Southern Maryland is currently the place we call home. As a military spouse, home is shifting every few years. By starting to focus on travel locally it helps give me a greater appreciation for the area we are acclimating to, and to appreciate the here and now. Every time I stumble upon a great local restaurant or activity I feel this joy, like a sought-after thrift store find, and cannot wait to share that joy with others.
Southern Maryland is a rural area of Maryland including three counties: St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles. As a rural community there are so many great agricultural products, the key is knowing where to look. One location that has sparked joy for me is strawberry picking at Lyon Family Farm (Mechanicsville). In addition to strawberries, sunflower picking at Gold Petal Farms (Chaptico) and pumpkin picking such as Forrest Hall Farms (Mechanicsville) have become seasonal favorites.
Many local farms have CSAs for meat, flowers, and produce and once Spring hits there are multiple farmers markets that are spread throughout the region. One location that has proven a wonderful go-to no matter what time of year is Chesapeake’s Bounty in St. Leonard, MD. Open 7 days a week year-round, it is essentially a small farmers market open throughout the year. Some of our favorite staples there include crabs, clams, oysters, local organic produce, milk, flowers and holiday decorations depending on time of year.
Restaurant Recommendations:
After PCSing from a bigger city, Southern Maryland dining has had a bad rep among others in the military community with some joking if a restaurant is “good or Southern Maryland good?” However, I have found that just because options are not as varied or easily accessible as Jacksonville Beach, our prior duty station, it does not mean there are not gems here as well. Ruddy Duck on St. George’s Island is certainly one. When making a reservation, ask for an outside table. The water surround is so peaceful, and the inside view through the wall of windows captures the area’s beauty. There is a reason the Southern Maryland region is a historic summering locale.
Another favorite restaurant is Pier 450 (Ridge). The ambience curated both in its outdoor and indoor spaces, food, and drinks are on point. The chef’s night specials are delicious and make for a fun date night especially during the colder months. They also have a cool outdoor bar, kayaks for rent, and boutique motel perfect for a staycation.
Favorite haunts in Leonardtown include The Social for great coffee and mimosa towers, Sweet Bay for delicious food with the crab bisque as a particular standout, and Brudergarten for beer, pretzels and outdoor vibes. Other great restaurants to check out in Southern Maryland include Nina’s (Lexington Park) for fantastic pancit, Sawatdee (Lexington Park and Solomons) and EZ Thai (Prince Frederick) for Thai food, Taco Hernandez (Lexington Park) has amazing tacos, Island Hideaway (Solomons) for crab cakes and brunch, Mrs. Moo’s Corner (Prince Frederick) for ridiculous milkshakes, and Pho D’ Lite (Lexington Park) for Asian fusion takeout. St. Inie’s (Lexington Park) is another great coffeehouse in the area to order a coffee or tea while enjoying their reading room or on a playdate in their kid friendly play space.
Pizza is a staple in our household and after trialing many locations, the tried-and-true Slice House (Leonardtown) has the best NY style pizza. There are two locations and personally the Slice house by the slice location is better and is kid/pet friendly. For a whole pie Noli’s (Leonardtown) is the spot, especially when ordering their margarita pizza.
For drinks Leonardtown Winery (Leonardtown) has an affordable wine tasting and often has bands playing on the weekends and events throughout the year. Antoinette’s has a ton of board games and tasty cocktails (Leonardtown), and Tiki Bar (Solomons) is a local institution and a wild time on the weekends once the weather is warm.
Fun Date Activities:
Outdoor water activities are where this region shines. Renting a paddle board or kayak such as at Leonardtown’s wharf, is one way to enjoy the area’s many waterways. There are multiple hikes and water lookouts that are fun to explore and make a great date spot especially with a picnic spread. Recommend checking out Piney point lighthouse, Myrtle Point Park (California), and Flag Ponds Nature Park. Calvert Cliff’s State Park is also a great hiking spot and is also known for shark teeth hunting.
Another fun date night, or an outing with kids, is at the Anne Marie Sculpture Garden (Solomons). They have events throughout the year including Christmas lights, a Fairy festival, and Food Truck Fridays with happy hour drinks. Downtown Leonardtown also hosts events throughout the year including music on the First Friday in the Summer months. SOF market in downtown Leonardtown is a quirky collection of shops that is fun to explore and find unique gifts and home décor. Another downtown Leonardtown favorite is the used bookstore Fenwick Street Books. Bring in any used books and they will give you a discount on future book purchases.
The St. Mary’s County Fair grounds host various fairs and festivals throughout the year. The Oyster fest is a must-do while living in Southern Maryland and is proud to be the largest Oyster festival in the country. Check out the shucking contests and various tasty oyster preparations. Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library book fundraiser located annually at the fairgrounds is a great time of year to stock up on reads while helping the local libraries.
There are so many special spots in Southern Maryland, and we have only begun to scratch the surface. As we wrap up our final year in the area, we hope to still get a chance to explore and cross more off our list. And this list will only continue to grow as we learn of more gems before the military sends us to the next place that becomes home.
