Solomons Island

We walked Solomons Island and visited the University of Maryland Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Visitors Center where we learned about the research being done on the Bay and some of the many problems facing those trying to improve the health of the Bay.  It is amazing to see how quickly the vegetation and sea life have changed in just the past 75 years.  The oyster harvest is less than 1 per cent of what it was a hundred years ago.  The blue crabs are barely reproducing at the rate necessary to sustain the current catch rate which is also a small percentage of what it was in the recent past.

We also visited the Calvert Marine Museum which goes beyond preserving old Chesapeake vessels like the museum at St. Michaels.  In addition to boat preservation, the Calvert Marine Museum has exhibits on the Bay’s pre-historic past, Indian life prior to the arrival of the colonists, the colonial settlements, the War of 1812 and commercial activities on the Bay in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  There are also aquariums containing live samples of plant and animals which inhabit the Bay.  This is a must see museum for those interested in more than just the maritime history of the Bay.

Carla walked the boardwalk, did some shopping and found some bargains on flip-flops (2 pair).  We stopped by the famous Tiki Bar and later had dinner at Angler’s which served really great crab imperial and broiled rockfish.  There specialty French fries were different and good (a cross between regular fries and curly fries).  Carla also got two loads of wash completed.