What a beautiful, well maintained state park…read more Lots of trees that keep you cool under shade while enjoying many trails. Not crowded on a Saturday. We drove around the camp area and the spaces are nice, cabins looked good too. I think we will camp here soon!

Great playground for kids and nice trails . Beautiful marsh hibiscus flowers this time of yearread more

This was my first time camping at Martinak S.P. I was tenting in the Acorn loop. The park has nice…read moreamenities down by the water--rental canoes and kayaks, a boat ramp, and a special kayak launch. The bathrooms were clean, with flush toilets and hot showers. The rangers drove by regularly to check on things. I would not choose Site #33 again, solely because the view there is mostly of the base of the big blue water tower. There is electric on sites #32 & 33, however, if you need it. Those two sites are closest to the camp host site.

Recreation, retreat, and history--this is an excellent spot to camp! Electric hookups in Butterfly…read moreloop, clean, hot showers, cabin rentals, and on-site firewood make this a comfy spot whether you're vacationing or just passing through. A paved health trail, multiple playgrounds, and a little lending library (books ranging from the Magic Treehouse to Bill Bryson and MFK Fisher) make this a family-friendly spot. The amphitheater view of Watts Creek was a great spot to recharge watching fish jump, hear frogs, and spy a lizard or two creeping the trees. Denton has groceries and other amenities within driving or biking distance, and The Martinak Boat and interpretive signs were neat. Alas, the nature center by the pavilion was closed during the week, and Martinak is rehabbing trails and the boat launch--no sunset views from the Point Trail at present. The park is at least up front about these two bummer's and hopefully work will be complete soon. We still has an excellent camping experience despite the construction. Use the dump station at nearby Tuckahoe State Park as the Martinak dump station's closed. Bring a kite to fly in that nice field by the park entrance, and enjoy bird watching. Woodpeckers, song birds, river raptors, even a blue bird appeared in our short stay.

When I started planning my very first trip to St. Michaels, there was one attraction that made the…read moreitinerary before almost anything else: the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. I'd heard so many people rave about it that I figured it deserved a few hours of my vacation. Turns out...a few hours wasn't nearly enough! Admission was $22 for adults, and one of my favorite surprises was learning that your ticket is good for two consecutive days. A volunteer at the front desk gave me a wonderful overview of the property, explained how everything worked and made sure I knew I was welcome to come back the following day as long as I didn't lose my admission sticker. That's tremendous value for everything there is to see! The first thing I realized after walking through the doors? This isn't just a museum. It's an entire waterfront campus! The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum sits right on the Miles River and includes historic buildings, floating vessels, exhibitions, gardens, a working shipyard where traditional wooden boats are still restored and built, and enough history to keep you wandering for hours. Whether you're interested in Chesapeake Bay history, boats, lighthouses, watermen or simply beautiful places to explore, there's something here for just about everyone. Now...in true to me fashion...I headed straight for the gift shop before I looked at anything else. My philosophy is simple: shop first, think about it while I explore, and if I still love it by the time I leave, I already own it. Except...that didn't exactly happen this time. I found something I loved immediately, bought it right away and happily carried my purchase around the museum for the rest of my visit. RELATED SIDEQUEST & PRO TIP: While I was wandering through the gift shop, I overheard another visitor asking an employee if they sold U.S. Lighthouse Society Lighthouse Passport books. Wait...what passport?! Excuse me while I casually eavesdrop. A very quick Google search later, I had fallen headfirst into yet another travel rabbit hole. Apparently there's an entire Lighthouse Passport Program where visitors collect official lighthouse stamps from locations all over the country. Well...that sounds dangerously like something I would absolutely obsess over! The museum has an official lighthouse stamp available at the front desk, so even though I don't own the passport yet, I stamped a blank piece of paper to tuck safely away until I order one. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be back to stamp the real thing someday! PRO TIP: Get your lighthouse passport before you go! I spent the next several hours wandering the campus completely at my own pace. One thing I really appreciated was that the museum lets you create your own experience. Some exhibits fascinated me, others I breezed through, and there was never any pressure to see things in a particular order. It felt more like exploring than touring. The museum itself was fantastic and easily worth the $22 admission. More than anything, I came away impressed by how much pride everyone there takes in preserving and sharing the history of the Chesapeake Bay. It's clear this isn't simply a collection of artifacts. It's a place that's actively keeping an important part of Maryland's history alive. Whether you're visiting St. Michaels for a weekend or just passing , I'd absolutely recommend making time for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. And while you're there...don't forget to get your lighthouse passport stamp!

