​Beach #120 Theodore Roosevelt Island Park, Washington, DC 20001

Hello from Beach #120 located on Theodore Roosevelt Island outside Washington, D.C. and maintained by the National Park Service. This little murky "beach" is very dependent on it being low tide during your visit. You could bring your beach chair so I am counting this urban oasis.
Roosevelt Island has had quite a history! For a while, it was a temporary home to the Nacotchtank Indians who had been living nearby, where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers meet.

The land was once inherited by our founding father, George Mason, while he was still underage. He would grow up to become one of the three delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention who would refuse to sign the Constitution. His work would later heavily influence our Bill of Rights.

The island served as Camp Green during the Civil War when it was home to 1,200 formerly enslaved people who were part of the Union forces. During the Spanish-American War, the island was used to test explosives for commercial mining, and those tests were mistaken for enemy wartime activity.

Then, the island belonged to the power company for a while until it became a memorial to our 26th president and a park planned by the famous Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

To get here, I parked in the Roosevelt Island parking lot, took a footbridge to the island and then followed the 1.5-mile loop, Swamp Trail.
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Our 26th president left quite a conservation legacy, but it's complicated to herald him with our worldview in 2023. Like many others at the time, the father of our national parks system viewed people of European descent to be superior and the park system displaced Indigenous people.

​Beach #121 National Harbor, 141 American Way, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

Hello from Beach #121, a manmade sandy beach at National Harbor, a huge mixed-use development in Oxon Hill, Md. complete with 6 hotels, a convention center, a Ferris wheel and casino. Hard fought at the time of development by conservationists, there are about 5,500 residents here and 28 million visitors per year.

In the 1800s, this land was the Salubria plantation, owned by a slaveholder who served as a surgeon in the Union Army and a Maryland State Delegate, he ultimately called for Maryland to abolish slavery. There's a striking sculpture here called "The Awakening" by artist J. Seward Johnson.
This spot offers a beautiful view of the Potomac River in Prince George's County.

​Beach #119 Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, (Belle Haven Park, Virginia) 6401 George Washington Memorial Pkwy Alexandria, VA 22307 

Good morning from Beach #119 along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. I'm on the Mount Vernon Trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway leading to the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, a unit of the National Park Service. Looking across the Potomac, I can see The Capital Wheel at National Harbor.

Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve got its name because, in the 1800s, marshland was filled in to create a dike to add additional farmland. Today, this is "one of the largest remaining pieces of freshwater tidal wetlands left in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area."

Friends of Dyke Marsh host bird walks every Sunday at 8 a.m. (meet in the Belle Haven Park south parking lot). Over 250 species of birds have been seen at this park.
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To get here, I took about a 10-minute walk from the Mount Vernon Trail Parking lot at the Belle Haven Marina exit from the parkway.

​Beach #123 Piscataway Park, 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607

Good night from Beach #123, the last beach on the agenda for 2023, found at National Park Service's Piscataway Park / National Colonial Farm in Accoceek, Md.

Piscataway Park is part of the ancestral homeland of the Piscataway people. In 2012, the Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory, Piscataway-Conoy Tribe of Maryland, and Cedarville Band of Piscataway finally received official recognition as tribes from the state of Maryland.

In 1928, Henry and Alice Ferguson bought more than 100 acres in this area and encouraged their friends to become their neighbors, all with an eye toward protecting the environment. Following his wife's death, Mr. Ferguson established the Alice Ferguson Foundation, which ultimately donated the land to the National Park Service and, in doing so, protected the viewshed of Mount Vernon just across the Potomac River so that visitors to George Washington's residence can imagine what the people of that era may have seen.
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Piscataway Park and adjacent Colonial Farm Park are home to many of the Chesapeake's most iconic species. Today, I hiked the Mockley Point Trail and found this beautiful spot.
That's a wrap for Beach Week 2023! Please check out my website, and I hope to see you soon -- at the beach!

