61. Stroll Calvert Boardwalk with the One You Love
Rekindle the old passion for the one you love with a stroll on one of Calvert's three boardwalks. Chesapeake days are hot and steamy, its sunsets filled with vibrant hues of pinks and purples and, when there's a full moon, slithers of shimmering light dance upon the breaking waves. Talk about a great date, day or night.
Find two of Calvert's boardwalks in the north end of the county.
North Beach boardwalk is a .4-mile wooden walkway located between First and Seventh Streets. It carries you along the town's edge, passing a mixture of old and new houses, stores, a long fishing pier, plenty of benches and even a stage. Summer comes alive as musicians perform on the stage, crabbers and fishers thrive at the pier and sun worshipers soak up the rays. The view of the open water and the tranquil Eastern Shore is spectacular.
If solitude is more to your liking, another boardwalk beckons just one mile away.
You'll find the Bay Front Park boardwalk one-half mile south of Chesapeake Beach on the east side of Route 261. Its off-the-beaten-path location offers peaceful views of Calvert cliffs and Chesapeake Beach, as well as the Eastern Shore. Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Unlike its bayside neighbors to the north, the southernmost boardwalk in the county is located on the Patuxent River in Solomons. This .3-mile wooden boardwalk, better known as Solomon's Riverwalk, offers a breathtaking view of the wide river above the far-too-high Governor Johnson Bridge.
Scattered along its length you'll find benches, a water taxi, boat rentals, an ice cream stand and a gazebo.
62. Make Like an Impressionist
Art is in the air, under the branches of a sycamore tree, along a bustling sidewalk. Venture outdoors and capture it yourself. Armed with paper or canvas, paints and brushes or simply a portable easel or drawing board, you'll have everything you need to create art of your own.
Study colors and shapes up close. Is tree bark really brown? Or do other colors mingle together to appear brown? Scrutinize the ridges and bumps that make up a leaf or a hedge or the shingles of a house.
Set up anywhere that inspires you. If you choose a public place like Sandy Point State Park or downtown Annapolis, don't be surprised if passersby ask for a peek at your masterpiece.
If you're not ready for scrutiny just yet, try a secluded garden or your own backyard, where your only critics are butterflies and bees.
For guidance, artist Jean Brinton Jaecks offers painting workshops among Annapolis' gardens and waterfront: 410/923-3849. Or call Annapolis Watercolor Club to join or attend workshops: 410/224-4899.
Get out there and paint. Today!
63. Experiment with Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob, a delicious accompaniment to steamed crabs, sautéed muscles or oysters in any form, is easily thrown in a pot of boiling water for five minutes, buttered, salted and eaten.
But there is more than one way to cook a cob.
Try steaming. Soak the corn in a pot of salted water for one hour. Start the grill. Peel the husks back without tearing them from the stem. Remove the silk. Butter the corn. Sprinkle chopped herbs, like rosemary or thyme, over the butter. Pull the husks back to completely cover the corn, tying them if necessary. Grill the corn over medium-hot coals, about six inches from the heat, rotating periodically, for 10 to 15 minutes.
How about broiling? Start the grill. Soak the corn in cold water, husks and silk intact, for a few minutes. Broil on the grill over hot coals, turning frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, being careful not to scorch. The husks and silk will pull off easily when cooked. Serve with butter and salt.
Or baking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Husk the corn, wrap each ear in foil and add two teaspoons of butter and fresh herbs of your choice to each packet. Bake for 25 minutes.
Make fritters. Mix two large, chopped tomatoes with two teaspoons chopped fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Cut the kernels from three ears of fresh corn cobs. Scrape off the milk and bits. Mix the corn, milk and bits with two beaten eggs. Add to the mixture 1/4 cup flour, two tablespoons cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. Heat a large, heavy skillet with two teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. Drop the corn mixture by tablespoon into the hot skillet. Cook the fritters until golden brown, about three minutes. Turn and cook three minutes more. Serve topped with tomato basil sauce.
According to Fannie Farmer, corn is “good with everything.” Get out there and get some.
