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Happy to be back on a “real” summer vacation after over a year of pandemic restrictions, we chose to return to Cove Point in Maryland.  The anticipation of our break from everyday life was evidenced by the fact that the entire family was completely prepared to leave an hour and a half before necessary.  Out of curiosity, I had scouted out a winery near our destination and we decided to grab some Taco Bell and make a run for the Maryland border.

Thankfully, traffic wasn’t very heavy and the drive was smooth sailing.  We arrived at Perigeaux Vineyards and Winery in St. Leonard, MD about 2:15.  That gave us 45 minutes until our airbnb was available.  It was a really peaceful way to begin our vacation and very much got us in the vacation mindset.  (You can read about our visit to Perigeaux here).  A heavy thunderstorm arrived right at 3 o’clock so we ducked into our car just as it hit and made the 20 minute drive to our airbnb.

By the time we finished our brief drive the rain had stopped and the sun was reemerging.  Since, we decided to take a vacation late as we were waiting to see what effect COVID would have and consequently were not able to stay in the house we used in November.  Instead we are two blocks further from the beach, but still short walk away.  This airbnb was fine, but not very big.  The cottage consists of a galley kitchen, living room and two bedrooms.  All of the rooms are connected and there are no hallways so it feels smaller than this description sounds.  This cottage does however have some fantastic outdoor areas.  The large, covered back deck was an especially nice space and the children really enjoyed the tree house and zipline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we were settled in, we made our way to the beach and enjoyed the warm water of the Chesapeake Bay for a couple of hours before heading back for dinner.  Though it has been seven months since our weekend here, it still had a familiar feeling for everyone including the children.

In order to break up the potential monotony of the beach, we booked 11 AM tickets for the well reviewed Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island on our second day.   Solomons Island is an easy 15 minute drive from Cove Point and the museum has a large, easy to navigate parking lot.  Our first stop at the museum was the Drum Point Lighthouse which was moved in the 1970s to its current location outside of the museum.  Included in the price of admission, the light house is furnished and arranged as it was when the keeper moved out in 1968.  I always find the lodgings and inner workings of these buildings fascinating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed a little over an hour (and would have stayed longer but we got hungry).  The museum was big hit with the whole family.  Though everyone enjoyed the more expected “museumy” exhibitions,   Both children were surprised (and happy) to see all of the different marine life that was showcased in the building.  Though everyone loved looking at all the marine life in the indoor tanks, the whole family absolutely loved watching the otters frolic in the outdoor area that is the last exhibit of the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made a return visit to the Pier for lunch.  As in November, Liam ordered the steamed shrimp with fries, Fionnuala got the kids chicken tenders, I had the crab cake sandwich, and Sarah had the chicken sandwich.  The shrimp were very good, the chicken sandwich was very good, the crab cake sandwich was fine but I’ve had a lot better, and the orange crush I ordered was like those I got in Annapolis (wouldn’t recommend).  The setting was just as great as last though and frankly is the main reason to eat here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we made an afternoon visit to the beach.  Unfortunately, Fionnuala and Sarah’s were only there for a few minutes because poor Fionnuala got stung by a sea nettle (jelly fish).   I stayed with Liam on the beach for a while while the ladies dealt with the sting before eating dinner at the house and relaxing at the house for the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a few relaxing days on the beach and relaxing at the house, on Wednesday afternoon we visited Cove Point Lighthouse.  The Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in MD (US), opening in 1829.  There is no admission, but donations are accepted.  We had hoped to a least visit the grounds last November, but it was closed do to the COVID 19 pandemic.  This summer they have reopened on Sundays and Wednesdays from 12-4.  We parked in the ample parking lot, and as we approached the building were greeted by a docent named Ken.  Ken gave a wonderful 5-10 minute introduction in the shaded picnic area.  We then wandered the site before ending in the Visitor’s Center.  We watched the short video presentation asked Ken some more questions and left.  Our visit took about 35 minutes and was a nice outing to break up the day.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was glad that I had planned for some outings ahead of time as the number of jelly fish in the water (understandably) made the children hesitant to spend a lot of time in the water after Fionnuala got stung.  Our next outing was a return to St. Mary’s City.

We started our day with the 35 minute drive to visit to St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s first settlement and capital.  You can read about our visit here.  We spent the entire morning here (just over two hours) before heading 25 minute up the road to Solomons Island for lunch.  Today we chose the Lighthouse Restaurant and Dock Bar and it’s my new favorite.  The view of the water was relaxing and scenic.  Everyone enjoyed their food.  Sarah’s Mahi Mahi tacos and my crab cake were especially delicious.  They don’t take reservations, but we were able to get an outdoor table immediately at 12:45 PM.  There is a large deck on the back that gives great views of the inlet and the continuously active boats.  After lunch we returned to the house, spent some time on the beach and enjoyed our down time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last outing of the trip was a short one mile drive to Calvert Cliffs State Park.  Thankful for another attractive day trip option, we planned a short morning hike.  There is a fee for out of state visitors, but is worth a visit.  You can read about our visit to Calvert Cliffs State Park here.  We returned to the house for lunch and spent the rest of the day relaxing at the house.  Sarah went for a walk on the beach and found a lot of shark teeth after not finding any all week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We again enjoyed our stay in Cove Point.  One of my favorite things about this beach community is that in addition to the nice beach and quiet community there are a lot of alternatives within a short drive if the family needs a break from the beach.  The number of jelly fish this summer was disappointing, but we are likely to return outside of “jelly fish season”.

 

 

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