​Beach #122 Fort Foote Park, 8915 Fort Foote Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

Beach #122 is National Park Service's Fort Foote on the Potomac River in Prince George's County. Fort Foote was an important defensive outpost for the ports of Georgetown, Alexandria and Washington during the Civil War, and later put to use again during World War I and World War II.

Named after Rear Adm. Andrew H. Foote, just 8 miles south of our nation's capital, today Fort Foote Park is treasured for hiking and fishing.

​Beach #115 Kings Landing Park, 3255 Kings Landing Road, Huntingtown, MD 20639

Good morning from Beach #115. I'm back out beaching to make up the two days I lost to Tropical Storm Ophelia and a back-to-work delay. Today starts with Kings Landing Park in Calvert County on the shores of the Patuxent River.

There's just a small beach here most often used for paddle access, but it's big enough for a beach chair so it counts! There's a great fishing pier here. Kings Landing was once a farm and later Baltimore's YMCA Camp Mohawk for city youth in the 1950s.

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day. The Patuxent, or Pawtuxent, people lived along the Chesapeake's western shore. Captain John Smith noted their 17 villages along this river. It is believed that the word Patuxent meant either "water running over loose stones" or "place where tobacco grows."

​Beach #116 Endeavor Point, 7890 Mill Creek Road, Benedict, MD 20612

Hello from Charles County and Beach #116, Endeavor Point, in Benedict, Md. I've been here since 11:30 am, and I've made a new friend! Meet Sophia who purchased this campground during the pandemic with her partner in a total career and life changing moment.
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They have created a welcoming place for all to enjoy on the grounds of what was once Camp Stanton. According to the state of Maryland, Camp Stanton was a "former Union encampment established in 1863 for the recruitment and training of black soldiers, some whom had recently escaped enslavement."

Endeavor Point is now a private resort/camp ground on the Patuxent River that offers day passes (I paid just $10 to enter today, not much more than some of Maryland's public parks).

You can rent a waterfront cottage, camp under the stars, or purchase a day pass and fish from their pier or shoreline, go birding, relax on the beach or rent kayaks or standup paddle boards. This is a great place to host a corporate event or a wedding or come watch fireworks on the 4th of July.

Endeavor Point was recently featured on the National Geographic program, Drain the Oceans, due to the site's history in the War of 1812.

The women who own Endeavor Point want to share its incredible history with the world and welcome everyone while protecting its natural resources. I encourage you to visit this very special place.

​Beach #118 Breezy Point Beach & Campground, 5300 Breezy Point Road, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732

My last stop for today is Beach #118, Breezy Point Beach And Campground in Calvert County on the Chesapeake Bay. Here, you'll find a half mile of sandy beach that is another popular spot for sharks' teeth and fossil hunting. There's also a 200-foot fishing pier. This park allows swimming and often fills to capacity on summer weekends.

Acquired by Calvert County in 1995, Breezy Point was previously a privately owned beach, picnic area and marina.

See you tomorrow for the last day of Beach Week 2023!

 ​Beach #117 Flag Ponds Nature Park, 1525 Flag Ponds Parkway, Lusby, MD 20657

Beach #117 is Flag Ponds Nature Park where just a half-mile hike takes you to this huge, beautiful Chesapeake Bay sandy beach. Approximately 4.5 miles north of Calvert Cliffs, this 500-acre park in Calvert County is also a great spot to find sharks' teeth and fossils.

In the 1950s, this beach was a fishing season safe harbor for commercial fishermen complete with beach shanties for housing. The last shanty was burned down in 2012. Today, a replica of "Buoy Hotel," shows how the fishermen lived.
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You can swim at Flag Ponds, and dogs are allowed but note that the park has limited hours in the off-season (typically closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays). It is open every day in the summer but often fills to capacity. Today the beach closed at 3:00 pm.

