Chesapeake Bay Destinations

Features
DESTINATION: Not Just Another Pretty Place At first glance, Chestertown looks like so many other leafy, brick-lined historic Bay ports. But this vibrant, international town is much more than the sum of its parts.
Destinations: Tangier, Naturally They'd already sailed to Tangier Island and made the obligatory tourist stops. This time, the author and his wife came armed with a pair of kayaks and found birds and beaches beyond expectation.
Destinations: Yorktown by the Sea A jazzed up waterfront "village" and a spiffy new transient marina offer boaters a chance to get up close and personal with the town that ended a war and began a nation.
Destinations: The Natural Their fall cruise started with four days of pouring rain and freezing wind. Lucky for them, they were exploring the generous Wye River, whose natural beauty can shine through just about anything.
Destinations: In the Company of Pirates In which our heroes, in the guise of bawdy balladeers, advance on Hampton, Va., in time to witness the defeat of nefarious and sundry pirates, buy T-shirts and crash one helluva a dock party.
Destinations: Shore Leave When it comes to offering plenty of action for a family that needs to stretch some sea legs, Norfolk is a sure thing.
Destinations: Steady as She Grows With its 300th birthday just around the corner, Rock Hall, Md., has reinvented itself as a busy boating community.
Destinations: Another Day in Pleasure Bay
Destinations: Brigadoon with Crab Cakes Now three centuries old, Oxford remains a compelling and hospitable port of call.
Destinations: Good Tidings The Tides Inn still wears the crown for hospitality on Carter Creek, down in Rappahannock country.
Destinations: Hidden Treasure For over 300 years, Onancock has been a cultural and economic hub on Virginia's Eastern Shore. And it seems to just keep getting better.
Destinations: Little River Christmas It was billed as a holiday tour of homes on the Little Wicomico River, but just cruising on the boats that got you there was worth the price of admission.
Destinations: Charmed by the 3 Sisters Clustered along the eastern edge of the Bay, Fairlee, Worton and Still Pond creeks make for one great weekend getaway.
Destinations: A Guinea State of Mind There's no real town called Guinea, Va. There's just a vast stretch of marshes, a misty history and a community of people who live a singular life on the Bay.
Destinations: A Chester River Recon Having grown up on the Chester River, the author set out to see how time has treated it, and what he found was pleasantly familiar.
Destinations: Luck of the Irish It's easy to visit Kinsale; but beware, this little town on Virginia's Yeocomico River is the kind that makes you want to stay for good.
Destinations: One Last Run? The Great Dismal Swamp Canal has carried boats between Virginia and North Carolina for centuries. But dollars are tight and this legendary waterway may soon close.
Destinations: Such a Deale Though it's close to D.C. and home to more than a few Beltway fugitives, the insular hamlet on Rockhold Creek is still a great place to go nowhere and do nothing.
Destinations: The Beach Bounces Back
Destinations: Hot Times in the Cities When the Volvo Ocean race comes to Baltimore and Annapolis this month, we boaters and other ordinary mortals can get in on the fun. Here's your guide to the hot tickets.
Destinations: D.C.'s Back Door A boat will sneak you into the heart of the nation's capital-- past the hassles of traffic, hotels and parking--for a surprisingly relaxed and inexpensive visit.
A Weekend with Rudee Not the ocean, not the Bay, Rudee Inlet sweeps boaters into a world all its own.
Magothy in the Middle [06.04 issue] Wedged between the controlled chaos of Baltimore and Annapolis, this river isn't the most chic, the most scenic . . . or the most anything. It's just a lot of good things to a lot of good people.
The Last Resorts [03.04 issue] The Eastern Shore retreats of Betterton and Tolchester Beach rose and fell with the Bay’s steamboats. One survived and one didn’t.
Playground on the Patapsco [07.04 issue] Bright lights, Big City? Yeah, maybe, but Baltimore's Inner Harbor is also a big shoreside playground—ask any kid who’s been there.
