I really hated social column 20. It is like dry toast stuck in my throat. But, it is my child, after all, so after ignoring it's existance for a week, here it is~~Social Column 20
This week my travels took me to Snow Hill, and I found it fitting that the town's sign was nestled in a field of wildflowers. Snow Hill has three hundred years of history under it's belt, much of it directly related to the Pocomoke River, meandering next to it. In yesteryears, three-mastered schooners brought freight and passengers, followed by steamboats and barges. Today, it is a favored spot for boat and canoe travel. In the town proper, right next to the white drawbridge, you can rent canoes or kayaks from The Pocomoke River Canoe Company. For the less adventurous, there are two riverside parks, Sturgis Memorial and Byrd Park. Sturgis has a covered Pavilion, and once a month features Dancing Under the Stars, hosted by local service organizations. ( The next one is August 19th). You can also tour the river from Sturgis Park on The Miss Rai, a local riverboat.
Walking the historic downtown, with it's warm red brick buildings, I couldn't help but notice the emphasis on art in the community. Bishop's Stock, opened in 2003 by Worcester County natives Ann and Randy Coates, showcases and supports both established and emerging local artists in their Green Street Gallery. They also host "First Friday's" each month, from 5-8pm., to showcase featured artists and exhibits.
My hunch is that Snow Hill is going to blossom as a working artist's community, with many unique, creative businesses gracing it's lovely downtown. I ate lunch at one such place, The Courthouse Cafe. Decorated in a funky, upscale style, the food was just as different and delicious. Sadly, the owner is going on to other things, and the restaurant is "hanging up it's potholders" on July 29th. (Watch for a new restaurant opening in September.)
Snow Hill boasts over a hundred historically valuable homes. These places are gorgeous! I cheated, and drove Washington, Federal and Market streets, but I want to walk them in the fall, when it's not so hot. Grab the brochure titled "Historic Walking Tour" if you go, because it lists the history of over fifty of the homes you will see. Take the time to visit The Julia Purnell Museum, too. Located in a former church building, it was created in the 1940's by William Purnell honoring his mother who lived from 1843-1943. It is chockfull of articles dating from the Colonial Period to the late 19th century.
As I headed back home my eye was caught by a Gothic Revival style home that is now a B&B called The River House Inn. Innkeepers Susanne and Larry Knudsen allowed me to wander at will, and I was impressed. It is nestled along the river, with cottages as well as rooms in the antique decorated main house. I can't wait for the opportunity for a weekend getaway there.
Next week is the event that I am really looking forward to, though. August 6th brings The Blessing of the Combines in downtown Snow Hill. It will be an all day affair, with an antique tractor pull at 4:30 pm. I might not be politically correct, but I give a thumbs up to a town that openly blesses the tools of their livelihood, and I won't miss it. See you next week!
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
July 18th``
here is#19...Social Column 19
They say it's hell to grow old. I turned 50 today, and I don't think so.
I prefer to liken it to the contrast between living in a brand-new house in a raw sub-division, versus a charming Victorian with it's well-aged charm and established landscaping.
Sounds better then just getting "old" anyway. Thanks to my brother, George, who brought my 4 year old nephew, Sebastian down from New Jersey for the weekend, I had a chance to be "young" again. The party started late Friday night, with George and Sebastian coming from Jersey, and his best friend from college, Bob, coming from Virginia Beach. I knew a present awaited me. They pulled me outside, and there was a beautiful, hot-pink bicycle! ( I will never be able to discreetly be seen around town again.) I jumped aboard, and felt the years slip from me, as the wind kissed my face, and I pumped the pedals.
We spent Sunday doing something I spoke about in my last column~Crabbing! While George and Bob cast their manly poles in the water at Jane Island State Park, near Pokemoke City, Sebastian and I tied bits of soft-shelled crab to a string, and tummy down in the grass, waited to see what would happen. There they were! Fast-moving, claw grabbing, crabs, grasping the string and as startled as we were, as we flung them out of the water onto the bank. (We were too excited to use the net.) Note: You are supposed to use bits of chicken necks, but I forgot to pack them, and the soft shelled crab bait worked as well.) Jane Island offers camping, as well, and is a very cool place to go.