64. Fish Without a Boat
Maybe your chances of catching are better from a boat, but fish don't care whether you're offering them a bait from a million-dollar sportsfisherman, a rowboat or a pier or the shoreline. If it's tasty, they'll take it.
Throughout the Chesapeake, there are fishing piers, private and public, old docks, shoreline, jetties - all kinds of structures to enable you to cast. Your best chances are for white perch, spot, catfish and hardheads, but not infrequently you can be surprised by a bluefish, rockfish or sea trout. Even red and black drum and other prized species have been taken by landlocked anglers. Just be sure you have a fishing license.
Fish often come into shallow waters in chase of baitfish, so you're well placed to fish from your own pier or that of a friend or neighbor. Among public piers are those at Matapeake Park on the upper Eastern Shore and the old Route 50 Bridge at Cambridge on the Choptank, which has been converted to a long public pier. It's great for perch, hardheads, spot, catfish and crabs - sometimes rockfish and blues.
There's a public pier on the Patuxent at Solomons, and one of the best in the east is the public pier at Point Lookout State Park. North Beach also has a fishing pier.
At Annapolis, fish from the old Severn River Bridge, also Sandy Point State Park, where you can fish from the beach or a south and north jetty. Fish the rip-rap at Thomas Point Park.
Farther north, fish Fort Smallwood Park at the end of Fort Smallwood Road at the mouth of the Patapsco. Where the old fort structure still stands, fish bite and the family can enjoy a shaded picnic. Higher still, there's a busy catwalk at Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna with a scenic view of that mighty river and its turbulent waters.
And there are others (many state parks have them), and all with enough water for fish to swim - so you to have a chance to catch them.
65. NJFK: Kick a Can of Ice Cream
What's cold, sweet and yummy and made by kicking a coffee can around the yard?
Ice cream!
Why not let the kids make dessert for a change? Making kick-the-can ice cream takes a while, but it's well worth the effort.
You'll need two good-sized coffee cans with lids of such a size that one can fits inside the other. To the smaller can, add 11&Mac218;2 quarts of whole milk, two packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid, 11&Mac218;2 cups of sugar and a pinch of table salt. Mix well and put on the lid. Tape the lid of the smaller can with duct tape to be sure it stays on and is very tight.
Place the smaller can into the larger can. Layer ice and rock salt in the larger can until full. Put lid on the larger can and tape shut.
Now, let the fun begin. Kick the can. Kick it and kick it. Keep it moving for about 10 minutes; then add more ice and salt. Repeat the procedure for about 40 minutes, adding ice and salt every 10 minutes.
For a sweeter, creamier ice cream, try this recipe: 11&Mac218;2 quarts of whipping cream, 1 cup of sugar, 1 T vanilla extract, one 15 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp. of gelatin and 1&Mac218;2 pint of whole milk.
Kick-the-can ice cream is a wonderful activity for a birthday party or sleepover. But little feet and legs tire quickly, so don't be surprised if you have to pull a shift yourself.
66. Croquet the Day Away
Summer is the season of leisure sports - horseshoes, lawn darts, pool, basketball - that invite friendly competition without effort.
Croquet is the ultimate leisure sport. Combining billiards, golf and chess, it is all about angles, strategy and touch with a level of exertion that won't leave you sweating in the summer heat. The pace allows for chatting, joking and even the occasional chest thump.
Viewed from above, the croquet course looks like two staked diamonds. At both ends of the court are two two-wicket alleys in front of a stake. A single wicket is in the center of each. Completing the diamonds are four wickets, two each to the left and right and halfway between the center wicket and each of the alleys
Starting a mallet's length away from the first wicket, players follow the same path through the nine-wicket course.
You go through the center wicket twice and alleys twice. The two wickets on either side you only go through once.
The object is to beat the other team around the course and “stake out” your balls by hitting the finishing stake.