Port of Promise [05.04 issue] A jaunt across the Bay and up the Susquehanna River took a pair of intrepid explorers as far as Port Deposit, Md., where granite looms large but slips are hard to come by.
Second Coming [08.04 issue] Once one of the Bay’s most productive shipbuilding centers, Mathews, Va., today is working toward a maritime comeback with hopes of reviving its waterfront for recreational boaters.
The Beach Bounces Back [09.04 issue] It takes more than a huge fire and a devastating hurricane to keep Colonial Beach down. While its raucous days of oyster wars and casino piers are long gone, Virginia’s old Potomac getaway is back in style. Just ask the ghosts.
A Guinea State of Mind [10.04 issue] There's no real town called Guinea, Va. There's just a vast stretch of marshes, a misty history and a community of people who live a singular life on the Bay.
Good Tidings [01.05 issue] The Tides Inn still wears the crown for hospitality on Carter Creek, down in Rappahannock country.
Another Day in Pleasure Bay [12.04 issue] Whether you're seeking world travelers, long memories, quiet sunsets or just a really great deli sandwich, the lovely and peaceful Coan River delivers.
Brigadoon with Crabcakes [11.04 issue] Now three centuries old, Oxford remains a compelling and hospitable port of call.
Such a Deale [03.05 issue] Though it's close to D.C. and home to more than a few Beltway fugitives, the insular hamlet on Rockhold Creek is still a great place to go nowhere and do nothing.
Land's End [02.05 issue] There's more water than land on the point that marks the northern tip of Virginia's Mobjack Bay, and that's just how the folks who live there like it.
Charmed by the Three Sisters [04.05 issue] Clustered along the eastern edge of the Bay, Fairlee, Worton, and Still Pond creeks make for one great weekend getaway.
Tangier, Naturally [05.05 issue] They'd already sailed to Tangier Island and made the obligatory tourist stops. This time, the author and his wife came armed with a pair of kayaks and found birds and beaches beyond expectation.
The Natural [06.05 issue] Their fall cruise started with four days of pouring rain and freezing wind. Lucky for them, they were exploring the generous Wye River, whose natural beauty can shine through just about anything.
Chester River Recon [09.05 issue] Having grown up on the Chester River, the author set out to see how time has treated it, and what he found was pleasantly familiar.
Dark Water, Deep Past [11.05 issue] Deep, dark and still mysterious, the Chickahominy River reveals itself as a beautiful and isolated tributary of the James River. No wonder John Smith liked it.
One Last Run [08.05 issue] The Great Dismal Swamp Canal has carried boats between Virginia and North Carolina for centuries. But dollars are tight and this legendary waterway may soon close.
Choptank Circle [02.06 issue] Diverse communities and an amazing assortment of creeks, coves and harbors stretch between Sharps Island Light and Cambridge. It isn't a question of where to go, but how much time you have.
Hot Times in the Cities [04.06 issue] When the Volvo Ocean race comes to Baltimore and Annapolis this month, we boaters and other ordinary mortals can get in on the fun. Here's your guide to the hot tickets.
In the Company of Pirates [05.06 issue] In which our heroes, in the guise of bawdy balladeers, advance on Hampton, Va., in time to witness the defeat of nefarious and sundry pirates, buy T-shirts and crash one helluva a dock party.
Luck of the Irish [08.06 issue] It's easy to visit Kinsale; but beware, this little town on Virginia's Yeocomico River is the kind that makes you want to stay for good.
Shore Leave [03.06 issue] When it comes to offering plenty of action for a family that needs to stretch some sea legs, Norfolk is a sure thing.
Canal Town [07.06 issue] For decades downtrodden, Chesapeake City has transformed itself into one of the niftiest little boating towns on the Bay.
Yorktown by the Sea [06.06 issue] A jazzed up waterfront "village" and a spiffy new transient marina offer boaters a chance to get up close and personal with the town that ended a war and began a nation.
A Restful River [10.06 issue] The Corrotoman River offers countless quiet places to drop your hook, do some great sailing, fishing or whatever floats your boat . . . or clears your head.
