Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay Highlights

Learn to sail out of scenic Annapolis Harbor with the Annapolis Sailing School, or the Chesapeake Sailing School. Courses include kids' classes, two-day introductory programs, or weeklong live-aboard certification courses.
Explore the bay by kayak to get close to wildlife and experience the bay's diverse ecosystem. Check with the Chesapeake Paddlers Association for information on outfitters, recommended trips, and rentals.
Bike the quiet Maryland back roads around Deale, passing marshland, soy fields, local tributaries, and local crab joints for a taste of the bay's famous seafood.
On the wild beaches of Assateague Island National Seashore, you can camp, fish in the surf for your dinner, and explore the dunes and forest trails. (But beware of vicious horseflies and mosquitoes in high summer.)
Go where the watermen gather for a pitcher of beer and a table covered with crabs at a local institution such as Cantler's Riverside Inn in Annapolis.

By Travel Expert: Alistair Wearmouth

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From Away

- The Wild Shore Takes Flight
- Serious birdwatchers know that Virginia’s Eastern Shore is the place to be each fall, as millions of songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and waterfowl fly south for the winter along the Mid-Atlantic flyway. Newbies can get acquainted with it all during the Eastern Shore of Virginia Birding & Wildlife Festival, held each September.
- Chesapeake Wildlife
- Top Ten American Family Adventures
- Adventure need not stop now that kids are in tow. With a slight change in activities and destination, your adventurous side can continue on as always, except now you'll sport a car-seat and an extra suitcase.

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