We recently did a 2-hour Tiki cruise for my mom's birthday, and had such a great time! The boat…read moredeparts from a bar/restaurant on the water so there's plenty of parking and you can grab a drink or a bite (and use the bathrooms--there's none on the boat) before or after. The boat itself is literally a round, floating tiki bar on the water. It holds up to 6 people plus the captain. You can bring your own drinks (recommend taking a page out of our book and bringing a pitcher of pre-made painkillers with you for the ride!) and snacks, and they provide water and drinking ice. You can also connect to bluetooth speakers to play your own music. Our captain was great, he chatted with us throughout the ride, pointing out wildlife and sharing little tidbits about the landmarks and history of the area as we cruised around. As you'd expect this thing doesn't move very quickly, but it made for a really relaxing ride with plenty of time to check out the views, enjoy a few drinks, and gawk at all the houses and boats along the shore. We went around 6:30pm and it was perfect for beating the heat and catching some sunset. Would totally do this again for a special occasion or with out of town visitors!

Had a really good time. Nice and relaxing with plenty of space. It is not to large that all the…read morepeople can be involved in the conversation. The Captain was very informational and has stories. We will defenitly be looking to book again.

We went on a trip in September and it was fantastic! Captain Brian and first mate Theo were the…read morebest. We had three couples, caught a ton of fish, and had so much fun. We will be using Marauder Charters again for sure and highly recommend them!

Reserved and put a deposit down for a Chartered trip only to be disappointed. The lack of…read morecommunication to notify me that my months in advance pre planned, organized family trip (some of which were traveling in town just to attend), wasn't going to occur was disheartening. I found out that the trip had been canceled ONLY because I reached out to the owner to confirm, since the deposit and contract was made months before, 3 days before the contractional date. Just to be texted that all scheduled trips will have to be done on a later date. No contingency plan or future discounted trip for the extreme inconvenience. A big fat NOTHING.... Unprofessional to say the least.I requested my deposit back and it took 2months before I even received that.

Beautiful, welcoming waterfront stay…read more Gorgeous spot right on the water, with an amazing pier and unforgettable sunsets. The owners are warm and welcoming, and they made us feel right at home. Evenings by the firepit were the best part. Highly recommend, and we'll be back!

Warning: stay away, owners are very iffy and unsafe pier and surroundings areas. Owners will accuse…read moreyou of bogus things and put you out, (of course based on race.)

For a State Forest, the park is not special; it has nice, easy to navigate flat trails which is…read morenice especially for novice hikers/trail walkers, but the park can be confusing to drive around, and during off season you need to call a park ranger for assistance. The park specializes in camping and seems like it would be nice for camping, but the park should have more signage for instructions/procedures during off season for more clarity. There are pretty trees and fall foliage to take advantage of. There should be more defined trailway and signs though for the different pathways. There is potential, but I would say that the park is average. I like the abundance of trees, (State Forests) and the pretty leaves during the fall time and the fact that this park is a lot better than Rosaryville, as the trailways are flat and not hilly and as dangerous as Rosaryville. There are regular parks that may not be state parks or forests that are more worth the experience. This is cool, if you are local to Brandywine or live in maybe Waldorf, Accokeek, Upper Marlboro or someplace, but if you are driving over half an hour coming from Bowie, Greenbelt, or other areas, than for a walking trail/hiking forget about it just not worth it. I don't know how the camping experience is never camped her but for trails nope.

What a gem of a campgrounds, so glad I found this spot in PG County…read more The online reservation system is great and easy to use. I like how there are pictures of each campsite so we were able to select a site that was just right for us. Checking in the day of the our trip was a breeze also, since we paid ahead for the site we just had to sign a few documents and get on our way. I will say, that charging $1 for a trails map caught us a bit offguard -- $1 hardly broke the budget but why charge us for a map if we're already paying for a campsite for the weekend? All the general family campsites are found in nice sized loop towards the back of the park. We went in early October and were pleased to see a good number of families and couples also out camping for the weekend. Generally, folks abode by quiet hours so no issues there but man were the kid campers chatty in the mornings. Neighboring kids seemed to get up an sunrise full of energy which woke us up a couple of times. Our site was clean and free of debris and we were able to set up camp within an hour or two. As we were setting up, the friendly camp ranger made rounds to come say hello and to ask if we needed anything which was a nice touch. The ranger made a few rounds around the camp loop each night just to make sure things were swell. Cedarville is great in that you don't have to buy wood only from the camp ranger (as is the case with many other sites that we tried to stay at). We were allowed to use fallen wood for campfires. We did buy one bundle of wood for $5 (got about 8 pieces) just to have as backups but our site was a goldmine of fallen limbs. I had a bow saw with me, so I just spent about an hour ear day cutting wood for the morning and evening fires. Feels so much more like camping when you gather and cut your own wood! We went for a long hike on Saturday through the blue, white, and orange trail areas. Remember to pack some water and a snack for those long hikes. The trails were well cleared and decently marked -- there were a couple of times where we were unsure exactly which trail we were on but we soon figured it out (with the help of that $1 map). The views from the trails were quite nice, definitely stopped to take a photo or two! Overall, a great camping experience for a getaway weekend. Just out of the way enough to allow you to take a break from it all, but still close enough to major roads like 301 to stock up on food, drinks, ice, etc. Definitely check Cedarville out!

It was quiet. It wasn't crowded. It was peaceful... BUT... it's so many rocks and bugs in the…read moresand... like millions of these sand flea black crab looking things... it was a very uncomfortable situation. So glad we had chairs because sitting on that beach blanket was awful. Probably won't be back... but it is okay

Great beach front property, clean, nice decor, rooms are spacious, shower pressure is good…read more Property is located at the end of the beach.. not crowded.. Front desk employees are very pleasant and professional. Restaurant upstairs has great beach view with fine dining options, sushi, steaks and such. Downstairs restaurant offers casual dishes. Check in and out can be a little long. Overall good property to enjoy Virginia Beach.