On the Horizon Cape Charles, Va., has been working for years toward a comeback. Now, despite a few rough edges, it's all starting to pay off.
Steady as She Grows [11.06 issue] With its 300th birthday just around the corner, Rock Hall, Md., has reinvented itself as a busy boating community.
Hidden Treasure [12.06 issue] For over 300 years, Onancock has been a cultural and economic hub on Virginia's Eastern Shore. And it seems to just keep getting better.
North by North East [01.07 issue] The town at the top of the Bay has gone through a sea change, and whether you're there for a poker run or history, you'll find something to fit the bill.
Smith Island Now, Still, Ever [02.07 issue] A timeless rhythm of repetition and change reveals itself during a visit to the island's annual Camp Meeting.
There and Back Again [05.07 issue] It has only one name "the Chesapeake" but a solo sailing trip from bottom to top and back shows the author a Bay of many faces.
Cruising Through History, One Museum at a Time [03.07 issue] A beautiful plan gets blown off the charts, but a last-minute detour and a good car heater combine to produce a workable Plan B.
Nowhere to Go but Upscale [07.07 issue] With the seafood industry in decline, Crisfield, Md., may soon profit from a different kind of catch.
The City Across the River [01.08 issue] Rife with history, beautiful architecture, art, music and great marinas, Portsmouth, Va. is a natural complement to the big-city bustle of Norfolk.
All Aboard the Historyland Express [08.07 issue] Cruising the shoreline for colonial mansions along Virginia's Northern Neck becomes a fascinating exercise in uncertainty.
The Future of Freedom's Fortress [09.07 issue] Historic Fort Monroe and its neighboring community of Phoebus, Va., face a wave of change as the Army closes the base there. Locals want to be sure the fort's enduring story doesn't get lost in the backwash.
The Great Divides [11.07 issue] Visiting the three Dividing Creeks on the Bay proved a daunting logistical challenge. But the hassles were well worth the trip.
A Quiet Place [04.07 issue] Not counting Len's Marina and the ever popular Stoney's Seafood and Crab House, there's not much there there on the little Patuxent River peninsula that calls itself Broomes Island. And that, we all know, is a good thing.
Cruising in the Company of Saints [10.07 issue] A summer day on the St. Marys River, where the only impediments to heaven are heat and hunger.
Taking the Long View [02.08 issue] You can visit Taylors Island, Md., and the Little Choptank for the bald eagles, sika deer and a view that just won't quit. But leave time for soft crabs and karaoke, too.
Hot Times in Ham Town [03.08 issue] Known best for its eponymous pork, Smithfield, Va., is a cruising destination and historic seaport that can satisfy a variety of tastes.
A Place to Go Pleasantly [06.08 issue] Three cheers for the shallow treasures of Mattawoman Creek, off the upper Potomac.
Gracious Host [04.08 issue] Havre de Grace, Md., the often bypassed little city at the tip of the Bay, once again thinks something good is going to turn up.
Tappahannock on My Mind [05.08 issue] Just an old sweet song—and 35 miles of river—put this small Rappahannock town on the list of favorite cruises.
The Five People You Meet In Urbanna [09.08 issue] Packed with cozy places and wonderfully charming people, this Tidewater Virginia town can give Heaven a run for its money.
Song for the Honga [08.08 issue] On the tail of an April northeaster, a spring shakedown cruise to the Honga River--where folks around the waterfront are always happy to chat, rain or shine--made the bad weather tolerable.
The Solomons Solution This popular snowbird stopover was just south enough for a would-be cruiser.
Somewhere in the Middle [06.07 issue] Bristling with boatyards and lined with homes, Middle River is in the middle of it all . . . yet, somehow, away from it all.
There's No Place Like Homeport With its new coffee bar and wine shop, Galesville, Md., is the kind of place that justsips up on you.
A Pocketful of Miracles A week's cruise on the Patuxent River produces enough good memories to tuck into your pocket for rainy days to come.