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Here
are some suggested one-day trips to the land where Time meets
Tide. |
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DAY TRIPS Calvert
County Charles
County Planters and Plantations In 1635, early settlers established St. Mary’s City along the banks of the beautiful St. Mary’s River. By the late 17th century, the colony had grown and outlying plantations thrived along the creeks and rivers which formed the economic lifelines to the Chesapeake Bay and the greater world beyond. Start the day with a visit to Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s premier outdoor living history museum. While there, board the Maryland Dove, a manned working replica of the ship that carried colonists from England. Experience the life and daily concerns of an early colonial family at the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation and learn how colonists interacted with Native Americans at the Yacomo Woodland Indian Hamlet. Tour the reconstructed State House and end the morning with a stop at Farthing's Ordinary Museum Shop. Stop in Leonardtown for lunch at one of the quaint town's restaurants, then travel up the road and into the 18th century at Sotterley Plantation. Enjoy the breathtaking panorama of the Patuxent River and tour the Manor House, a unique post-in-ground structure that boasts some of the finest Georgian-period woodwork in America. Hear the stories of generations of planters who called Sotterley home as well as those of the slaves at the Slave Cabin. Stroll the picturesque garden and peek into the numerous outbuildings. THREE DAY TRIP Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties Discover Southern Maryland’s unique past – richly preserved in its numerous historic sites, dynamic museums and rural byways. DAY ONE Arrive at the Chesapeake Railway Museum in Calvert County to experience life in the early 1900s and the Chesapeake Beach Railway Co. & Amusement Park history detailed in photos and artifacts in the Railway’s only remaining station. Then travel south to see the northernmost natural range of bald cypress trees in the United States at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary. Have lunch at Stoney’s Restaurant overlooking Island Creek on Broomes Island. Then ESCAPE TO SOLOMONS ISLAND! Visit the Calvert Marine Museum, which traces the rich maritime history of life found in the Chesapeake Bay. Climb up through the hatch of the Drum Point Lighthouse, constructed in 1883. Beautifully restored, complete with furnishings of the era, it has become the waterfront’s main attraction. Tour the Joseph C. Lore & Sons Oyster House, a restored seafood-packing house that flourished during the boom & decline of the region’s commercial seafood industries. Take a short cruise around the harbor on the historic “bugeye” boat, the Wm. B. Tennison and build up an appetite for dinner. After checking into a local hotel, have dinner at any number of waterside restaurants. DAY TWO Take a quick drive over the Thomas Johnson Bridge to St. Mary’s County and visit Historic St. Mary’s City, the first permanent settlement in Maryland and the first capital of the colony. Tour this historic landmark to see Godiah Spray Plantation, the reconstructed State House of 1676, and a replica of the Dove, the early vessel that carried the first colonists from England. Enjoy lunch at the Brome-Howard Inn, a circa 1840 farmhouse. On your way to Sotterley, stop by Cecil’s Old Mill, one of Maryland’s first industrial districts and home to more than 50 local artisans and craftsmen! Arrive at the historic Sotterley Plantation, a Tidewater Tobacco Plantation overlooking the majestic Patuxent River. The 18th century warehouse and smokehouse, 19th century slave quarters and plantation school, reflect Sotterley’s activity as a thriving colonial port of entry, tobacco plantation and busy steamboat landing. Check into a local hotel in Hollywood and enjoy a waterfront Maryland Crab Feast at Clark’s Landing Restaurant. DAY THREE Travel north to the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Home Museum in Charles County. This early Victorian farmhouse was once home of Dr. Mudd, the physician who treated the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. This site is included on Maryland’s Civil War Trail project entitled, “John Wilkes Booth: Escape of an Assassin. While on the way to the museum, you will travel some of the escape route, passing by the old Bryantown Tavern where Booth and other Confederate sympathizers met to discuss their plans and St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where Dr. Mudd is buried. Lunch at The Crossing at Casey Jones Restaurant in LaPlata. Travel west to the Thomas Stone National Historic Site for a visit to Harberdeventure, the plantation home of Thomas Stone, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Both Stone and his wife are buried here. This historic site is managed by the National Park Service and includes a Visitors Center that features exhibits and a gift shop. Continue west to the Historic District of Port Tobacco, the location of Maryland’s second largest seaport which was listed on early World Maps. Originally the site of the Indian Village of Potopaco., Port Tobacco was the first county seat until it was moved to LaPlata in 1895. At the Port Tobacco Courthouse, costumed docents tell the story of this historic area from 1620 to the present. The Port Tobacco area was also home to several Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War. End your visit to the Southern Maryland area with an early dinner in Popes Creek at any one of these three locations: Captain Billy’s Crab House, Robertson’s Crab House or Gilligan’s Pier Seafood and Steakhouse. Enjoy a waterfront view while feasting on hot steamed crabs and shrimp, local oysters on the half shell or the fresh catch of the day! |
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 Located in the Mid-Atlantic region - a short drive from Washington, DC, Annapolis and Baltimore. |
 St. Mary's County Making History, Naturally. www.stmarysmd.com 800-327-9023 |
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© Copyright 2002 Souza Productions & Entertainment, Inc. dba The Souza Agency. All rights reserved.