AYCE crabs!!! How can you beat that. So many Ocean City restaurants are making that offer.  Most of them are just a short walk from Ocean City’s Beach, where everyone wanted to be on Memorial Day Weekend.  How can you beat AYCE crabs?  I did!!!  They were all here, all those people, the ones we depend on to make OC’s wheels turn and the $$$ roll in.  The beach was great.  The Sun won the weather war!  Lots of summer smiles.  What a place to relax, sip a cold one, and watch all that goes on, better than a movie, but once in a while you may want to take a break and get away from all those people, racket, and traffic…
    Here’re a couple close by places that are less visited (you can find the well-known places on your own) where you can walk or hike, bike, paddle, fish or crab, or just sit and relax.  They’re a lot like the places I visit when I’m meandering through the warm places of Florida, southern Texas and the southwest in the winter.  They’re close to the good food you’ll find in our restaurants, but far enough away so they are quiet, peaceful, and serene and you really can be away from the OC hectic touristy areas in twenty minutes.  Just head across the Rt. 50 or Rt. 90 bridge and make a couple turns off those main roads and you’re on your way to enjoy the Eastern Shore and the Delmarva Peninsula.  That’s one of the main reasons I like Ocean City.  There’s so much more here than the beach and it’s so close.  The Ocean City skyline is a great background for photographs or to just sit and let your eyes go from north to south and relax and enjoy.  You can do this at Isle of Wight Nature Park or from St. Martins Neck Road towards Bishopville: both are between the spans of the Rt. 90 Bridge.  You also get a great view of Ocean City at the end of Keyser Pt. Road or from the beach at Gudowski Park at the end of Old Bridge Road where’s there’s a beach, too.  Both are in West O.C.
    The two Rt. 90 Bridge locations are a good place to put a kayak or canoe in our Coastal Bays; so is the end of Keyser Pt. Rd.  There you can collect mussels, find clams in the sandy bay bottom or maybe catch some fish.  There are several free boat ramps close to OC, too.  All are away from the crowds, are relaxing spots and good places for a picnic, but take a lawn chair.  There’s one at the end of Shell Mill Rd. off St. Martins Neck Rd. just south of Bishopville and another on Gum Point Rd. off Race Track Rd. just past Ocean Downs.
    North of Rt. 54 in Delaware is one of my favorite closeby places.  It’s in the Assawoman WildLife Area at Camp Barnes.  Take Old Mill Bridge Rd. across from the Harris Tweeter Food Store, turn right on Bayard Rd., then follow the signs.   There you’ll find three isolated picnic areas on the Bay with boat ramps, fishing piers, and lots of trails to walk along the Bay’s shore and through densely wooded forested areas. There’s even a tower for a bird’s eye view.  In the fall there’re flocks and flocks of geese.
    More are south of OC.  Follow Rt. 611 south, turn toward Assateague Island and just before the bridge is a parking lot, fishing pier, and a boat ramp.  Go far enough south on 611 and it‘ll take you to South Point with another boat ramp.  Newport Bay is a short, although maybe strenuous, paddle or row depending on the wind around the point and to the east.  It’s really away from all the people there.  Another great place to canoe or kayak can be found where Rt. 376 crosses Ayres Creek less than a mile from Rt. 611.  If you’re lucky you may catch some crabs there, too.
    If you take Rt. 113 south there’s Public Landing, four roads where you have access to the Eastern Shore’s Coastal Bays, Shad Landing State Park just south of Snow Hill, and if you go northwest from Snow Hill on Rt. 12 and turn west on Nassawango Rd., you’ll cross Nassawango Creek; go farther east and you’ll be amongst the Pocomoke State Forest; and go even farther and you’ll find Milburn Landing State Park. You’ll come to Public Landing first. It’s directly east of Snow Hill, has a fishing pier, and a boardwalk; no carnival rides, etc., though, just peace and quiet.  Snow Hill is a good place to eat or pack a lunch because there’re no restaurants at any I listed.
    If you follow Bayside Rd. through farming country to the south and turn on Scott’s Landing Rd., you’ll pass several tidal pools with lots of birds before it dead ends on the Bay.  On south is Truitt’s Landing Rd. about a mile away, which is much the same, beautiful.  Taylor’s Landing Road intersects Rt. 12, that goes to Snow Hill to the N/Wand towards Chincoteague, Va. to the south in Girdletree and George Island Rd. crosses Rt.12 in Stockton.  Both of these roads go to the Bay where there’s paved parking lots and boat ramps.  The other two are not as improved.  Each have few people, very good for birding, have islands a short paddle or row away to explore, Assateague Island is a long paddle or row, and the scenic country roads nearby are great for bicycling.  Both State Parks have their own websites for info at http://www.dnr.state.md.us and are on the Pocomoke River.
    Nassawango Creek flows into that River, too, which goes all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, so you can paddle/row to your hearts content on the sleepy, peaceful, picturesque water through the lily pads and Cypress Trees.  It’s much less laborious than in the open waters of the Coastal Bays. The Pocomoke Forest is my favorite bicycling place.  I start on Camp Rd.  There’re eagles there and lots of intersecting logging trails that you can walk or pedal on.  This area is also good for horse-back riding.  A Worcester County map (get one at: www.ms a.md.gov/msa/md) may be helpful or just be adventuresome and head across the bridge and see what you find.  Lots of soy beans, chicken houses, coastal bays, cypress trees, peace and quiet and a slow and easy life style, will greet you.
    You can find more at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wmaeastern.asp.  Oh yeah, how’d I beat the AYCE eat crabs in a restaurant?  I caught a bushel, then  steamed and feasted on them for days.  Now, I’m ready for some more.  They were free, like all the places I mentioned here and don’t forget OC’s bayside either; there’re lots of quiet spots there too.  When you cook crabs save the dregs from steaming them, let the solids settle out, then use the juice to make pan cakes, and flavor other foods, then you get even more of that great taste!  See you at Happy Hour and if you want to do a Family Photo on the Beach, let me know.