​Beach #114 Sailwinds Park, 200 Byrn Street, Cambridge, MD 21613

Goodnight from Beach #114 at Sailwinds Park, Cambridge, MD. This is a sweet little beach, and the perfect place to sit a spell, but no swimming is permitted. Cambridge and Dorchester County are wonderful places to visit, full of history and nature. Be sure to stop by my favorite national (and state) park, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
After three days, my typically five-day beach trek will have a weather delay with Tropical Storm Ophelia messing with so many weekend plans. I'll have a bit of a "get back to work" delay as well, and head back out for the last two days on October 9 & 10. Thanks for beaching with me and stay safe out there!

​Beach #113 Gerry Boyle Park, Somerset Avenue, Cambridge, MD 21613

Beach #113 This small Choptank River beach is at Gerry Boyle Park in Cambridge, Maryland. At 71 miles long, the Choptank is the largest River on Delmarva.

This is the ancestral homeland of the Algonquian-speaking Choptank (or Ababco) people. The state of Maryland sold out their reservation land in 1822, in part to pay for the state's share of the District of Columbia.
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This park is named after Gerry Boyle, a Cambridge resident who died in 2019. He was responsible for bringing the Ironman Maryland to Cambridge in 2014, drawing participants from 50 countries. Something tells me he'd love seeing all of these kite-boarders taking advantage of Tropical Storm Ophelia's outer bands!

​Beach #112 Saxis Island, Matthews Road, Saxis, VA 23427

​Beach #111 Hallowing Point Boat Ramp, 6904 Hallowing Lane, Prince Frederick, MD 20678

​Beach #108 Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area, 9699 Riverside Road, Nanjemoy, MD 20662

Beach #108 Excited to be back at Douglas Point Recreation Area for the second time this week! Chesapeake Conservancy, where I work, partners with the stewards of this land, the Bureau of Land Management - Eastern States.

At Douglas Point, there are over 800 acres of forest along the Potomac River shoreline along Blue Banks and Wades Bay. Today, I took the Blue Banks trail to the beach which is another popular site for fossil hunters. It's an easy hike, quite a bit longer than Purse. There is one other car here today, but I'm the only one on the beach.

There are chimney ruins of a homesite owned by Reverend William J. Chile which was built in 1798 by Francis Shepard.

This is the ancestral homeland of the Piscataway people and the Nanjemoy Indian Tribe. Learn more from Dr. Gabrielle Tayac, citizen of the Piscataway Indian Nation and activist Indigenous scholar. bit.ly/3EOhY2m
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Additional information about Douglas Point is available from the experts at William & Mary, including an interview with Cal Posey, a passionate ecologist from this area. www.wm.edu/sites/wmcar/research/chiles/douglas-point.

​Beach #107 Purse Area in Nanjemoy Wildlife Management Area, 10200 Riverside Road, Nanjemoy, MD 20662

Squeals! Beach 107, Purse, on the Potomac River's Wade Bay, is a bucket list beach for me! Purse was a Maryland state park but is now part of the Nanjemoy Wildlife Management Area. I've visited the Nanjemoy area many times for work but have never made it to Purse which is popular among shark's tooth and fossil hunters.

Thank you to Dr. Purse who deeded his 100 acres of land to Maryland under the condition that it never be developed!

The only other people on the beach today is a sweet couple on a picnic and shark tooth hunting date. They do not speak English, and despite studying Spanish for 12 years, I do not speak Spanish worth anything. But, we spoke the universal language of fossil hunting and were glad to share our finds with each other. I found three sharks' teeth in the one spot that I took the time to really look.

​Highly recommend a visit here! The parking lot is across the street. Take the (unmarked) Sharks Tooth Beach Trail, an overall easy hike with a steep, but short, decline to the beach.

