41. Pick Your Own
Nothing tastes as fresh as something eaten right off the vine. Venture beyond your own garden and find food in the wild.
Blackberries, entering their season right about now, can be found along many Bay Country fields. Dandelions may be a dreaded lawn weed, but all parts of the plant are edible, especially when young.
You can make a great field salad using clover, cattails, dandelions, sorrel, wild onion, violets and rose petals. Brew tea from rose hips, mint leaves or sassafras roots. Flour can be made from acorns, if you know what you're doing.
Because many plants look alike - and some are poisonous - use a field guide to be sure of what you're eating. Take a look at Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants by Bradford Angier or Edible Wild Plants by Lee Allen Peterson. Both are available at the library.
Don't pick any mushrooms unless you've been trained by an expert, and don't eat food grown in an area subject to heavy chemical wash (such as right next to a highway).
If you're harvesting on private land, always ask permission from the owner. Check the fruit for bugs. Many insects are edible, too, but that's another story.
42. Learn to Sail
Ever wonder what drives those obsessed sailors who, swaddled in foul-weather gear, race in the pelting rain just for the fun of it? Take a sailing course this summer, and you may unlock the secret that will have you tacking and jibing your way along with them. You, too, may be hypnotized by the call of the Bay. To glide through the water with grace and ease, you'll need some expert instruction:
Chesapeake Sailing School with classes for adults and children: 301/261-2810
Annapolis Sailing School, where children and adults learn the 'Annapolis Way': 800/638-9192
Womanship, where "nobody yells...everybody learns," offers lessons for women, families, even men: 410/267-6661 www.womanship.com
J World Sailing School: 410/280-2040
AYS Charters and Sailing School: 410/267-9151
All offer instruction ranging from basic to advanced.
To find other sailors who understand your new obsession, try joining a club. Many local sailing clubs have full racing and social schedules.
The
Annapolis Yacht Club is famous for its Wednesday night races that send a canon boom through downtown to signal the winners: 410/263-9279
www.annapolisyc.org.
Eastport Yacht Club is one of the area's busiest clubs: 410/267-9549
www.eastportyc.org.
West River Sailing Club in Galesville welcomes all "boat owners who seriously pursue the sport of yachting under sail": 410/867-9772 or
sailingsource.com/wrsc.
Other clubs include the
Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association in Annapolis: 301/261-5296; the
Maryland Capital Yacht Club in Annapolis: 301/261-2215;
Severn Sailing Association: 410/269-6744
www.clark.net/pub/ssa/; and
Solomons Island Yacht Club: 410/326-3718.
Single sailors should try
Singles on Sailboats for trips on the Bay with definite possibilities: 410/798-4098
www.singlesonsailboats.org.
43. Dig a Water Garden
Is your backyard getting you down? A water garden will liven it - and you - up this summer. Imagine a delicate water lily against a backdrop of flowering ginger instead of dried-up grass. Hear the sound of trickling water instead of your neighbor's stereo.
Even a small tabletop water garden can be a soothing addition. But it's not so hard to build a pond, water garden or even your own little river inn your yard, deck or patio.
We got inspired to create a cascade after a seeing the woodland stream and waterfall at Bittersweet Hill Nurseries in Davidsonville. First we dreamed of how we wanted our bare, shady hill to look. Then, without even drawing the design on paper, we dug our meandering river All the rocks we needed to border the edges we found at home. We've planted the edges with shade-loving plants collected during our regular forays garden centers and nurseries.
Our cascade doubles as a rain water diverter, but a pump will give your pond or stream a constant flow. Nurseries like Bittersweet or Lockless Farms, in Owings, also sell plastic molded ponds you can dig in, plus huge varieties of aquatic plants and pond supplies. Worried about mosquitoes breeding in your pond? Get fish and tadpoles to gobble up the larvae.
You may want to create a more formal pond with a center fountain. Or whatever else your heart desires.
Doubt your abilities? You can hire the design or sweaty work done for you
44. Dive into a Marine Museum
From prehistoric sharks' teeth to draketails boats, the Chesapeake abounds with natural and human history - as well as with excellent marine museums to supply you a time machine.
At Solomons' Calvert Marine Museum (410/326-2042; 10am-5pm daily), you can travel back in time and learn about maritime history, paleontology and marine biology all in one trip. See all manner of historic boats, both fresh and salt water marshes and discoveries from the fossil-rich Calvert Cliffs. It's also home to Calvert's iconic Drum Point Lighthouse, a screwpile cottage open for daily tours (see Way 36). The jewel of the boat collection is centenarian buyboat Wm. B Tennison, which is still giving tours every Wednesday at 2pm.
For Southern Anne Arundel County history, visit the charming Captain Salem Avery House Museum, which the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society has restored and filled with exhibits on local history and culture (410/867-4486). The museum is open Sundays 1-4pm, but it's busy lots of other times with shows, talks and exhibits of local history. Perennial summer favorites include the post-parade July 4 party for Shady Side with such old-fashioned delights as a baking contest.
