Riding Destination: Solomons Island, MD

Going Crabbing, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

One Saturday recently I decided to take the bike to Solomons Island for some sunrise photography. Taking photos at sunrise by the water is a beautiful way to relax, but rising early enough to get there before the sun comes up is kinda hard for me. I had intended to get up at 3:30, hop on the bike and ride the 80 miles to be there and set up by 5:30. The alarm went off at 3:30 and I thought, "Geesh, what a stupid idea." Then I had a hard time going back to sleep, so I finally hit the road at 5 AM.

I knew I would get there well after sunrise, so I would use the trip to scout around for the best places to set up the next time. It was not a great sunrise to shoot anyway. The sky was perfectly clear, as a cold front had just moved through. Sunrise is always more interesting if there are some clouds to make it look dramatic.

When I arrived at Solomons it was about 6:30. People were out walking along the waterfront. I parked the bike and walked around some, taking in the scenery. I found some men working on loading crab pots on a boat. Making a living on the water as a professional crabber is a rough life. In Maryland it is the Blue Crab they go after. The television show, Deadliest Catch shows the extreme conditions professional crab fishermen have to endure in the Arctic. In Maryland on this day, the conditions were not so extreme. In fact, it even looks peaceful seeing these guys head out to work, but there are nor'easters, tropical storms and even hurricanes that these guys have to deal with at times.

Before they shoved off, I talked to them a while. Working watermen are men of few words.

"How is the crabbing this year?"

"Not bad."

"Just now heading out for today?"

"Yep."

"Mind if I take a few picutures while you are working?"

"As long as you are not with America's Most Wanted."

Hmmm....Made me wonder if I should look on the AMW website to see if I recognize these guys.

Solomons is a nice day trip from the Richmond area or the Shanandoah Valley of Virginia. When you ride your bike here you will see primo sailboats as well as working crab boats like this one. There are many waterfront restaurants to satisfy your appetitie for seafood after a long ride. Take some time to look around and relax. Bed and breakfast inns offer a quaint place to spend the night. Just off the island there is a Comfort Inn and a Holiday Inn express.

Park your bike, get off and look around. You can walk the island to enjoy the waterfront views, or just sit and relax on the benches at the waterfront. The Calvert Marine Museum is a must-see where you can learn the history of Southern Maryland. Other things to see are Solomons Island Winery and Drum Point Lighthouse.

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