Saturday, December 22, 2018

GOOD DAY SUNSHINE.

Day 4 – Sunny, the rain has stopped!  43 degrees at 8 a.m. Not only are the lighted trees for Christmas beautiful at this Park, but the moisture on the trees is glistening in the sunlight.  We left for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge around 10:30 a.m. The traffic was light for the Saturday before Christmas, but we took backroads anyway.

Blackwater is about 45 minutes south of Easton. When we used to visit my Dad & Gail, we always made time to go to Blackwater. The National Wildlife Refuge has a really good Visitor Center and there is a great wildlife drive. Also, there’s a 25-mile paved bicycle path loop. Once when my Dad was still alive, we all bicycled the Refuge. It was a wonderful day. Another time, Rob & I saw a large beaver/muskrat-like mammal swimming in the channel beside the road. We stopped to look at it; it stopped to look at us. He or she had large, orange teeth. It was a Nutria & we don’t remember seeing them anywhere else.

Today, we spent a little time at the Visitor Center, then drove a little ways on the wildlife drive, then pulled over & ate our lunch while watching the Canada Geese fly over in their standard V-shape. Continuing on the drive, we stopped at a photography blind and again at an observation deck. There were Bald Eagles flying overhead. During our drive we also saw plenty of Turkey Vultures, Snow Geese, Cardinals, Northern Shovelers, and lots of Tundra Swans. Another good day at Blackwater.

Click on any picture below to see a slidesow.

Great Blue Heron, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Observation platform, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Photography blind, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Visitor Center, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Tundra Swans, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Tundra Swans, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Tundra Swans, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Bald Eagle, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Bald Eagle, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Bald Eagles, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Ring-Billed Gull, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Male and Female Northern Shovelers, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Canada Geese, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Wildlife Drive, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

Observation platform, Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, MD

It was windy with a high of 55 degrees, partly cloudy in the afternoon. On the way back to the RV, we stopped & visited my Dad’s tree which was planted at his church when he passed away. Then proceeding through Easton, we encountered a huge traffic jam because of an accident, an overturned SUV in the middle of the highway kept traffic to a standstill.

We got back to the RV around 4 p.m. and cooked a huge pot of Corn & Potato Chowder with Scallops, enough to eat for days; had that with garlic bread, then relaxed for our final evening at this campsite. Tomorrow we travel further south.

Martinak State Park:  137 Deep Shore Road, Denton, MD 21629, contact main office at Tuckahoe State Park (410) 820-1668, for reservations in-season contact 1-888-432-2267 or parkreservations.maryland.gov Monday – Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  Martinak State Park was officially closed for the winter but did have 3 campsites with electricity available in Loop A for off-season camping. The winter rate was $17 per night. There were water and a dump station open & available at the campground. For in-season, camping reservations are recommended. This Park isn’t large; there are 60 campsites & 6 cabins in 2 Loops. The B Loop has electricity at every campsite. All sites are paved, most were large enough for our RV, and most were not too close to its neighbors. A very nice campground, particularly when we were there. It was lovingly decorated for Christmas. We would definitely stay again with its proximity to Easton, the Tubman exhibit, & Blackwater.