The museum has a variety of experiences showingcasing the history and stories of the Eastern Shore…read more The models were in pristine condition. I look forward to returning for one of museums boat tours. Their new exhibition, Stories from the Shoreline was an excellent introduction to the culture of the Chesapeake region. My daughter loved the interactive exhibits at the museum.

Nice little public park on Tilghman Island. There's a pavilion that is available to rent. $50 for 2…read morehours, $100 for 4 hours, or $175 for the whole day. Restrooms available. There's also a recycling center in the parking lot.

A lot of the actual shore of Eastern Shore is privately owned. So it's nice to stumble upon a space…read morelike this one; this is a little strip of land where a creek flows into the bay, which offers a path with exercise equipment, a deck overlooking the shore, and a set of stairs down to the waterside. It's not terribly far from St Michaels and it faces the setting sun, so it might be worth a little detour.

My first time going to this dog park and my dogs love it! It's spacious and the dogs are so…read morefriendly, I'm not scare of taking my dogs there at all and it's relieving. Only thing is that it get a bit muddy when it rains but it's not bad

This dog park is one of the better I've seen and has a lot of potential, but is currently…read moreundergoing renovation. There is a large irrigated run with very nice cut bluegrass, benches, water station, poop bag dispensers, and the usual stuff. Unfortunately, likely due to the construction, there are areas of fence missing, bare dirt areas, and uncut grass in areas. So be mindful of this and check for ticks if you use the park. Hopefully the town will get this back up and running soon and make it a five star.

The good: Parking was spacious, free and had shaded spots…read more It was a short walk from the parking lot to the beach. The path was lined with tanbark. It's a small beach with a short shore and there is shallow water. I saw herons and folks using metal detectors. The sandy area had cool shells and some interesting bugs. I liked that there was a clean bathroom between the parking lot and the beach. There were picnic tables on the sand where we enjoyed snacks. They were shaded so it was nice. The bad: There are lots of jelly fish that can definitely sting so you basically cannot get into the water. No tents are allowed. The interesting: I saw lots of dogs here running around in the water. It looks very dog-friendly despite other reviews saying there are signs that don't allow dogs.

The beach is very small and was full of seaweed. The smell was bad. I would not return.read more

So cute! A darling little beach with good nature trails just an hour from DC. Make sure that you…read morereserve your day pass in advance as you can't get in without one on busy weekends. It's free right now but the gate attendant said eventually it will be $6. They are currently building bathrooms and a rinse-off station, but they have porta potties for now. Nicely paved roads to get there, a Safeway en route (coming from DC), and an easy walk to the beach from the parking lot. Entering the park via the gatehouse, the beach is to the right. Follow the trail and signs past the small playground on the right and past the pond on the left. I recommend going to the right once you get to the beach itself as it was less crowded the day I was there. A couple rules important to know before you go. You can drive up closer to the beach to unload, but no parking there unless you have a handicapped sticker/plate. Also, no dogs on the beach unless it's a service dog. There is a ranger walking around so don't try it as you'll be disappointed (as I saw two families have to leave). And no climbing on the break wall rocks. Seems fun, so why not? The ranger said that very aggressive (but non-poisonous) water snakes live there, eek! Also, since I went in August, beware of the jellyfish--they were everywhere. But I also saw huge schools of tiny fish and lots of birds (seagulls, pelican, etc). The beach does not have any natural shade. I had read on the website no umbrellas or tents but I saw tons of families with them and they didn't get in trouble. Bring your snacks and drinks and beach comforts as there are no concessions, just the beach! And the water itself was clear to start but then got more cloudy and had seaweed as the day went on. It's nice and shallow, so I think we will come back when the jellyfish aren't so numerous.

45-minutes from Washington, D.C. Beverly Triton Nature Park is one of the closest beaches to the…read morecity. On top of that, it's a protected park with trails and views. Here's why you should visit: 1) Parking: There's a small lot that fills up fast during the summer. My daughter and I went on an August Friday morning and had to wait a few minutes for someone to leave. There is a lot across the street, but it also fills up too. Parking is free. 2) Trails: There are several short hikes perfect for toddlers. My four-year-old daughter was able to hike the Triton Trail on her own without a stroller or asking to be carried. 3) Beach: The fastest way to the beach is down the paved trail by the main parking lot. It takes 1-2 minutes to walk to the long, but narrow public beach. Bring sunscreen and bug spray. There's no shade at all. 4) Outhouses: There are two outhouses at the main parking lot AND another one at the beach entrance. Unless you want to change in a dirty outhouse, put on your swimsuit before you arrive.