Walking with the Walrus
Washington DC, USA
St. Michaels, Maryland
Saturday, April 26, 1997
The Annapolis Amblers out of Annapolis Maryland hosted this one day event
in the historic Eastern Shore town of St. Michaels Maryland on this
beautiful Saturday. There was a 10 km 1 rated trail, which my friend Eric
and I did along with the pooches, and a 30 km bike event, which we did not
do.
Eric and I carpooled over from Annapolis Mall, and arrived at the St
Michaels Elementary School start/finish around 1 pm. I brought my pooches
along, Peaches and India. We were walkers 332 and 333 of the day out of a
final total of around 350. Bright, blue skies with temperatures in the 60s
and a steady breeze made for ideal walking/biking weather. There were a
total of 30 odd bikers for the easy, country road bike through St Michaels
and surrounding small communities. St Michaels is a quaint little town on
the Miles River, steeped with history and typical rich maritime traditions
like several towns on the Maryland Eastern Shore.
The walk first headed east of town, in nice residential neighborhoods after
heading away from town on the main road, State Highway route 33. After
about 4 km, a nice view of the St Michaels harbor was afforded us at the
dead end of Riverview Terrace. A turnaround and a half circuit around a
quiet cove and we were at the one checkpoint, staffed by a man and a woman
in the club, which was halfway through the trail. This also transitioned us
from the residential part into the busier downtown historic area.
St Marys Square with a small historic museum and a memorial to an oldtime
school bell was our first taste of history after the checkpoint. Then the
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was next after a few turns. Great views of
the Miles River waterfront there, with a large ferry boat giving scenic
tours leaving the dock as we approached. We did not go into the Maritime
Museum, but it is quite a drawing card for the town, as many visitors were
clearly in evidence. In fact, the center of town had quite a few people
walking around checking out all the interesting sites, most of whom were
not volksmarchers.
The main street through town, Talbot Street, had plenty of neat shoppes and
other places of interest as we headed eastward. The Inn at Perry Cabin, a
very elegant, expansive restaurant and inn was our turnaround point.
Heading towards the finish point on Talbot Street, we really caught the
busy shopping area of town, along with many restaurants and several
historic houses and sites. We noted the Carpenter Street Saloon, as the
written directions hinted that this spot had good burgers and cold
beverages. I was getting hungry and thirsty at this point, so after we
completed the walk, we planned on heading back to Carpenter Street Saloon
to refresh ourselves.
A bend off Talbot onto West Chestnut, Tilden, Chew and then back on Talbot
Street gave us one more small, older neighborhood to walk through before
heading into the finish at the school. I got my books stamped, picked up
some brochures for future walks, and talked with some of the walk
organizers working at the finish table. I thanked them very much for this
great walk through this very interesting Eastern Shore town, with the
promise of returning here for a walk either in 1998 or 1999. Walking
through this town was a true treat on this gorgeous day. Returning to
Carpenter Street Saloon by car, we luckily found a very shady spot to park
the car within a few blocks of the Carpenter Street Saloon, so Peaches and
India could cool off from the walk in relative comfort. We met Ruth,
long-time walker from Columbia at the entrance, and joined her for a very
late lunch. Such a great day, pity it had to end! The 2 1/2 hours on the
trail seemed to have gone so fast! We were a bit tired at the end, but we
certainly could have gone further after eating.
Many thanks again to the Annapolis Amblers Volksmarch Club for hosting this
outstanding event. I look forward to return here again in the future. The
written directions were excellent, and all the workers friendly and helpful
throughout the walk experience.
Seneca Valley Sugarloafers
AVA Walking Events and Clubs
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US National and State Parks
Previous Walking With The Walrus:
Kensington, Maryland April 12, 1997C and O Canal April 19, 1997
