Tall Timbers, MD

My wife and I decided it was time for our first overnight trip with Olivia our toddler. So, one Saturday after work, we took Hardshell about 3 hours down river to Tall Timbers Marina—www.talltimbersmarinasomd.com. It had been years since we’d seen Rick Meatyard, the owner, and he was sure a sight for sore eyes! The marina is doing great, with lots of pier work going on. The restaurant was open for dinner and for brunch the next morning. We feasted on seafood and awesome ribs and the next morning Rick made Mickey Mouse pancakes for Olivia. Later that day we went to the beach where we waded and Olivia made her first sandcastle—with some help from daddy. Later Rick was mixing up some coladas so we sat for a few, “the best d--- coladas I’ve ever tasted” and took a trip through his nautical museum.

Sunday night we drove across the river to Coles Point Plantation—www.colespoint.com—and ate yet another terrific dinner washed down with Grey Goose martinis (Olivia had juice). After another relaxing night we woke up in the morning, said our goodbyes to Rick and the gang and were on our way home, totally relaxed and refreshed. One other thing: I got a great tip from the Occoquan Yacht Club about getting a Courtesy Exam from the Coast Guard. A Coast Guard boat hailed us at Maryland Point but didn’t stop to inspect us because we had a current exam decal on the port side of our boat. Big time saver there for us law-abiding citizens!