From: awootten@polaris.cv.nrao.edu (Al Wootten)
Subject: Re: Messing About the Chesapeake
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 15:00:40 GMT

In article <lcgdv2INNf2g@cronkite> billc@sextant.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill Courington) writes:
   I'm finally going to attend the Annapolis Boat Show next
   week.  I'm giving it two days, then plan to tour about the
   Chesapeake shoreline for several more days.  I'm looking
   for boat-oriented places to visit, would appreciate any
   suggestions.  
   BILL COURINGTON

Annapolis or Baltimore harbor are interesting, if tourist-infested.
St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore, or Solomon's Island on the Western
Shore are a step removed from the tourists, but still cater to them
visibly.  But for a real Bay experience, visit the Blackwater Wildlife
Refuge (take US 50 to Cambridge, it lies on the west just after you
cross the Choptank, and is signed), or Tidewater Worcester or Somerset
County--Deal Island (Devil's Island--for the pirates that based there
in pre-Revolutionary times), Chance, Dames Quarter (Damned Quarter--
pirates again) or Smith Island are real waterman's towns.  If you can
get to Smith Island (my sister lives in Tylerton there), do go.  You
can go to the wharf in Chrisfield and take the tour boat, or one of
the mail boats for less money.  Last time I went, round trip was $10
or so (my sister arranges a lower fare, so I'm not sure).  You won't
go to Tylerton on the tour boat; instead you'll visit Ewell, the island
metropolis.  During the two hour stay you can eat lunch at the local
restaurant (seafood couldn't be fresher) roam the docks or visit the
local museum, before the return trip (just under an hour).  From the
Western shore, travel from Annapolis to Solomon's Island for a visit,
then head across the US301 bridge and down Virginia's Northern Neck.
About 2.5 hours straight from Annapolis you arrive at Reedville, Va,
another picturesque waterman's town, home of the Chesapeake's biggest
menhaden fleet.  If, instead of Reedville, you take the Rte 652/644/650
path from US360 to the KOA at Smith Point, you can catch the 10:00am
departure of the Captain Evans to Smith Island.  Phone (804)453-3430
to check on departures.  After the 4:00 return you can explore
the Rappahannock at White Stone or Irvington (the Tide's Inn has
trips on the Rappahannock on their grand yacht, the Miss Ann), and
cross the Rappahannock on Rte 3 to explore Deltaville (I live on
Sturgeon Creek) or Urbanna, founded 1680 before heading back up the
South shore along US17 through Tappahannock to US301 and the return to
MD.  Follow Rte 3 and 14 over the Piankatank near Deltaville if you have
time to explore Matthews, Gwynn's Island, and the old towns of the
middle neck between the Rappahannock and the York, meeting the Bay at
Mobjack Bay.  With more time, you can venture across the York on
US17 (drive around the old town center in Gloucester) to visit
Yorktown, Willimasburg, and the Mariner's Museum in Hampton (four stars).
If you make it to Norfolk, you could just continue over the bridge
at the mouth of the Bay (US13) and return to Annapolis via the Eastern
Shore (about 4.5 hours with no stops Norfolk to Annapolis), where
Onancock is worth a stop (another of the Virginia ports founded 1680),
as are Chincoteague on the Ocean and the Assateague National Seashore
(the osprey and summer birds are gone, but the winter birds are arrived!).

On second thought, why bother with the boat show?

Clear skies,
Al
Who wishes he were at Sturgeon Creek today!
+--------------------------------------------__---------+
| Alwyn  Wootten  (awootten@nrao.edu) 	     \/	GBT	|
| National Radio Astronomy Observatory        ^         |
| 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475, USA|
| (804)-296-0329 voice  Let's build The Millimeter Array|
| (804)-296-0278 FAX           {>    {>    {>    {>     |
+------------------------------^-----^-----^-----^------+






--
+--------------------------------------------__---------+
| Alwyn  Wootten  (awootten@nrao.edu) 	     \/	GBT	|
| National Radio Astronomy Observatory        ^         |
| 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475, USA|
| (804)-296-0329 voice  Let's build The Millimeter Array|
| (804)-296-0278 FAX           {>    {>    {>    {>     |
+------------------------------^-----^-----^-----^------+