C M Y K N6 SOURCE 08-03-08 DC EE N6 CMYK N6 Sunday, August 3, 2008 x The Washington Post RoadTrip Pirates Invading a Maryland Fishing Town WHERE: Rock Hall, Md. or soak up Chesapeake culture in three bay-centric museums. To fit in this weekend, swap your Sperry docksiders for a WHY: Pirate parties, lumpy crab cakes and shore things. peg leg. Costumes are strongly encouraged, and don’t worry about standing out: Pirate reenactors and sea chantey sing- HOW FAR: About three miles from start to finish, and about ers will be appearing around town. The event starts with a 90 miles from Washington. Cast-Off Party at the Harbor Shack Waterfront Bar & Grill, followed by a decorated dinghy flotilla and race. On Sunday, ou don’t need a treasure map to discover Rock Hall families can search for booty in a treasure hunt or collect (it’s on the Chesapeake Bay), but that doesn’t make it some at the pirate pet and children’s costume contest. The any less of a find. Most days, the Maryland fishing same day, the Fearless, a buccaneer-style ship, will take town is a laid-back, natural getaway steeped in bay guests on one-hour sails from Sharp Street Pier. Children are Yhistory and culture, bird-watching and kayaking. Starting invited onboard, but you might want to leave the parrot at , a colorful Oyster Court Saturday, however, the town will stir up the waters with the home. and museum at Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend. — Ben Chapman Peruse the six shops garden behind Main Street. collection of bungalows around a The two-day party celebrates Rock Hall’s 301st birthday, Rock Hall’s Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend: Saturday, though despite the theme, pirates weren’t active players in noon-midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Various locations in Rock Hall. For the town’s history. That honor goes to the watermen. In the a schedule and information, call 410-935-3491 or visit www. 20 1700s, Rock Hall established itself as an important tobacco rockhallpirates.com. Admission varies; some events are free. port and by the 1800s was one of the busiest fishing outposts on the bay. Commercial fishing still is done on a smaller scale, The artist-run Rock Hall The whimsical assemblage of photos and artifacts at the but the main business today is tourism. During the summer, Road Trip maps, addresses and hours of operation Gallery Tolchester Beach Revisited are available at www.washingtonpost.com/roadtrip. features an array museum pays tribute to visitors cruise in from land and sea to eat dockside, go fishing of Chesapeake-inspired the long-gone amusement park that opened in 1877. creations, including paintings and poetry. ST. Driver’s route NEW ROCK HALL AVENUE Rock your socks off to live music, including jazz, at the Mainstay. HAWTHORNE AVE. ENUE 20 HALL AV MAN ROAD 445 ROCK HENRY AVENUE 20 COLE MERCER AVENUE Waterman’s Museum LIBERTY ST. BEACH ROAD At the , a Rock Hall Throw together a re-created early-1900s fishing shanty healthy picnic at Bay Leaf Gourmet Find a perch at Blue offers a glimpse of life on the water. Chester River Kayak Adventures Oyster Court , Heron Park which sells such and watch BAY RD. offers rentals and excursions around Rock for herons, bald eagles Hall and to nearby Eastern Neck Island. good eats as fruit BAYSIDE AVENUE smoothies and and ospreys. M A SHARP STREET I veggie sandwiches. N S SHARP STREET T R E E CHESAPEAKE BAY Waterman’s Crab House’s T C 30 slips, dockside bar and H ES CATHOLIC AVENUE AP jumbo lump crab cakes draw E EA U K N E guests from on shore and off. E AVE. Start here V StartStart herehere A Y R A Smilin’ Jake’s Casual Appare D N U l Rock Hall O Hawaii bring B an fashion s Harbor to the Chesapeake. PENNSYLVANIA 445 83 MARYLAND 95 They might look like toys, but Rock Hall 70 70 Museum’s model boats and duck decoys 20 301 E 270 A were essential work tools in earlier times. Rock Hall S DEL. T E 50 50 R 213 GREEN AVEN N G D.C. 301 N r E ay 66 UE C s K In R n VIRGINIA 301 O Cr Stroll the sm A ee all boardwalk a D k 50 surrounded by expansiv t Rock Hall’s public beach 0 1/4 95 e views of th , ckarita margarita from e Chesapeake. Victoria Stone servesterfront up a Ro Bar & Grill. MILE Harbor Shack Wa MAP BY JEROME COOKSON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; PHOTOS BY BEN CHAPMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST MediaMix A Quick Take on New Releases TITLE BASIC STORY SAMPLE GRAB WHAT YOU’LL LOVE WHAT YOU WON’T GRADE The esteemed author delves The introductory novella feels tossed-off and into the past for a two-part “If I could meet Alfred Taylor and Emily McVeagh disengaged, while the nonfi ctional half is patchy Alfred & Emily exploration that presents now, as I have written them, as they might have Lessing gets points for her innovative take on and diffi cult to follow. 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