​Beach #110 Benedict Community Park, MD-231, Benedict, MD 20612

Last stop for today! Beach #110 is Benedict Community Park on the Patuxent River. This little gem, a popular fishing spot, is adjacent to Rt 231 Patuxent River Bridge on the south side. Benedict is a small, unincorporated town with a rich history including that of the Indigenous people who have lived along the Patuxent River since at least 1100 BC, colonial times, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The residents are grappling with preserving that history while pursuing economic development. According to the 2020 census, there are 232 residents.
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By the way, a little birdie told me that two friends of mine played a major role in creating several of the parks I've visited this week including Chapman State Park (Maryland) and the Jesuit properties, including Newtowne Neck State Park, which I visited in 2020. John Griffin and Kristin Saunders worked together at Maryland Department of Natural Resources where John served as secretary. We work together now at Chesapeake Conservancy, and he is an incredible mentor to me. So, thank you, John & Kristin, on behalf of all the people I met today for helping to create these public places! Yet another reminder, parks don't make themselves! It takes grit, long hours, passion and hard work!

​Beach #109 Maxwell Hall Park, 6680 Maxwell Drive, Hughesville, MD 20637

Hello from Beach #109 on the Patuxent River at Maxwell Hall, a 692-acre Charles County park with a colonial house dating back to 1768. Charles County acquired the land in 2007 with Maryland Program Open Space funding from the Swann family who considered themselves stewards of the property and dreamed of it becoming a place for the public to visit.

From the Friends of the Maxwell House website, "A local tale of interest is the role that Maxwell Hall played when the British landed at Benedict and seized the town for 24 hours. It is said that one of the British officers requisitioned the first floor of the house for his headquarters requiring that the family living here make-do with the rooms on the second floor. His occupation was mercifully brief but perhaps saved the house from “torching” which was the fate of many other nearby homes and structures.

"Over the years, buttons, cufflinks and belt buckles have been found on the property that is believed to have belonged to British troops."

A long walk along working crop fields led me to this beautiful Patuxent River beach. Can't help but think of the extreme labor it took to farm all this land, especially that of the enslaved people held by the Maxwell family for nearly a century.
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The only other person I've seen zoomed by me on a horse. Bring your horse and your water-loving dog for a dip in the Patuxent!

​Beach #106 Chapman State Park, 3452 Ferry Place, Indian Head, MD 20640

Beach #106 Hello from Maryland's Chapman State Park where you will find a narrow but long beach at the end of a beautiful meadow trail on the grounds of the Mt. Aventine Mansion once belonging to the Chapman family. The Chapmans were associates of George Washington and George Mason.

In 1998, Program Open Space funding created this state park along the Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek in western Charles County, providing outdoor recreation opportunities like hiking, fishing and hunting, as well as interpretation and education about the history of the people who once lived on this land, although there is little history known about the enslaved which was poorly documented. In the 1950s, Mt. Aventine was owned by a Hungarian Countess!
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The only other people here with me on this beautiful Thursday afternoon are two spotted lantern fly surveyors from the state.

Beach #104 Chancellors Point Natural History Area, 18171 Rosecroft Road, St. Mary's City, MD 20686

​Beach #104 is very welcoming! Chancellors Point Natural History Area in St. Mary's County has it all! Hiking, paddling, camping and sailing for starters! Thank you to Ruth Valentine Chase who chose to sell her land for conservation in 1970, leading to 66 acres of public land. Indigenous people thrived here long before Robert Wiseman arrived on the Ark in 1634. Be sure to check this place out! www.hsmcdigshistory.org/venues/chancellors-point/

​Beach #102 Point Lookout State Park, 11175 Point Lookout Road, Scotland, MD 20687

Score! Beach #102 Point Lookout State Park on a beautiful weekday; I am one lucky duck playing hooky from work! This popular 1,083-acre park often fills to capacity on weekends, but I'm here with lots of sandy beach all to myself on this large peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. Here at Maryland's Western Shore's southernmost spot, you can camp, swim, sail, boat and fish. Bring your water-loving dogs for Pet Beach!

This is the site of a Civil War prisoner-of-war camp and many significant moments in our nation's military history.

