A Day by the Bay in Havre de Grace

The seamaster and I were feeling like we needed a day by the water's edge, so we took a scenic drive up Rt. 155 to historic Havre de Grace, which was voted the Best Historic Downtown in the Baltimore Region by the readers of Maryland Life magazine. Havre de Grace played pivotal roles in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. These days, this historic destination offers up some of the best shopping, dining, sightseeing and recreation in Maryland.

Today, the seamaster and I took a relaxing walk along the Promenade, a 3/4 mile boardwalk that offers a lovely view of the Susquehanna River and all its waterfowl. At the end of the Promenade, the Concord Point Lighthouse, built in 1827, stately stands, still watching over the upper Chesapeake Bay. We could not resist a climb to the top of the 36-foot granite beacon, although the climb up a ladder from the landing to the lantern room was a little daunting for me. But the seamaster saw me safely up and then back down again. After descending back down the granite spiral staircase, we headed over to the restored dwelling of John O'Neill, the heroic keeper who defended Havre de Grace during the War of 1812. At the gift shop, the seamaster bought me a lighthouse ring and lighthouse cookie cutter (be on the lookout for lighthouse cookies).

After another refreshing walk back along the Promenade, we were off to the Laurrapin Grille, where we feasted on scrumptious lobster crabcakes served on croissants. I also sampled an orange crush, a delightful commingling of orange juice and vodka.

After lunch, we headed back home for a swim in our pool, but we plan on returning to Havre de Grace in the coming weeks for more sightseeing and maybe even some parasailing (gulp!). We may even make it an overnight trip with a stay at the Spencer Silver Mansion Bed and Breakfast. The carriage house, complete with a fireplace and whirlpool sounds too romantic to pass up. We may even do some ghost hunting during our stay!

The view from the lantern room