This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Many Quebecers have already taken the road to New York to treat themselves to a stay there, or to Maine and its beaches. And why not to Maryland? We know a little about its largest city, Baltimore, thanks to the series The Wirebut nothing more. However, more than 2 hours from the Big Apple, this state has everything to please Quebecers, with its coasts and its maritime atmosphere, its rich local culture, its crabs and its seafood in abundance. Discovery in two stages, from Havre de Grace to Chesapeake City.
It took a little over 8 hours to drive from Montreal to arrive in Maryland. Situated between two major urban centers, Philadelphia and Washington, this Mid-Atlantic state can easily go unnoticed. Less known here, it is nevertheless a favorite destination for surrounding Americans, who find it a coastal haven.
We open the windows and fill our lungs. A salty and iodized note floats in the air. Indeed, the water is never far from the nose and eyes, here, with a view sometimes of the Chesapeake Bay, sometimes of the Susquehanna River, sometimes of the ocean. Here, we are both in the southernmost state in the north and the northernmost state in the south. Marylanders like to repeat this funny fact. There we find a unique blend of South and North American traditions, all enhanced by a little je ne sais quoi specific to maritime regions.
Haven of Grace
“ The best small town of America “. Havre de Grace claims nothing less than this title. Its streets invite you to stroll. Here, a Victorian house and its ornaments. There, another one in colonial style and its paned windows. Over there, a brick building painted in pastel colors. Then a coastal style villa and its veranda.
We drop off our bags at the chic Vandiver Inn. Its decor is Victorian, vintage and very warm. We climb the central staircase to discover our room. Each one is unique. We promise to take advantage of the claw-foot bathtub in ours a little later. We go back downstairs to have an aperitif on the vast veranda. There is a good chance of meeting the owners of the place. Their reputation precedes them. It is said that their good nature equals at least the beauty of their lodging, very coveted for weddings.
No need to get back in the car to get to a good restaurant or another. Almost everything is within walking distance in the historic town. Along the way, we see several Maryland flags flying, with black and gold checks and red and white Bottoni crosses. We can already sense a pride specific to this State and its culture.
We find this culture a lot on the plate to the great pleasure of our taste buds. There are many traditional dishes. We pick the crab » from April to mid-November, when blue crabs are abundant in the Susquehanna River. We sit down at the casual Water Street Seafood, where we order half a dozen for $50, including a view of the bay. The staff spreads a large sheet of brown paper on our table as a tablecloth and provides us with a blue beach bucket to accommodate our future carcasses. Our crabs are placed on the table, prepared according to tradition: seasoned with Old Bay, the local spice found everywhere. We are treated to a 101 course “how to eat a blue crab” courtesy of our server. We taste the tender flesh with our fingers. We tease each other, we laugh, we enjoy. Here, crab is a social meal, without ceremony, accompanied by a good cold beer.
At the Tidewater Grille, MacGregor’s Restaurant and Coakley’s Pub, crab is on the menu at every table and is prepared in a thousand ways. As a hot dip in which pretzel sticks are dipped. In soup, creamy or tomato version. In soft-shell craba blue crab with a tender shell due to its recent molt, which is breaded and fried. But especially in crab cake, the big one unavoidable. And Marylanders will know the “real” from the fake. Forget the fantasies of chefs who add lemon zest or green onions. Here, if it is not the traditional recipe, it is not a crab cake.
Oysters, also abundant in the bay, are found everywhere, raw or prepared. And when a Smith Island Cake slips onto a dessert menu, we don’t hesitate for a second. Official cake of Maryland, it is mainly reserved for special occasions. Traditionally chocolate, it has at least eight layers of sponge cake interspersed with buttercream or icing. Its name comes from the small Smith Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, where it was invented in the 19th century.e century.
Frescoes, lighthouses and living museums
Almost as numerous as the crab recipes, the museums found in Havre de Grace also tell the story of its rich culture and history. As they are all small or medium sized, you can tour them in one very full day, if not two.
At the Harmer’s Town Art Center, huge outdoor murals by local artists tell the story of Havre de Grace, from its days as Harmer’s Town to its burning by the British during the War of 1812, including the stay of George Washington during his inauguration. At the Lock House Museum, a red colonial house on the edge of a restored lock, they tell the story of the enormous influence of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal on the region. We delve deeper into this maritime history at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum. At the Decoy Museum, which is dedicated to the art of duck carving, we learn that this tradition is as much a part of the region’s DNA as hunting migratory birds.
Although not a museum per se, a stop at the Concord Point Lighthouse & Keeper’s House is a must. From the top of this emblematic lighthouse, we look at the bay from another angle. Built in 1827, it served sailors for 148 years. Today, it is a community of volunteers who are the guardians of its flame — now electric.
On weekends, Post 47 of the American Legion also takes on a museum mission. In its Living War Memorial Museum, veterans welcome us, recount the wars in which Americans participated, but also their own history, their memories and their anecdotes. The term “living museum” takes on its full meaning here, and leaves no one indifferent.
Chesapeake City
You shouldn’t judge the liveliness of a place by its size. This is confirmed in Chesapeake City, on the other side of the bay. Inhabited by around 800 people, this village is a city in name only. Its banks on the Chesapeake Bay are a great attraction. Several enthusiastic entrepreneurs have opened restaurants, bars and shops there. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Key West. The two restaurants at the Cheasepeake Inn, in the marina, are bustling with people and life from lunchtime to night. Laughter mixes with the sound of glasses. We admire the boats while tasting a orange crushone of Maryland’s signature cocktails, made with freshly squeezed orange juice and vodka.
The sun slowly sets behind the Cheasepeake Bridge. If we already have a magnificent view from the terrace, we appreciate it even more from the water, aboard the Chesapeake Water Tour. The sunset over the water and the banks which light up would have already been an eye-catcher alone during this one and a half hour cruise. But to this is added the passage of a bald eagle (bald eagle), the national bird of the United States which can often be seen in Maryland, and that of a hot air balloon. You don’t need to see more to understand why Chesapeake City is described as a hidden treasure.
The author was the guest of the Maryland tourism office, which had no right to review this text.
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