Concord Point Lighthouse. derek jefferies/shutterstock 1827 Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace towers over the Susquehanna River where it meets the tidal flow of the Chesapeake Bay. Constructed of granite from nearby Port Deposit, it was originally lit with whale oil lamps. The lighthouse was automated in 1920 and is still an active navigational aid. Both the lighthouse and the keeper’s house have been fully restored and are open to the public on weekends from April t

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Home to one of the country’s the largest breeding populations of bald eagles; check out the online Eagle Cam. ADDRESS & WEB SITE: 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, MD. fws.gov/refuge/blackwater Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge Best known for wintering tundra swans, this refuge boasts a year-round population of eagles. ADDRESS & WEB SITE: 1730 Eastern Neck Road, Rock Hall, MD. fws.gov/refuge/eastern_neck Wye Island Natural Resources Management

An old hymn resonates deeply with me. It begins “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way...” I do find peace by a river, or ocean or bay, and my favorite place is on Delmarva, in Lewes, Del. I walk along the shoreline, absentmindedly picking up bits of seashell, or sit and gaze at the sun-diamonds dancing on the surface of the water, and my racing thoughts are calmed. By the sea, I am attended by the ghosts of my childhood self and my two sisters, happily scooping sand int

With a crystal ball in October 1990, Rob Etgen couldn’t have pictured what the next 30 years would look like at the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. That was when he became ESLC’s executive director and its first staff member. Fast forward to 2020, as Etgen and the land conservancy enter their 30th year together, they’ve created a track record of success anchored by preserved land, innovative town planning projects, and a growing professional staff who are carrying on ESLC’s m

The soul-stirring vocalizations of Canada geese announcing their return from the north is a harmonious rhythm of nature that coincides with the fall grain harvest. Guided by an unerring internal guidance system, gigantic flocks of Canada, blue, snow, and speckled geese joyously honk and cackle as they arrive at their wintering grounds on the Eastern Shore. Growing up on a farm on the Wye River in the 1970s, it was not uncommon to see 10,000 geese land on the river in a single

“I recommend three Maryland beaten biscuits, with water, for your breakfast. They are hard as a haul-seiner’s conscience and dry as a dredger’s tongue, and they sit for hours in your morning stomach like ballast on a tender ship’s keel. They cost little, are easily and crumblessly carried in your pockets, and if forgotten and gone stale, are neither harder nor less palatable than when fresh. […] Few things are stable in this world. Your morning stomach, reader, ballasted with

On the horizon, a light appears, glowing and neon. Something about the quality of the light makes it seem unnatural and foreign. What appears is not a headlight, not a flashlight, not a plane, not a lighthouse. The light dances about. It races forward at an incredible speed. It flickers off and disappears. This seems like a scene from the 1977 Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but it is also a real event that took place in the summer of 1952 in Wicomic

In the marshes and swamps around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, a ghost lurks. Or so local lore would have you believe. To find her, drive south from Cambridge on Bucktown Road, through flat farmland and patches of woods for about ten miles, until you arrive at the narrow Decoursey Bridge Road. The actual bridge isn’t long, just enough to get over a narrow strip of the Transquaking River. At night, the river is black and the surroundings dark. The marshy Green Brier swa

There are signs of autumn on the Eastern Shore that tell us the seasons are unmistakably changing — the widening vees of southbound geese, the ghostly mists that form over cool morning coves, the scores of wooly bears hustling plushly across the road. On the Chester River, fall is heralded by the arrival of tall ships, sails bellied full as they head to Sultana’s annual Downrigging Weekend Tall Ship and Wooden Boat Festival. Now in its 18th year, Downrigging is a celebration

Carefully laid out on a table, but still somewhat jumbled, are curiosities of history: seashells, coins, stones, small ceramic vessels, and maybe even seeds. Books and paintings are propped up on the table and the wall behind the table, including two paintings of insects. Everything makes you want to stop and stare. At the very top left corner hangs something truly curious: a dark, armored tear-drop with a long, spiked tail. For the artist who painted this “cabinet of curiosi