Players can gain bonus strokes by passing through wickets. They can also gain bonus strokes by hitting, or roqueting, their teammates' or opponents' ball. After hitting a ball, the player gets a croquet shot. This shot can direct the ball just hit, helping a teammate or hindering the competition. Once a ball is roqueted, its player is “dead” on that ball and can't hit it again until passing through a wicket.
Get a foursome together and bang the colored balls through a wicket. Smack your way around the diamond shaped course, halting only to keep your opponents from advancing.
Drink a beer, talk some croquet smack and play away a beautiful day.
What else is summer for?
For rules, history, and some interesting insights into the subculture of serious croquet check out www.croquetamerica.com.
67. Take a Trip Topless
Take a convertible out this summer for a country drive, even if you have to beg, borrow or steal. (Okay, don't steal. But it would almost be worth it to feel the wind dance through your hair.)
Many of Bay Country's winding back roads lend themselves to a leisurely cruise. If you're the adventuresome sort, you can simply follow the sun and get lost among the many waterways and farms.
If you'd rather have some idea where you're going, plan your trip before you hit the road. Map out routes yourself or see Way 6 to discover some local Maryland Scenic Byways tour routes. You could also pick up the book, Country Roads of Maryland and Delaware: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions by Lynn Seldon. Inside are directions for 10 car trips that provide plenty of scenery for a day with the top down.
Seldon suggests two options for driving in Bay country. For a trip close to home, travel through Calvert County down to Point Lookout in St. Mary's County. He advises that you get out of the car along the way to view historic sites such as Drum Point Light House in Solomons Island and St. Mary's City.
For an adventure further afield, try Seldon's Upper Eastern Shore trip. This time, you'll venture over the Bay Bridge, up to charming Chestertown and through the quiet town of North East, ending your day with a walking tour of Havre de Grace. All the while you'll stay close to the water.
Whichever path you take - random or planned - enjoy your travels, but don't forget the sunscreen.
68. Amuse Yourself
What could be more perfect summer fun than twirling about on carousels, coasters and otherwise funky contraptions till your head spins with disoriented joy?
The closest roller coasters are at Six Flags America, now boasting eight plus troves of other rides. New this year is the 'flying' coaster Batwing, a facedown flight of fantasy that lasts over two minutes and hits a top speed of 50 miles per hour. Other coasters include two classic wooden rides and five steel contraptions. ($35.99 w/discounts; $8 parking: 301/249-1500).
Old school revelers can take a spin at Ocean City's ocean pier and boardwalk-end amusement parks. The classic carnival atmosphere boasts midway games, a tall Ferris wheel, small mobile roller coasters, kiddy car rides and other creative motion machines (800/oc ocean). Wanderlusts find a plenitude of coasters at both Paramount's Kings Dominion (804/876-5000) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg (800/772-8886).
Of course, if you're short on height or cash, you can find some burly uncle to swing you in circles by your armpits.
69. Turn Back the Century
Just for a weekend, go back to the 19th century. Turn off the lights. Unplug the TV, CD player, VCR and DVD. Put a sheet over the computer. Unplug off the phone. Lose your car keys. Hang up a clothesline.
Go to the kitchen and make some lemonade. With lemons and sugar. Find a good book. Watch the grass grow. Talk to your neighbor. Write a letter by hand.
Round up some kids and play kickball. Ride your bike. Take a walk. Watch birds. Pick some flowers and make a bouquet. Play Parcheesi.
Cook some burgers or vegetables on a charcoal grill. Make ice cream. Light some candles. Play an instrument. Sing.
Watch fireflies. Look for shooting stars.
70. NJFK: Swing and Sing
Something special happens when you ride a swing. The freedom of flight overtakes you, and you feel reborn. Blood pumping, heartbeat quickening, you burst into song.
Any swing will do. Vines hung from the highest trees let you soar and sing. A tire swing in a tree makes you swirl and sing. A front porch swing lets you sway and sing.
It only takes a few moments to revive the sheer pleasure of swinging. If you don't have a swing of your own, most parks have swings for all ages.
This Chesapeake summer, revive one of those feel-good memories. Find a swing and sing.
Copyright 2001
Bay Weekly
