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Grapes at the Running Hare Vineyard in Calvert County, Md. Photo by Andrew Helms.
Sandwiched between the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River south of D.C. and Prince George's County, Calvert County can be the perfect spot for those looking to reclaim a little youth during a day out on the water. While Annapolis and the Eastern Shore get more attention from day tripping D.C. denizens, Calvert County offers the same array of edible sea life and sun-stained beaches, only closer to home (and without Bay Bridge traffic).
Getting there is easy. Head south down Pennsylvania Avenue until it turns into Maryland Route 4, below Anacostia. Route 4 will be your main artery into and out of Calvert County.
On the way down, we checked out Running Hare Vineyard in Prince Frederick, Md. Turning onto the property, a winding gravel road leads past a man-made lake where flocks of ducks and geese crowd the side of the road. The owners of Running Hare were in the midst of hosting an alumni event during our visit, but their “Tasting Room,” a covered patio nestled between two fields of vines, remained open. We were served nine different wines, some featuring only locally grown Cayuga and Chambourcin grapes, the others blended or composed entirely of imported grapes (the Maryland climate just can’t support certain types of vines). I’d never tasted Maryland wine before and had few (read: low) expectations, but the Running Hare wines weren’t bad. My favorite was their Malbec. The grapes are imported from Argentina and Chile and give off an almost burnt orange hue in the glass. If you decide to go, bring a picnic lunch and traipse through the vines sagging low with bundles of grapes.
Running Hare Vineyard is one of five vineyards stretching down Calvert County known as the Patuxent Wine Trail. For the nautically averse, these vineyards are a great option for exploring the county and avoiding all living marine life. But I wanted to get in some fishing, so we got back on Route 4 and continued the trek south, stopping off at Nick’s of Calvert, also in Prince Frederick, for supplies. Good sandwiches are available from $2.99 at the deli counter. Try my favorite, the Beef Eater. Grab a few for when you are sunburned and angling for rockfish. Those interested in some recreational crabbing can purchase frozen chicken necks by the pound.
Fishing boats to rent at Solomons Island in Calvert County, Md.
If you’re dying for a rockfish, you’ll need to rent a boat to get out into water where they school in pools deep, dark, and heavy. Bunky’s Charter Boats rents 16' Carolina skiffs for fishing and crabbing. For more power, go to Solomons Boat Rentals and rent a powerboat great for water skiing or tubing. Check out the websites for pricing information and availability. Don’t forget, if you’re planning on fishing or crabbing, make sure to purchase the proper license from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. You can buy, purchase, and print your license online.
On our way home we ducked into the Calvert Marine Museum for a little naval history. The museum is right off Route 4, and if you are at all interested in the marine history of the region, check it out. Try your luck finding a shark’s tooth to take home hidden amid a sea of sand and shells.
After the museum, we ditched Route 4 for Broomes Island Road to find the original Stoney’s Seafood House. There’s a Stoney’s in Solomons as well, but Stoney’s Broomes Island opens out onto the water and you can munch on a mind-bendingly large crab cake as you watch the sun sink into the Patuxent River.
For more information, check out the Calvert County Visitors Guide online.
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Wow, what a really very enjoyable post and is one that has truly compelled me to head out there and try it. Being from MD originally and with a boat, I can tell you that the MDNR are almost ruthless as DC meter maids and have no problems ticketing you even if you're casually fishing off the shore without a permit.
All that aside, way to go Andrew and Sommer. I'm dying to head out there again, as I haven't been down there in 8 years or so.
I should reiterate that Andrew was the only author of this post.
Well, I'm sure you had to proofread it or something :)
So you're telling us that MDNR has no problems... enforcing the law?
You can get a permit immediately online, and there is a list of license-free areas on MDNR's site.
I applaud the MD DNR for their "ruthless" enforcement of the natural resource laws. I grew up fishing in PA where the Fish and Boat Commission officers and state troopers were just as ruthless. Being a responsible sportsman means following the laws that are put in place to ensure the protection and health of the species and the enjoyment of future generations of sportsmen.
Much better then the total anarchy in DC. I don't think I have ever seen any sort of officer ever question a DC fisherman about a license. And catch limits? Give me a break. Last night I saw a guy with two giant buckets overflowing with fish of every size casually walking through East Potomac Park. Guys show up at the cleaning station on Maine Avenue, in full view of the police, with more fish then they are legally allowed to keep for an entire year.
By the way, does anyone who is supposed to be enforcing these rules? Is it the MPD? Does DC have fish and game officers or their equivilent?
DDOE has a fish and wildlife unit. I think they legally have enforcement powers, but there isn't anything about enforcement on the DDOE site.
Fun fact: If you're over 65 you don't need a fishing permit.
You also don't need a fishing license in Maryland if you've been a prisoner of war.
How do you prove that? Do you get a P.O.W. Club Card that gets you a 30% discount on atrocities at Denny's and a free coffee at McDonalds?
That's just "Benjy." Don't pay him any mind. You'll usually find him with a fishing pole at the exotic fish tanks inside the National Aquarium. If he's not there, he's slapping fish out of the water with a 2x4 at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. I'm actually surprised he's still alive. With all the local fish he's eaten, he's so full of mercury he can tell your temperature by sticking his finger under your tongue.
I'm saying they won't cut you any slack. A kid who hadn't gone fishing ever before in his life until one day with his dad, the day he turned 16, would still get nailed with a ticket even though the law didn't require him to have one not even 24 hours prior. It's been a cash starved department for some time now..
And illegal fishing on a more egregious scale than that example is the reason why they don't have any problems ruling the Bay and other MD waters with an iron fist. Not everyone thinks to "check the website and print out a permit" before digging out that old rod in the basement and taking a spontaneous fishing trip. Geeze.
I don't know about this kid, but I actually remember my dad taking me to get my first fishing license (I think you had to be 14 in PA back then). It was sort of like a rite of passage. My dad actually made me read the fishing rules before he took me to the hardware store for the license. Then we went out and "christened" the license at the local state park. I was so proud when the Fish and Game officer asked me for my license and I got to show off my new "adult" status.
Again, part of being a responsible fisherman is knowing the rules and following them. Fishin and hunting are not rights, they are privileges that come with certain responsibilities.
Maybe the cops are so horrified that people eat things caught in the potomac they just keep their distance.. like coming upon someone eating a pigeon. Slowly.. back.. away..
+1
Rural Maryland has some great urban legends: the Zekia Swamp Monster, the Eelpoot, Crybaby Bridge, the Goatman. You could spend all summer there and not get to half of them. Virginia's full of weird crap as well. But you already knew that. What does DC have? Huh? An baby-eating councilman that no jail can hold? A mayor that vanishes into thin air? Deep?
I thought in Maryland the 'dock' could get a fishing license so that anyone who fished off the dock (or off a boat that had a license) was ok. Always wondered how all the charter boats in Chesapeake Beach did it.
On your next trip you should check out the beaches in Northern Calvert, such as North Beach and Brownies Beach (the one that is unmarked but where all the locals go). Get a bit of sun and whatnot.