On a smaller scale, Galesville features a single-room museum of specialized history. At the Steward Colonial Shipyard Museum, you'll find much of what underwater archaeologists have brought up from the nearby shipyard that served as the first Maryland colonial naval base. Open Sundays 1-4pm (410/867-7995).
Should you find yourself in the Maritime Republic of Eastport, Annapolis' own secessionist city state, stop into Annapolis Maritime Museum (formerly Barge House Museum). This museum documents and preserves the maritime and cultural history of Annapolis' Eastport community. The current exhibit explores 100 years of boatyards on Spa Creek and includes Heller's Boatyard, the first. Open Friday to Sunday 11am-4pm through August: 410/295-0104.
On the Eastern Shore, visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (Talbot County: 410/745-2916;10am-5pm daily) in St. Michael's. Explore traditions in boat building, commercial fishing, yachting, waterfowling and navigation. See the 100-year-old screwpile Hooper Strait Lighthouse (see Way 36), the restored skipjack Rosie Parks and the log-bottom bugeye, the Edna E. Lockwood, a maritime library - and much, much more.
45. NJFK: Play Tag at Nighttime
Here's the rules: The person who is "It" gets the flashlight. Everyone else has to run and hide in the dark. "It" creeps around and turns on the flashlight when "It" thinks you're found. If the light catches you, you're "It." Remember to set some boundaries before you start, so no one hides too far away to find.
46. Take a Boat Ride to Smith Island
Explore the island time forgot. Smith Island is Maryland's only inhabited off-shore island in the Bay. Located opposite the mouth of the Potomac River, the island is home to 450 hardy souls, direct descendants of British colonists who settled there in the early 1700s.
Surrounding the island is Martin National Wildlife Refuge, 4,000 acres of wind-swept marshland. Mink, red fox, otter, muskrat, egrets, osprey, blue heron, diamondback terrapin and migratory wild fowl call the refuge home. It is not open to the public; however, you'll pass much of the land as you arrive by boat, giving you a good chance to observe the resident wildlife.
On the island, visit the Smith Island Center, where you'll learn about the history of the island, including the role of women in island life, the long tradition of working the water and the distinctive speech patterns of island dwellers (a holdover from their Elizabethan ancestors). During your visit to the Center, you'll see the 30-foot mural Sunset at Rhodes Point, a gift from artist Reuben Becker to his community.
On your way out, rest in a rocking chair on the Center's shaded porch. Hungry? Dine at the Bayside Inn, Harborside Restaurant or Ruke's General Store
Don't forget to ask a local storyteller about Marmaduke Mister's buried treasure or the first State Police visit to the island in 1936.
To get to Smith Island, you have options on either side of the Bay. On the Western Shore, follow Route 5 south to Point Lookout, where the boat leaves at 10am Wednesday through Sunday; June 20- Sept. 2 (adult round trip $30, under 6 free: 301/872-5688). Or take the scenic route: Cross the Bay Bridge and travel to the southern tip of Somerset County. Boats leave daily at 12:30pm from the Crisfield dock. (adult round trip $20, under 6 free: 410/968-1118). Either way, you'll have two and a half hours to explore.
If that's not enough time for your explorations, stay overnight. A boat ride, buffet lunch and room at The Cove motel in Crisfield costs $299 a couple (410/425-2771).
47. Visit an Amish Market
Go, as soon as you can, to the Amish market closest to you. Let me tell you why.
As I was driving to the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market at the Annapolis Harbor Center, my goal was to observe. But when I walked in the front door and the unmistakable sent of fresh-baked bread hit me, my knees went weak, and I was suddenly starving.
Everywhere I turned some freshly made treat called to me, and each stall had its own temptations: cheddar cheese and chocolate ice cream from the dairy, grilled hot dogs at the sandwich stand, ripe watermelon among the fruits and vegetables, licorice whips in with the confections, barbecue ribs at the counter, fresh cuts of beef at the butcher and soft, fluffy rolls at the bakery. Plus a restaurant serving breakfast, sandwiches and old-fashioned entrees (like turkey with stuffing or meatloaf complete with real mashed potatoes and gravy).
What did I want first? Should I be responsible and buy groceries and fresh-baked bread for home, or should I buy the cream-filled devil's food sandwiches that I can't seem to move away from.
I must have looked confused, wondering from stall to stall. But I was mesmerized by the Amish women in their prim dark dresses, white aprons and stiff-brimmed bonnets. Their severe dress did not seem to match their enticing activity. I paused to watch one dip plump, red strawberries into dark, rich chocolate and another slather homemade biscuits with butter before returning them to the oven.
After serious deliberation, I finally opted for immediate gratification and bought the hot sandwich of the day, pork barbecue with those homemade mashed potatoes. My dream come true: home cookin' without me cookin' at home.
Now Amish markets are my favorite hangouts. Next time, I'll be sure to have my appetite ready, though I know I'll still have trouble making up my mind.
The old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market is located next to the modern multiplex theater in the Annapolis Harbor Center on Route 2. (Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 8:30am-3pm: 410/573-0770.)
