. See the majestic Calvert Cliffs with their treasure of prehistoric fossils.

Experience Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary, America's northern most stand of bald cypress trees. Explore the heritage and agricultural history of Southern Maryland at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Cruise around Solomons Harbor on a sightseeing boat or visit the Calvert Marine Museum. Climb up the stairway to the Drum Point Lighthouse or take a shuttle to see the Cove Point Lighthouse. Calvert is Maryland's sportfishing capital, with the largest fleet of charter boats in the state.

Enjoy the Chesapeake Bay lifestyle and discover a place where there are still places to discover.

CHARLES COUNTY

Less than an hour from Washington, D.C., Charles County is a haven for nature lovers and history buffs on southern Maryland's coastal plain. Enjoy first-class fishing, 150 miles of spectacular shoreline, beautiful forests, lakes, ponds, and extensive wetlands.

The county's abundant undeveloped areas support a dense population of bald eagles and 321 other bird species. Every spring for the past fifty, years, nearly 1,500 great blue herons nest in the treetops of Nanjemoy Creek Great Blue Heron Sanctuary. This creek, popular with fishermen, also is a good spot to sight ospreys and bald eagles. Birds are also seen at Chicamuxen Wildlife Management Area and Cobb Island, a popular spot tot fishing and boating.