October 08, 1992 - Eastern Shore SojurnFocus on Nature
Eastern Shore Sojourn
By Paul Stoutenburgh
The wonderful thing about being involved
with the outdoors is that no matter where you
are, there's always something out there wait-
ing to be seen and enjoyed. So it was when
Barbara and I took off to explore the East-
ern Shore of the Chesapeake last week. Years
ago we had partly explored this unique area
with brief forays off the road as we passed
through going south.
Our first campsite, Elk Neck State Park at
the head of the Chesapeake on a long penin-
sula jutting out into the bay, proved to be al-
most deserted, but the Ranger told us that
would not last long because on the weekend
they'd probably be filled up. As a matter of
fact, it is so popular that they keep the camp
open year -round. We'd stay for just the night.
As we lay in the camper listening to the
night sounds in the trees above, I raised my
head and looked across the water to the
twinkling lights on the opposite shore. Far off
in the distance I could hear the steady puls-
ing of a tugboat taking some waterborne
cargo heading for the mighty Susquehanna
River that empties into the head of the bay.
In the morning, we headed for St.
Michael's, where our son had told us we
shouldn't miss the Marine Museum. We took
the back roads to see as much of the country
as possible and soon found out that corn and
soybeans are to the Eastern Shore what po-
tatoes once were to our East End. At St.
Michael's we found the recommendation of
the museum well worthwhile for it gave us
the past history of this famous crab, clam,
oyster and waterfowl area.
Everything was there —from replicas of old
and new bugeyes and skipjacks to duck punts
and sinkboxes, from simple crab nets and
crab pots to cottage lighthouses —all showed
different aspects of the past. After our visit
we indulged in soft shell crab sandwiches,
Barbara's favorite. They surely know how to
cook them. We rated them the best we'd ever
had!
After the visit to the museum we casually
explored Tilghman's Island to the west. Here
was true watermen's country, with every-
thing geared to catching the elusive blue
crab. Stacks of crab pots could be seen in
many of the backyards along with an occa-
sional crab boat waiting for refurbishing or
perhaps past its time. We saw a beautiful
red - tailed hawk sitting on a telephone pole
and stopped to get the cameras out, but when
we turned around and headed back we found
the hawk had flown away.
As we headed for Martinak State Park in-
land we passed a place advertising "All You
Can Eat: Shrimp $9.95 - -Crabs $12.95." Need-
less to say, we indulged in the spoils of the
area. They cook their shrimp and crabs
spicy, and I do mean spicy! Our lips tingled
as we ate our way through first one plate and
then another.
Next morning it was on to Cambridge and
then to Hooper's Island that curves like a
long tail into the Chesapeake. Many of the
waste fields had beautiful yellow flowers
blooming, giving us acres and acres of yel-
low. Turkey vultures were almost always
within sight, soaring above in the clear blue
sky. One never tires of watching them in
their endless, graceful search for a meal.
At Fishing Creek we stopped at a picking
house with rows of women "picking" the
meat of pre- steamed crabs. In what seemed
like seconds, they'd flip off the top shell,
throw the claws in a special container to be
opened later and proceed to cut off the legs.
Then the crab was broken in half and sliced
laterally through the middle exposing the fat
white meat. This they'd pick out, putting the
lumps in a special container and the smaller
pieces in another.
Later one person would crack the claws to
expose the meat but leave the big lower nip-
per in place to hold on to. These were to be
sold for cocktail hors d'oeuvres. With all that
crab meat before us we couldn't resist buy-
ing a container for sampling later. After all,
that was part of what we came for.
Many places along the water had special
trays set up for molting crabs. Here shred-
ders or peelers would be placed. When the
soft ones shed their shell they would be
picked up, packed and shipped to market. We
traveled to the end of Hooper's Island where
we stopped and had lunch in the camper with
crab claws as the main dish. Looking out the
window of the camper we spotted a beauti-
ful male eagle, with his vivid white head,
perched on an old duck blind nearby.
Later we visited the Blackwater National
Refuge where we watched a handsome pi-
leated woodpecker rip chunks out of a rotten
tree. This bird is as big as a crow. Then there
were the egrets, herons, shorebirds and a
host of others —some of which we recognized
from home —that made the trip worthwhile.
We visited Tangier Island off the south end
of Maryland by taking the ferry from Cris-
field. This island (population around 600) has
its own school and no cars; it boasts excel-
lent clam cakes and clam fritters which we
sampled. Here everyone is involved in one
way or another with the water. Before head-
ing home we swung across Maryland to the
east and visited Chincoteague National Wild-
life Refuge and Assateague National Sea-
shore where the wild ponies come right into
the campground. In between we stopped to
visit an old Southolder, Lance Biechele, one
of the truly great naturalists who specializes
in mushrooms and liverworts.
Watermen who work the Chesapeake Bay have built special compounds right on the water for easier
access to crabbing and clamming grounds. —Paul Stoutenburgh Photo