Today brought even more excitement to the Four and Older crowd. We spent the morning at Frontier Town, on Route 611 in West Ocean City. Take your kids there. Take YOURSELF there, when being a grownup seems like just too much work. Spend the whole day, and splash in the pool, watch a simulated Old West Gunfight, Ooh! La La! to the Can-Can Girls, and see an Indian Ceremonial Dance.
I rounded out my day with a visit to The Worcester County Arts Council, located in Berlin, Md., next to Sassafras Station. I have been urged to write about all the wonderful things The Council does for some time now, so I decided to take a peek and see what they offered for the small fry of the community. Turns out, there are all sorts of Summer Art Workshops. One I can highly recommend is being held July 25-29th, in Pokemoke, featuring Dawn Manyfeathers teaching Native American crafts. This workshop is geared for those in grades 3-7. Get those babies away from the TV and Playstation! The 12-17 year olds aren't left out in the heat, either. There is a photography workshop with Mike Gatty coming up August 9th-11th in Snow Hill. Costs for each are $25.00 per student, less then the cost for taking them out to McDonalds a couple of times. Call (410)-641-0809 for directions and more info.
I am so impressed with The Council that I cannot wait to do a full fledged column on it's mission, upcoming events, and on going services.
It's time to clothes-pin some cards on my spokes and take the pink party machine for a ride. Who knows? Maybe my 6oth will bring a pink Harley. See you next week!
here is#19...Social Column 19
They say it's hell to grow old. I turned 50 today, and I don't think so.
I prefer to liken it to the contrast between living in a brand-new house in a raw sub-division, versus a charming Victorian with it's well-aged charm and established landscaping.
Sounds better then just getting "old" anyway. Thanks to my brother, George, who brought my 4 year old nephew, Sebastian down from New Jersey for the weekend, I had a chance to be "young" again. The party started late Friday night, with George and Sebastian coming from Jersey, and his best friend from college, Bob, coming from Virginia Beach. I knew a present awaited me. They pulled me outside, and there was a beautiful, hot-pink bicycle! ( I will never be able to discreetly be seen around town again.) I jumped aboard, and felt the years slip from me, as the wind kissed my face, and I pumped the pedals.
We spent Sunday doing something I spoke about in my last column~Crabbing! While George and Bob cast their manly poles in the water at Jane Island State Park, near Pokemoke City, Sebastian and I tied bits of soft-shelled crab to a string, and tummy down in the grass, waited to see what would happen. There they were! Fast-moving, claw grabbing, crabs, grasping the string and as startled as we were, as we flung them out of the water onto the bank. (We were too excited to use the net.) Note: You are supposed to use bits of chicken necks, but I forgot to pack them, and the soft shelled crab bait worked as well.) Jane Island offers camping, as well, and is a very cool place to go.
Today brought even more excitement to the Four and Older crowd. We spent the morning at Frontier Town, on Route 611 in West Ocean City. Take your kids there. Take YOURSELF there, when being a grownup seems like just too much work. Spend the whole day, and splash in the pool, watch a simulated Old West Gunfight, Ooh! La La! to the Can-Can Girls, and see an Indian Ceremonial Dance.
I rounded out my day with a visit to The Worcester County Arts Council, located in Berlin, Md., next to Sassafras Station. I have been urged to write about all the wonderful things The Council does for some time now, so I decided to take a peek and see what they offered for the small fry of the community. Turns out, there are all sorts of Summer Art Workshops. One I can highly recommend is being held July 25-29th, in Pokemoke, featuring Dawn Manyfeathers teaching Native American crafts. This workshop is geared for those in grades 3-7. Get those babies away from the TV and Playstation! The 12-17 year olds aren't left out in the heat, either. There is a photography workshop with Mike Gatty coming up August 9th-11th in Snow Hill. Costs for each are $25.00 per student, less then the cost for taking them out to McDonalds a couple of times. Call (410)-641-0809 for directions and more info.
