Chesapeake Trips and Tips

Looking for a fun way to explore the Chesapeake Bay region? Interested in visiting a historic community or a nature preserve or just paddling down a river near your home? Chesapeake Trips and Tips is a weekly email highlighting interesting, unusual and off the beaten path ways to discover authentic Chesapeake places. You can sign up in the box at right.

Can’t wait to get the email? Here are a few ideas for February 2010 – with a more complete month-by-month listing also available.

Satisfy a Sweet Tooth in Salisbury
Learn the history of maple sugaring and then sample some of the sweet stuff this weekend at Pemberton Historical Park’s Annual Maple Sugar Festival. See how trees are tapped and syrup harvested through demonstrations, tastings and more! February 13, 12pm – 2pm. $6 per person or $18 per family of four. Pemberton Historical Park. Salisbury, MD. (410) 860-2447 for more information.

Early Bird Gets the Worm
Enjoy a morning birding walk followed by a day of volunteering along the trails at Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve in Portsmouth. February 13, 8am – 10am for birding & 10am – 4pm for the volunteer work day. Free! Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve. Portsmouth, VA. (757) 686-8684 for more information.

Great Backyard Bird Count
The Potomac River is a great place to watch for birds including hawks, osprey and herons. This workshop at Westmoreland State Park will introduce participants to the Great Backyard Bird Count and provide tips on how to identify our local feathered friends. The event will include a guided walk and a birdfeeder craft project. February 13, 10am – 12:30pm. $8/person. Westmoreland State Park. Montross, VA. (804) 493-8821 for more  information.

Journey on the Network to Freedom
Hear the stories of men and women who risked everything to seek freedom along the Underground Railroad in Virginia and beyond. Learn how the vast network worked and about the lives of enslaved African Americans who escaped to the North and Canada. The history program at Leesylvania State Park will also include a hike for children. February 13, 11am – 4pm. Free with park admission. Leesylvania State Park. Woodbridge, VA. (703) 583-6904 for more information.

And you can also check out - 
 
A Saturday morning bird walk at Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine. February 20, starts at 8am. Free!
 
Have a hoot at Pocomoke River State Forest and Park during a nighttime Owl Prowl. February 20, 5pm – 7pm. $3/person.
 
And coming February 27 – the Star-Spangled Geo-Trail, a multi-state geocaching adventure that includes hidden “caches” at more than 30 sites across the Chesapeake region.