• Exploring and learning about the estuaries, marshes, rivers, and bays of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem
• Hiking on Assateague Island and looking for wild ponies
  
• Learning or reviewing basic kayak strokes and becoming confident and competent paddlers
• Staying at 2 completely different hotels, each with its own charms
  
• Exploring the art shops, antique stores and historic buildings of Berlin and walking on the boardwalk at Ocean City
  
• Eating at some of the area's fine restaurants
  

Maryland's Eastern Shore is an area of outstanding natural beauty and fascinating human history - and the diverse environments of the Maryland Coastal Bays Watershed make it a great place to learn to sea kayak. Our trip is designed to give you a solid grounding in the basics of kayaking, and by the end you will be a confident and competent paddler. We will not, however, be stuck in an instructional grind. Our lessons and practice occur during the course of exploring diverse ecosystems and intermingle with savoring great meals, relaxing in unique hotels, visiting the island of Assateague, and wandering the interesting and very different towns of Berlin and Ocean City. Whether you want to give sea kayaking a try or know you already love it, this long weekend getaway is for you.

Women in basic good health and sufficient mobility to get in and out of the kayak when necessary. No paddling experience is necessary, we teach all the skills you need to know.  Rating: 1 [2] 3  4  5

• two nights single occupancy in deluxe rooms at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD
• one night single occupancy in Lighthouse Suites at the Inn at Fager's Island in Ocean City, MD
  

• experienced guides
  
• three nights single occupancy lodging
• all meals from dinner on Friday though breakfast on Monday
  
• round trip transportation from the Baltimore-Washington airport (BWI)
  
• kayak rental and instruction

Not included: flights to BWI, alcoholic beverages, guide gratuities

At 9:30 AM at the Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) or 1:00 pm at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD

At 9:00 Am in Ocean City or 12:00 PM at BWI (you can fly out any time after 1:30 pm)

will be posted later

As is true on any adventure trip, this itinerary may be modified based on weather, changes in conditions, group desires etc.

Friday: Our trip officially starts at 1 pm at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD. If you are flying or if you are local and want to save yourself the drive, we will pick you up at the Baltimore-Washington airport (BWI) at 9:30AM for the 2.5 hour drive to Berlin with a stop for lunch. After introducing ourselves and going over trip details, we head over to nearby Ayers Creek and the outfitters we're working with for the weekend. We start with getting our kayaks fitted to us, learning how to get in and out safely, other safety issues, and instruction on correct paddling strokes. After we're all launched we'll spend time working on our new paddling strokes and getting comfortable with the kayaks. We will then set off on an exploration of the headwaters of Ayers Creek, paddling through the marshes and forested wetlands.   We'll also learn about the ecology, history, and wildlife of this unique ecosystem and watch for the abundant wildlife and diverse habitats as we paddle the calm waters of this beautiful waterway. We'll be out on the water for about 1.5 - 2 hours, enough to get comfortable with our strokes and start warming up our paddling muscles. Returning to the Atlantic and hot showers, we'll get cleaned up and then go out to dinner at one of the many restaurants in Berlin.
 
Saturday: After a hearty breakfast we  return to Ayers Creek for a somewhat longer paddle. This time we head south to explore the saltwater marshes of Ayers and Trappe Creeks. While yesterday's paddle took place in a freshwater environment, closer to Newport Bay the water is more saline and thus saltwater marshes are the predominant ecosystem. On this paddle we will continue to refine our paddling strokes as we wind through the labyrinth of marshes with many small guts and tributaries to explore.  Birdlife is abundant and we may well see bald eagles, many kinds of ducks, osprey, heron, gulls, and many other species of birds. We'll paddle for about 2.5 to 3 hours.
 
After a picnic lunch we'll drive over to Assateague Island, one of the longest barrier islands in the Atlantic. Many of us may have first heard about the Island from reading Misty of Chincoteague when we were young, so of course the first thing we'll do is go look for the wild horses that live here. And while the wild horses are often a highlight, the complex natural history of Assateague is also intriguing and can be explored on a couple of short nature walks. We'll return in the late afternoon to Berlin and tonight well have dinner in our hotel.
 
Sunday: Now that our muscles are tuned and our paddling strokes are strong, we're ready for a longer and more adventurous paddle. After breakfast and packing up we return to Ayers Creek. We start with retracing our route of yesterday but instead of turning into Trappe Creek, we continue on to Newport Bay and then into Chincoteague Bay, exploring the tidal marshes comprising this magnificent waterway. From here we see the bay side of Assateague Island. The water is bigger today, with more potential for waves, but the bay is protected by Assateague so the paddling is still fun. After stopping along the way for a gourmet lunch, we will then head north and start paddling towards Ocean City where we're spending Sunday night. Paddling all the way to Ocean City is probably a bit too far even for our newly developed paddling prowess, however, so we'll be met along the way and transported to our hotel.
 
We'll arrive in time to relax and clean up, and probably have some time to explore Ocean City. Dinner that night is at the Fager's Island Restaurant, a short walk from our hotel and a local favorite for its excellent food.  After dinner we can go for a stroll along Ocean City's famous boardwalk. This weekend is before the summer season starts so unlike the summer, it won't be crowded.
 
Monday: Getting up before 6 AM to watch the sun rise is always a challenge - but watching it rise over the Atlantic Ocean is not something to be lightly passed up. Those who choose can go for an early walk along the beach this morning, before returning to our hotel for final showers and packing up. Those who prefer a more leisurely morning can enjoy a continental breakfast delivered to their room. Regardless of which you choose, our trip officially ends at 9 am on Monday. If you flew in, we'll have you back to BWI by 12:00 and you can plan to fly out anytime after 1:30pm.