Just one mile over the St. Mary's border you'll find the Amish Farmer's Market in Charlotte Hall. To find Bay Country's other Amish market, cruise down Route 5 south or take Route 4 south and cross the Patuxent River via 231 in Prince Frederick. Turn right at the Hughesville light. You'll find the Amish Farmer's Market just one mile over the St. Mary's border in Charlotte Hall.
There you'll find a more authentic atmosphere, as the Amish come to market in their horse-drawn buggies and many offer live chickens, goats and cows for sale. But the homemade, homegrown goodness is the same.
As with the Annapolis market, service is swift and courteous. You'll feel good for going. (Wednesdays and Saturdays 8am–4pm Wed, 6 Sat: 301/884-3966.)
48. Roast Wieners and Marshmallows
Have those summer meals gotten boring?
An old-fashioned wiener and marshmallow roast for lunch or dinner is an economical meal and can be fun for the entire family.
If you're lucky enough to have large land, you can prepare a small pit for an open fire. Dig a shallow hole and either surround it by stone or remove grass or debris from the fire circle. If your only option is a grill, remove the rack and use that as your fire pit.
In the old days, roasting sticks were green branches cut from a tree. Today we're more considerate of the bounties Mother Nature provides, so wood or metal skewers or even a metal coat hanger takes over the job.
Pop the wiener on the end of your roasting stick, place it in the fire and in a few minutes a slightly blackened hot dog is ready for the condiment of your choice.
When it comes to the marshmallows, they get a little tricky and sticky. Some prefer them barely browned and toasted; others enjoy a black, crispy crust. Try squishing your roasted marshmallow on a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate bar: the ever-popular s'more.
It'll be a fun meal, one that will let the entire family cook their own food their own way.
49. Explore Maryland's Colonial Roots
Our little slice of Bay Country is rich in colonial heritage. Take some time off this summer to follow a quick colonial timeline from first landfall to second capital.
At St. Clement's Island-Potomac River Museum you can visit the very spot where Maryland's first European settlers landed. Visit the tiny isle on weekend boat trips ($5) or tour the mainland museum for insight on how we got started (9-4 M-F, noon-5 SaSu @ Colton's Point; $1: 301/769-2222).
From here you can venture to Historic St. Mary's City, the state's first permanent settlement and original capital. Tour reconstructed buildings and current archeological digs plus visit with living history characters and step aboard a replica of the colonist ship Maryland Dove. Here you'll find many digs and special events highlighting early colonial history (10-5 W-Su; $7.50 w/discounts: 800/smc-1634 www.stmaryscity.org).
Up north, Historic London Town & Gardens is a former tobacco port rediscovered. Stroll an historic eight-acre woodland garden or tour the restored William Brown House. Over the summer you can join in public archeology digs (9-4 M-F, 10-4 Sa, noon-4 Su @ Edgewater: 410/222-1919 www.historiclondontown.com).
At the end of your pilgrimage is Annapolis, its historic downtown a font of colonial charm. Historic Annapolis Foundation maintains several sites, the centerpiece being the stately William Paca House and Garden, set near the Naval Academy on King George St. Here the foundation hosts troves of history lectures and period concerts. You can also choose from three audio-guided walking tours of downtown that start from the Foundation's Museum Store on Main Street (410/267-7619 www.annapolis.org).
As always, watch "Eight Days a Week" for updates of events happening at each spot.
50. NJFK: Go on a Photographic Expedition
Take a hike around your house, neighborhood and community with a camera. Start big, with what you can easily observe and narrow down your focus to smaller, less noticeable things.
Try focusing on living things, like animals and plants. Snap some shots of your favorite trees and bushes. Is there any fruit on them? Look for different kinds of flowers. Avoid eye-level angles; try getting low and moving in close. You never know what other things you might find once you take a closer look.
If you are very quiet and still, you might be lucky enough to get a picture of a bunny or squirrel munching on some food. Try putting out some tempting treats to lure them closer (squirrels love birdseed!). But make sure not to get too close as to scare them away. Hummingbird feeders outside of windows make a good photo opportunity.
If you like bugs and insects, look for a log or a damp, leafy area in some woods and peek underneath. You are guaranteed to find some kind of creepy-crawly. Remember, if there isn't much sunlight, you'll need to use a flash.
For those of you less interested in the wildlife of your backyard, there are a lot of neat photo opportunities off the ground. Instead of looking down, take a look up to the sky. We all know that clouds can make some pretty cool shapes, so if there's a blue sky and interesting puffy clouds, lie down and snap away. Remember not to point directly at or too close to the sun. After you get your pictures back, you can label the shapes. Try waiting until sunset for some beautiful colors and neat silhouette effects.
If you live near the water, there's always a lot of action going on. Look for pretty rippling water in the sun, a bird diving for fish or some boats out for a ride. Remember that sunlight is key to a nice picture, so try to avoid shadowy faces (which happens when the sun is behind your center of interest) or clouds blocking the sun. There are underwater cameras, so you might want to take this along when you go swimming.
Copyright 2001
Bay Weekly