There is a slice of paradise in downtown Easton if you know where to look. The Talbot Historical Society gardens, off Washington Street and Glenwood Avenue, are award-winning and spectacularly gorgeous. They make for a tranquil place for an outdoor lunch, a haven for plein-air painters, and a scenic backdrop for weddings and special events. The one-acre gardens were created and are maintained through a partnership between the historical society and the Talbot County Garden Cl

Violet Viola odorata, or sweet violet, is a vibrant low-growing ground cover which will happily add its heart-shaped glossy leaves and cheerful purple flowers to nearly any spot, from full sun to full shade. I love to use it to ring the base of trees and as an edging plant along the borders of garden beds. It stays between 6 and 12 inches tall and brings some of spring’s earliest blooms to your yard. Violet can be used topically as a demulcent (moistening) astringent (tighten

Much how a dog provides a great reason to go for a walk, a fly rod gives you the world’s best excuse to get out on the water and a new way to enjoy the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. I don’t like to use the word ‘expert’ to describe myself because there’s always someone that knows more than you. Fishing guides are experts. Biologists are experts. I’m just a writer. But I know the Eastern Shore. Even though I wasn’t born here, it’s home. And even though I no longer live here, i

If you’ve dreamed of visiting southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast but are limited by time and money, stop by Limoncello Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in St. Michaels to curb your classic Italian cravings. Located on the northern coast of the Salerno Gulf on the Tyrrhenian Sea in southern Italy, the Amalfi Coast is rich in abundance of offerings from the sea — much like Limoncello. Billy Gordon, district manager of Five Star Restaurant Development and Consulting, which owns Limonc

Although Colonial author Washington Irving’s “A Knickerbocker’s History of New York” (1809) is a satirical farce, current residents of The Free State may take pride in his acknowledgement that the cocktail, a concoction of alcohol, bitters, water, sugar and botanicals, came to prominence right here in Maryland. Irving labeled us Merry-landers, as we “were prone to make merry and get fuddled with mint-julep and apple-toddy.” Our geographic ancestors “were, moreover, great hors

This dish highlights the buttery, briny characteristics of scallops fresh from the ocean. At The Kitchen, Chef Steve Quigg uses large shrimp (opt for less than 10 shrimp per pound, commonly labeled “U10”) and dry scallops that are caught and delivered within 36 hours. Quigg recommends spending the extra money for dry scallops if they are available. YOU’LL NEED: 6 quarts homemade or low-sodium vegetable stock ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots 2 minced garlic

A great way to rev up for summer is to cruise to the quintessential Maryland summer hot spot while the weather is mild. Thousands of classic cars and hot rods each year are on display in Ocean City, Maryland, for one of the largest car shows on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Although the aged beauties spend much of the weekend in the parking lots of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center and the Inlet (at the end of the boardwalk), many are taken for a slow cruise in Boardwalk Par

For Avra Sullivan and Chris Rogers, Shakespeare is a lifelong love. They each encountered and were changed by “the Bard” (as Shakespeare is affectionately referred to) when they were in elementary school, and for the past seven years, they have made it their mission to bring Shakespeare to the Eastern Shore. “The first Shakespeare I ever memorized was Macbeth’s tomorrow speech, when I was in fifth grade,” Rogers said. “I didn’t understand what it meant, but it was really cool

Jigsaw puzzles Hobbytown 106 Marlboro Ave. Suite 4 Easton, MD 21601 (410) 822-7800 Women’s Cozy Nightgown Bay Country Shop 2709 Ocean Gateway Cambridge, MD 21613 (410) 221-0700 baycountryshop.com Men’s Sweater and Shirt Bay Country Shop Around the World in 80 Days Board Game Crackerjacks 7 S. Washington Street Easton, MD 21601 (410) 822-7716 All Natural Soy Candles Oakview Candle Company (410) 924-7620 oakviewcandlecompany.com Towel Set Bay Country Shop Brass Train Model Hobb

‘Rock Lobstah’ in Cambridge offers an appetizing alternative to the Md. Blue Crab in our crustacean cousins to the north I’m convinced Dr. Pepper pairs well with everything. So far I’ve been right. I sat at the gingham covered table with my husband at Rock Lobstah in downtown Cambridge, sipping my glass of preferred soda and perusing the menu. I’d been here once before with my kids. My son ordered their grilled cheese and it came out as slices of white bread coupled with a di