I am so impressed with The Council that I cannot wait to do a full fledged column on it's mission, upcoming events, and on going services.
It's time to clothes-pin some cards on my spokes and take the pink party machine for a ride. Who knows? Maybe my 6oth will bring a pink Harley. See you next week!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
here it is...happSocial Column 18
I wonder what downtown Berlin looked like 20 years ago. I picture it being sleepy, with " for rent " signs in empty storefronts, and a big roughshod eyesore called The Atlantic Hotel as it's focal point.
I could be wrong, of course. Perhaps before the advent of Wal-Mart and the businesses that have sprung up on Route 50 it was a quietly bustling
community. I do know one thing for sure; The Atlantic Hotel was a grand lady past her time, without a stitch of makeup and her garters hanging down.
That's when the imagination, the entrepreneurial talent, the sheer power of seeing a vision and making it happen that we, as Americans, are famous for rallied around Miss Atlantic and gave her a makeover. Hmmnn, makeover? More like extensive plastic surgery with a full body tuck to boot.
Walk downtown today, and you will see a sweeping front porch embellished with bright flowers and rocking chairs, bracketed by a scrolled iron fence. It is a lovely first impression, and as you walk through her doors, the magic continues. To your left is the reception area, with an old fashioned check-in book. A grand staircase beacons your eye upwards, and dining areas spill to the right and far left. The menu is sophisticated, yet incorporates local produce and seafood. You can eat in the formal linen clad dining room, with it's marble topped sideboards, or in my favorite, The Drummers Cafe. . I thought it was so named for a famous drummer in the past, but the moniker comes from the hotel's most plentiful early patrons, traveling salesmen, nicknamed "drummers". I am embarrassed to say I have not had a drink in the cozy bar with the painted metal roof, nor eaten at the Hotel yet, but I will soon, and let you know if the taste lives up to the tantalizing menu. Word of mouth says it does. An added bonus; singing waitresses, and a sing along on Sunday nights with Heather, hosted by Dave Adams.
As fascinated by the hotel's past as I am, it's the present that I like the most. Each room is unique, from the wallpaper to the bedposts. I felt like I was visiting a long lost rich auntie, whose home was lovingly displayed with cherished family heirlooms and maintained with modern day conveniences. Long hallways surprise you with red velvet sitting rooms; bowls casually display fresh apples to snack on.
The Atlantic Hotel was built in 1895 by Horace and Ginny Harmonson, and remained a family business until the late 1930's. The second longest stretch of ownership was under the Coats family, who operated it through the 1960's. It was then operated under various owners until it's purchase in 1986 by The Atlantic Hotel Partnership.
It was they who stripped away the 1946 storefront that marred the hotel's architectural integrity, gutted the inside, and then carefully restored her to her present loveliness. They have a book behind the reception counter, showing the amazing transformation, and it is well worth browsing through.
I suppose we need the familiarity of coast to coast hotels in our uncertain world. Yet, every now and then, the adventurous child within needs to explore the unique, the special, the different.
Thanks, Atlantic Hotel. You're a diamond in a rhinestone world.
See you next weeky birthday to me! the eighteenth column...
I wonder what downtown Berlin looked like 20 years ago. I picture it being sleepy, with " for rent " signs in empty storefronts, and a big roughshod eyesore called The Atlantic Hotel as it's focal point.
I could be wrong, of course. Perhaps before the advent of Wal-Mart and the businesses that have sprung up on Route 50 it was a quietly bustling
community. I do know one thing for sure; The Atlantic Hotel was a grand lady past her time, without a stitch of makeup and her garters hanging down.
That's when the imagination, the entrepreneurial talent, the sheer power of seeing a vision and making it happen that we, as Americans, are famous for rallied around Miss Atlantic and gave her a makeover. Hmmnn, makeover? More like extensive plastic surgery with a full body tuck to boot.
