|
|
|
|||||||
|
Solomons By Nancy and Richard Woodworth Barely a mile long, this strip of watery real estate conjures up many an image in the minds of Marylanders. They think of the shore, boating, bugeyes, crabbing, watermen, the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay. They also think of a village bustling with belated tourism development – a far cry from its earlier description as a typical coastal fishing village. Typical it is not, this narrow peninsula jutting from the foot of the graceful Governor Thomas Johnson bridge that arches over the Patuxent widewaters as they empty into the bay. Airplanes soar overhead from the Patuxent Naval Air Station across the river. More boats seem to jockey for position in Solomons' deep-water harbor than in Annapolis. And more visitors from nearby cities descend during a summer weekend on what one booster calls "this sleepy little town" than it can possibly absorb. Think of Ocean City – without the beaches and the high-rises – and you may get the picture. Life, though hectic on weekends, is quieter here along the bay and Maryland's western shore. Solomons Island was named in 1870 for Isaac Solomon, who established the area's first oyster-packing facilities. The island part of the name was quickly dropped by the post office and Solomons really looks more like a peninsula than an island. It grew as a waterfront community, with a fishing fleet of more than 500 vessels, most built locally. More bugeyes – large, decked-over sailing canoes – were built here than in any bay community. Solomons gave birth to racing yachts of international fame. The maritime tradition continues today at the Calvert Marine Museum and the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. As with other resort communities of its ilk, this one is ever-changing. There were virtually no places to stay until a Holiday Inn opened in the mid-1980s. Today, Solomons has five bed-and-breakfast facilities offering a total of two dozen rooms. There are at least a hundred times that many restaurant seats. Singles jam the open-air Tiki Bar and whatever new restaurant and bar is au courant. "I've been here since 1977 and have seen a lot of coming and going," says shopkeeper Joann Kersey of all the changes. What doesn't change is the inherent Solomons appeal – its watery aspects, the sailing, the charter fishing and the natural attractions of a special place. Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places / Mid-Atlantic, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2003. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
page |
Full destination index | |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
