Wednesday: Unusual day in that we start out in the shuttle after breakfast and go to St. Michaels. We went back to the Maritime Museum and had a two-hour educational cruise on the H.M. Krentz, a working skipjack.

Captain Ed was our tour guide on this trip. He has spent 50 years fishing and dredging for oysters on the Chesapeake Bay.

He told us how the Chesapeake Bay is at sea level throughout the bay and not at the mouth as are most rivers or bays which drain into the ocean. And there are numerous rivers flowing into the bay but those on the western side can be remembered through this mnemonic: Students, pretty, pretty please remember your jackets. This stands for the Susquehanna, Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco, Rappahannock, York, and James. He also told us that the bay is very rich in nutrients which results in algae that feeds the oysters and clams. The best fishing is near the tributaries.

In very short order he pulled in some oysters. The daily limit now is 10 bushels and the oysters must be three inches in width. The limit was set in 1965 but our boat was built in 1955 when 1,000 bushels could be harvested in a day. The dredge he used today is small in comparison to the 150-pound commercial dredge they regularly use. And that dredge cannot be pulled in by hand. A working crew spends the day dredging, sorting and throwing undersize oysters back into the water. Also, he told us the larger oysters in this pile would be 10-12 years old.

Another photo on the boat showing the long boom on the skipjack.

Ross listening to Captain Ed.

And one more photo.

The Hooper Strait Lighthouse, this time from the water.

After our boat trip, we have box lunches in the park and then check out more sites in the museum. This boat is reputed to be similar to John Smith’s Jamestown shallop. He used a boat of this type to explore the Chesapeake Bay in 1608 and it would have been home to 13-15 men for a period of three months. The boat was likely 25-35 feet long and 7-8 feet wide. Very close quarters.

Later we board our shuttle for an hour and half journey to Rock Hall. Just outside town we arrive at the Inn at Huntingfield Creek, our home for the next two nights.

This is the main house but we are in a cottage further back.

We quickly change into bike clothes to complete our late afternoon 12-mile ride to the Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge. We have a nicely paved road to start on but a fairly stiff wind in our face.

Along the road are several farms with soybean fields and we also happen to see this short pony who found the grass to be greener on the other side of the fence.

We also see lots of sorghum along the way.

Once we crossed over the bridge we were in the refuge.

The official sign.

A little further along we stopped at Tubby Cove.

We looked through the viewing platform.

But all we saw were Canada geese.

A view of the marsh.

Our ride ends at Bogles Wharf Landing which is on the Chester River. At one point this was the main port for shipping between the eastern and western shores of Maryland.

We watch a couple of turkey vultures flying around and decide they must have a nest in the grass.

After our ride back we clean up and are taken by van to Waterman’s Crab House in Rock Hall for dinner. We take this photo of the dock there.

Thursday: We start our final day of the trip with breakfast in the main house.

All week the forecast had been for rain today. First it was 90 percent, then 70 percent, and finally 50 percent with thunderstorms in the afternoon. So we chose not to ride today but to follow the GPS route in Debby’s car. First stop – in the rain – was at St. Paul’s Kent Churchyard.

We stopped here to see the grave of the actress Tallulah Bankhead. Most of us were old enough to remember her. She was actually born in Alabama, passed away in New York, but was buried in Rock Hall because her sister lived here and her sister was later buried next to her. Various items had recently been left on top of the stone, including a martini glass, a cigarette, coins, and necklaces.

Then we venture on into Chestertown and do a bit of exploring. First we walked to the dock along the Chester River and took a photo in the rain.

A sign we saw wandering around.

Sign at a bookstore. I bought several cards here for junk journaling.

After checking out several options for lunch we finally stopped at the Modern Stone Age Kitchen for sandwiches. Later we went to Stam’s for ice cream.

As it turned out, the rain stopped by afternoon so it would have been fine to ride then. But our inn offered lots of interesting spaces to explore such as this library.

And our comfortable room.

And plenty of things to do including petting these pups.

And walking around to check out Huntingfield Creek.

Or looking at the garden including this crepe myrtle. So a quiet afternoon was enjoyable before our trip home tomorrow.

It did rain again late in the afternoon and a rainbow appeared to cap off the day.

Dinner this evening was at the inn but we had wonderful entertainment prior to eating by jazz pianist Joe Holt.

Friday: We say goodby to our guides and the shuttle takes us to the airport. Once again we cross the three-lane Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Coming off the bridge.

This was a short trip but worth it to see our friends and bicycle in new territory. Further, trying to grasp the complexity of the Chesapeake Bay and the environment it supports, was just a reminder again of the miracle of life which we take so much for granted.