Walk downtown today, and you will see a sweeping front porch embellished with bright flowers and rocking chairs, bracketed by a scrolled iron fence. It is a lovely first impression, and as you walk through her doors, the magic continues. To your left is the reception area, with an old fashioned check-in book. A grand staircase beacons your eye upwards, and dining areas spill to the right and far left. The menu is sophisticated, yet incorporates local produce and seafood. You can eat in the formal linen clad dining room, with it's marble topped sideboards, or in my favorite, The Drummers Cafe. . I thought it was so named for a famous drummer in the past, but the moniker comes from the hotel's most plentiful early patrons, traveling salesmen, nicknamed "drummers". I am embarrassed to say I have not had a drink in the cozy bar with the painted metal roof, nor eaten at the Hotel yet, but I will soon, and let you know if the taste lives up to the tantalizing menu. Word of mouth says it does. An added bonus; singing waitresses, and a sing along on Sunday nights with Heather, hosted by Dave Adams.
As fascinated by the hotel's past as I am, it's the present that I like the most. Each room is unique, from the wallpaper to the bedposts. I felt like I was visiting a long lost rich auntie, whose home was lovingly displayed with cherished family heirlooms and maintained with modern day conveniences. Long hallways surprise you with red velvet sitting rooms; bowls casually display fresh apples to snack on.
The Atlantic Hotel was built in 1895 by Horace and Ginny Harmonson, and remained a family business until the late 1930's. The second longest stretch of ownership was under the Coats family, who operated it through the 1960's. It was then operated under various owners until it's purchase in 1986 by The Atlantic Hotel Partnership.
It was they who stripped away the 1946 storefront that marred the hotel's architectural integrity, gutted the inside, and then carefully restored her to her present loveliness. They have a book behind the reception counter, showing the amazing transformation, and it is well worth browsing through.
I suppose we need the familiarity of coast to coast hotels in our uncertain world. Yet, every now and then, the adventurous child within needs to explore the unique, the special, the different.
Thanks, Atlantic Hotel. You're a diamond in a rhinestone world.
See you next weeky birthday to me! the eighteenth column...
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
July 5th~~
I am so thankful for the creative process...A thought, a word...thrown overboard in a swirling sea..without an anchor...becomes solid, gets rescued, and becomes a column...Social Column 17
The cornfields are as tall as my chin, and the roadsides are all gussied up with black-eyed susans and tiger lilies. My curls, never manageable to begin with, have taken on the look of a shell-shocked poodle in the high humidity. Summer is here, full blast, in Delmarva.
Back in the Midwest, summer meant cold lake swimming and kielbasa and burgers on the grill. Here in Delmarva, it seems everybody gets...well, Crabby. Last Friday I was invited to my first crab feast, at the home of local Delmarva artist, Bonnie Preziosi. An avid surfer as well as artist, her paintings depict her love of sand, sea and sky. You can see her work at one of my favorite gallery's, The Beachcombers Easel Art Gallery, in West Ocean City. She puts on quite the crab feast, too.
A long picnic table was swathed in newspaper, the traditional table covering for the occasion. Piles of spicy, steamed crabs were heaped in the center of the table, and I didn't see a plate in sight. "May I have a plate?" I asked, and the incredulous smirks I received in reply taught me I had a lot to learn about the fine art of crab eating. There are NO plates. You just dig in, and everybody around you will show you their favored style of reaching the succulent sweet meat within.
If you are not lucky enough to be invited to a backyard crab party, you can always purchase them already steamed and ready to go. I took an informal poll from strangers and friends alike, and Crabs-To-Go , located at the corner of Routes 50 & 589 in West Ocean City kept coming up a winner. You can order them by the bushel or by the dozen, and they specialize in Choptank River crabs, reputed to be some of the tastiest, fattest crabs on the shore.
Want a more festive place to pursue your crabby delights? You can head down to Crisfield, Maryland on July 20th for their annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. For a $35.00 donation, it's an "all you can eat" affair, that includes corn on the cob, watermelon, and beverages. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and it's become so popular it is limited to the first 5,000 people to purchase tickets.