I'm really proud that Chesapeake Conservancy, where I work, played a role in opening new paddle in camp sites for kayakers a few years ago. I got to tour the haunted lighthouse the day we held the ribbon cutting. I'll post a link in comments if you're interested in learning more about the paddle in camp sites.
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Note: The campground is closed for the 2023 season due to important water and sewer replacement projects.

​Beach #101 Wicomico Shores Public Landing, 35222 Army-Navy Drive,
Chaptico, MD 20621

It's Beach Week 2023, my 4th year on an adventure to explore the publicly accessible sandy beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. My first stop was a bust due to a ferry being out of commission today (I'll go back next year!), but here at my second stop, I found success! Sandy beach #101 found at Wicomico Shores Public Landing! I'm on the shoreline of Maryland's Western Shore's Wicomico River, a tributary of the Potomac. To keep us on our toes, there's another Wicomico River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Operated by St. Mary's County, this park has an incredible fishing pier, boat ramp, kayak access, playground, picnic tables and restrooms. See you soon at beach #102!

​Beach #103 St. Inigoes Landing, 46621 Beachville Road, St. Inigoes, MD 20684

Beach #103 is the site of the most ancient Jesuit establishment in the United States, which is today the 938-acre St. Inigoes State Forest. For my tree-loving friends, there are 324 acres of woodland on this peninsula between St. Mary’s River and Smith Creek bordering the Potomac River. I'll be waiting for them on the beach though, locally known as Kitts Point. Speaking of the locals, in this area, you can still detect hints of the speech of the area's original English and Irish colonial settlers, although the dialect is fading away.

If you're not apt to get lost in the woods and covered in hundreds of ticks, like me, there are a few other sandy beaches you can hike to here. Today, I'll take their word for it. [Note: This is a reference to my experience at Franklin State Park in 2022 (sadly my least favorite beach!]

​Beach #105 Historic St. Mary’s City, 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686

Beach #105 was a small sandy beach at Historic St. Mary's City where you can visit the replica of the Dove. You'll want to spend a whole day here; there's so much to see and learn, including the history of the 50 enslaved people who did the brutal labor of tobacco farming on Mr. Brome's 1,800-acre plantation here.

My phone died (shocker! But I still have half a tank of gas), so I had to pinch a Flickr photo of the beach from my friends at Preservation Maryland.
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Heading back to Annapolis now for girls' night out. We're getting wild and crazy at Maryland Hall to see a screening of the climate change documentary, "Canary." Check it out! http://www.marylandhall.org/.../annapolis.../2023-09-20/

Beach #100 Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park, 29761 Boling Broke Point Dr, Trappe, MD 21673

​Good night from Beach #100 (total since 2020)! Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park in Trappe, Maryland (Talbot County side) is on the beautiful Choptank River.

The Bill Burton Fishing pier is located on the remnants of the old bridge over the Choptank. 

Unfortunately, in February 2022, structural cracks were found beneath the water, and the fishing pier is currently closed. Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Talbot County are working on a master plan to replace this recreational resource. Bill Burton was a longtime Chesapeake outdoors writer who advocated for the old bridge remnants to be left for fishing. 

That's a wrap for Beach Week 2022! See you next year!

Beach #98 Deal Island Beach, Deal Island, MD, 21821

Just past the bridge onto Deal Island is this Chesapeake showstopper! 

Deal Island was also once known as Devil's Island and nearby was the Quarters of the Damned (today's Dames Quarters). Legend says these names were in reference to pesky pirates! 

Today, pirates aren't the problem that the 350 Deal Islanders face, it's climate change. The island is sinking from the middle out. Learn more from Chesapeake Bay Journal's Jeremy Cox: ​https://www.bayjournal.com/news/climate_change/at-deal-island-marsh-grass-predicts-where-land-will-drown/article_ee4e30c0-a445-11eb-a0c5-2b446910ad76.html