Mountaineer Fernweh

  Delmarva is a kayaking paradise, with hundreds of miles of fresh, brackish, and salt water trails available to explore. Beginning at Cambridge,  Blackwater Adventures  offers kayak rentals at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay resort and, further inland, at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  The wildlife sighting possibilities at both locations are rich, including the osprey nest above. Call ahead to check reservations at the Blackwater site, which is relatively remote.  If you have your own Kayak, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has  paddle trails  and interactive maps available on their website.   The beaches of Delaware and Maryland have numerous kayaking opportunities.   Coastal Kayak  is located across Delaware Highway 1 from Delaware Beaches State Park, and offers opportunities for exploration in the Little Assawoman Bay.  Further south, the 67th Street Paddle Cove , Odyssea Waterpsorts , and  48th Street Watersports all offer kayak rentals on the Assawoman bay and Isle of Wig

The Delmarva Peninsula is home to some of America's oldest religious sites, several of which are in ruins or no longer in regular use as churches.  This is particularly true for Anglican parish churches, which were formally established in Maryland no later than 1692, but were subject to replacement as population centers shifted.  Constructed in a Flemish brick bond pattern, these sacred spaces are among the last connections to early American history, where the objectives of colonists were largely monetary, slavery was a primary means of labor, and the church provided one of the few places of spiritual and emotional nourishment in a very hard life. White Marsh Parish Ruins Near Trappe Visible from Route 50 in Talbot County, Maryland, south of Easton, stand the ruins of St. Peter's, White Marsh Parish.   The oldest parts of the ruin date to the 17th century; the church was enlarged in 1751, fell into increasing disuse after 1850, and burned while being prepared for services in 18

Living history in an historic church. South entrance and east chancel of Old Trinity, Church Creek An off-the-main-road stop on the way to the beach, Old Trinity Church ranks as one of the oldest sacred spaces in use in the United States.  (It is most likely the oldest east of the Mississippi.)  Built around 1675, it has endured to house a living congregation to the present day. According to the parish website , the church was restored to its 17th century appearance from 1953-1960.  At that time the Victorian renovation a century prior was undone; the original floors were discovered and repaired, walls reinforce, and new box pews and a pulpit were created from 200 year old heart of pine wood.  While a recreation of the original, it is stunningly beautiful in conception and liturgical use. Approaching the church, one walks from the parking area near the parish house through-centuries old graves.  These include Anna Ella Carroll,  reputedly one of Lincoln's most trusted