Chesapeake trip suggestions

benvenuttioki

Less than two months until the season. Time to start planning... Our anniversary is the week before Memorial Day. Starting in Solomons Sat or Sun, should we go North and end up in Baltimore, or South to Yorktown/Hampton? Probably a five day(ish) trip that gets us back on Fri. Spent last year in St Michaels, so that’s off the list. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

LaRea

So many choices!  If you go south, you should visit the Tides Inn at Irvington VA, off the Rappahannock.  Nice marina, great restaurant, golf course, pool.  It's a bit spendy, but great to visit even if you don't golf.  

benvenuttioki

That that looks nice! Thanks.

LaRea

What do you look for in a marina ... scenery and solitude, or restaurants and night life? 

In Solomon's, my fave is Spring Cove Marina.  They have a great pool with a bar, nice private bathrooms with showers, and several excellent restaurants close by.  

If you go north, check out Cambridge and Oxford.  Rock Hall is nice too.  

benvenuttioki

Spring Cove is our home port.
Other marinas? Not industrial! Nearby restaurants and shops are good. Scenery/solitude are always great. Don’t need lots of crowds.

LaRea

Haha -- okay, I'll look you up when we visit this summer!

For small-marina charm, consider Dennis Point Marina on Saint Mary's River.  It has a pool and restaurant, but not much else.  The cruise up the river is nice.  

Handymans342

Don’t forget Annapolis or Baltimore 

Dream_Inn

I love Spring Cove.  If you are looking for solitude, nice pool, nice beach to walk, great nature sighting, I'd highly recommend salt ponds just north of Hampton.  Our favorite on the bay!  Very reasonable price and Boatus discounts too.  Stop at Yorktown on way down or back.

Let's see, a north trip could be tilghman island (Knapps narrows marina), safe harbor marina in Kent narrows, then a stop at Deale, maybe Shipwright marina or North Herrington harbour marina.  I've been to all of them last summer, very nice.  Stop in at Lowes wharf for a bite between the narrows.  At kent narrows stop in at Big Owls.

benvenuttioki

Thanks for the input. South it is. The Tides sealed it it for anniversary with my wife. Down to Yorktown for a night, then to Salt Ponds for a couple. Back in the water in 7 wks! 

LaRea

Anniversary at Tides -- well played!  Last time I was there, I think the main dining room was jacket and tie.  There was a second dining area with the same menu, but more casual.  That was 7-8 years ago, so it might be different now.  

Dream_Inn

It'll definitely be different from Tide to Salt Ponds.  That sounds like a great trip!!  It's been too long since we've gone there, but last summer's trip that included Salt Ponds got thrown out due to covid.  This year's might too.  Mainly because we also hit VA Beach too.

I'm hoping to be in water in 4 weeks!  I remember seeing your boat and chatting with you at Spring Cove.  I'll be curious about Yorktown, I've often thought about stopping there.