Of course, you can always start from scratch and catch your own. After work on July 4th, I stopped into The Green Turtle on Route 13 in Salisbury. Blonde Crisfield native Corlie, working her way towards her degree as a medical technologist, was our bartender. I couldn't have asked for a more informative expert on this week's crabby subject. When I asked her where the best place to get crabs was, she replied nonchalantly, "Home. You just go "chicken-necking.". You bet I was intrigued. " You can go to Jane Island State Park with a piece of string and some chicken necks, and catch your own." Hmmn. Sounds like fun, but I couldn't help but wonder how crabs developed a taste for chicken... When I DO go "chicken necking" I will be sure to share the experience with you.
Time to leave you for another week. A foot-note before I go~ this Saturday, July 9th, is the opening reception for the works of local artist Diane Laukenmann, at The Beachcombers Easel Art Gallery I mentioned earlier. Held from 5-7pm and open to the public, You can not only view her uniquely Delmarva inspired watercolors, but meet the artist as well. See you next week!
I am so thankful for the creative process...A thought, a word...thrown overboard in a swirling sea..without an anchor...becomes solid, gets rescued, and becomes a column...Social Column 17
The cornfields are as tall as my chin, and the roadsides are all gussied up with black-eyed susans and tiger lilies. My curls, never manageable to begin with, have taken on the look of a shell-shocked poodle in the high humidity. Summer is here, full blast, in Delmarva.
Back in the Midwest, summer meant cold lake swimming and kielbasa and burgers on the grill. Here in Delmarva, it seems everybody gets...well, Crabby. Last Friday I was invited to my first crab feast, at the home of local Delmarva artist, Bonnie Preziosi. An avid surfer as well as artist, her paintings depict her love of sand, sea and sky. You can see her work at one of my favorite gallery's, The Beachcombers Easel Art Gallery, in West Ocean City. She puts on quite the crab feast, too.
A long picnic table was swathed in newspaper, the traditional table covering for the occasion. Piles of spicy, steamed crabs were heaped in the center of the table, and I didn't see a plate in sight. "May I have a plate?" I asked, and the incredulous smirks I received in reply taught me I had a lot to learn about the fine art of crab eating. There are NO plates. You just dig in, and everybody around you will show you their favored style of reaching the succulent sweet meat within.
If you are not lucky enough to be invited to a backyard crab party, you can always purchase them already steamed and ready to go. I took an informal poll from strangers and friends alike, and Crabs-To-Go , located at the corner of Routes 50 & 589 in West Ocean City kept coming up a winner. You can order them by the bushel or by the dozen, and they specialize in Choptank River crabs, reputed to be some of the tastiest, fattest crabs on the shore.
Want a more festive place to pursue your crabby delights? You can head down to Crisfield, Maryland on July 20th for their annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. For a $35.00 donation, it's an "all you can eat" affair, that includes corn on the cob, watermelon, and beverages. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and it's become so popular it is limited to the first 5,000 people to purchase tickets.
Of course, you can always start from scratch and catch your own. After work on July 4th, I stopped into The Green Turtle on Route 13 in Salisbury. Blonde Crisfield native Corlie, working her way towards her degree as a medical technologist, was our bartender. I couldn't have asked for a more informative expert on this week's crabby subject. When I asked her where the best place to get crabs was, she replied nonchalantly, "Home. You just go "chicken-necking.". You bet I was intrigued. " You can go to Jane Island State Park with a piece of string and some chicken necks, and catch your own." Hmmn. Sounds like fun, but I couldn't help but wonder how crabs developed a taste for chicken... When I DO go "chicken necking" I will be sure to share the experience with you.
Time to leave you for another week. A foot-note before I go~ this Saturday, July 9th, is the opening reception for the works of local artist Diane Laukenmann, at The Beachcombers Easel Art Gallery I mentioned earlier. Held from 5-7pm and open to the public, You can not only view her uniquely Delmarva inspired watercolors, but meet the artist as well. See you next week!
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