In addition to the marine service and sales operations, which is a separate business, Captain Phil…read moreGootee provides lighthouse tours on the Chesapeake Bay. He does both a Southern Bay tour and a Northern Bay tour. Living in Annapolis for 8 years, I have not seen any other tour operator providing this unique service. I took the Southern Bay Lighthouse tour a few summers ago, and yesterday, we did the Northern Bay tour. Capt Phil is so friendly and knowledgeable. He provided written materials that he passed out before we reached each lighthouse. It is a glorious way to spend time out on the Bay. We left ftom Cambridge yesterday and saw six lighthouses, and so much of the Bay scenery from the water, including Poplar Island. On the return, we went through Knapps Narrows at Tilghman Island, which is a very scenic route. It was awesome.

I had heard rumors about Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge while planning my Fourth of July…read moregetaway to Maryland. More importantly, I heard there was a scenic Wildlife Drive where I could experience the refuge without spending hours hiking in a 107-degree heat wave. As someone who enjoys both nature and air conditioning, this sounded like an outstanding life decision! Before leaving, I did a little homework. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is normally just $3 per vehicle (or $1 for pedestrians), making it one of the best bargains around. Even better, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service occasionally offers free admission weekends, and I happened to visit during one celebrating America's 250th birthday. Admission was waived July 3 through July 5, making an already inexpensive adventure even sweeter. Free is one of my favorite prices, especially when it's attached to some place this beautiful! PRO TIP #1: If you're the type of person who enjoys quirky travel sidequests, ask about the Blue Goose Passport while you're there. I had recently learned online that National Wildlife Refuges have their own passport program, similar to the National Park Passport books, and naturally that became my newest obsession. The Visitor Center sold the passport for just $9, and I happily bought one and collected my very first refuge stamp. I arrived around 1:15 p.m. and immediately noticed...there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Thankfully, the Visitor Center was open, despite looking completely deserted from the outside. While I was browsing the small gift shop afterward, I picked up a Christmas ornament, a sticker for my memory ball and, of course, my brand-new Blue Goose Passport. Prices in the gift shop were surprisingly low! Now, I have to be honest. The employee working that afternoon wasn't exactly the welcoming face of America's National Wildlife Refuge System. She seemed...less than thrilled that visitors existed that day. When I walked in, beaming and excited, and exclaimed, "You ARE open today!" She looked me dead in the eyes and said, dryly, "Unfortunately." Well, FORTUNATELY, she was a very small part of an otherwise wonderful afternoon! I began the Wildlife Drive and immediately noticed signage confirming admission was free for the holiday weekend. The drive took me about an hour because I drove nice and slowly, stopping whenever something caught my eye and scanning the marshes for wildlife. I saw plenty of birds...and not much else. But honestly, I don't blame the animals. If it was 107 degrees outside, I'd be hiding somewhere cool too. Even without a parade of wildlife, the drive itself was beautiful! Blackwater protects more than 30,000 acres of tidal marshes, forests and wetlands along Maryland's Eastern Shore and is famous for its bald eagles, osprey and incredible birdwatching opportunities. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile! PRO TIP #2: Bring binoculars. Seriously. Phone cameras can only zoom so much before every bird starts looking like a tiny feathered blob. I spent half the drive wondering, "What is that?!" Binoculars would have made the experience so much better. One thing I really appreciated was learning that visitors are welcome to walk or bike the Wildlife Drive in addition to driving it. The loop is roughly four miles, completely paved and almost perfectly flat. I could already tell while driving that I'd enjoy it even more on foot during cooler weather. If hiking is more your style, the refuge also offers several trails, including the 2.5-mile Key Wallace Trail, the one-mile Woods Trail, the 1.5-mile Tubman Road Trail and the shorter Marsh Edge Trail. Based on what I saw, spring and fall would be incredible times to come back. If you're hoping to maximize wildlife sightings, November through February is prime time for wintering waterfowl. September also sounds fantastic with migrating ospreys, blooming tickseed sunflowers, abundant toads and peak songbird migration. Despite my less-than-cheerful interaction inside the Visitor Center, I genuinely loved my visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's peaceful, affordable, family-friendly and can be whatever you want it to be. Spend an hour driving the Wildlife Drive, spend half a day hiking or simply enjoy slowing down and taking in one of Maryland's most beautiful natural spaces. And if you're anything like me...don't leave without the Blue Goose Passport! Trust me. One passport stamp somehow turns into your next adventure!

Totally not what we expected! There wasn't much wildlife, the drive is not very long. We had more…read morefun at the Marina Bay in town. I would however give 5 stars to the helpful staff, very knowledgeable.

Stratford Hall is the ancestral home of the Lee family of Virginia. The beautiful Great House and…read moreits surrounding plantation buildings is located on the Potomac River in Westmoreland County on Virginia's Northern Neck. The historic structures are now a museum operated by the National Park Service & is listed on the National Historic Register. Built by Thomas Lee, who served as an Acting Governor of the Colony of Virginia, construction was completed in the early 1740's. The buildings breathe history. One can feel it walking the grounds. Two of Lee's sons Richard Henry Lee & Francis Lighthouse Lee were signers of the Declaration of Independence & Delegates to the First Continental Congress. Thomas Liddell Lee was a Virginia Legislator. Walking the grounds where those men, who were instrumental in the Founding of the country, walked, lived & even played was a feeling that's hard to describe. I'd love to hear what the house and grounds could tell me with the whispers & stories it still must hold. The benefit of taking the backroads to Alexandria or nearby Charles County, MD, rather than the long parking lot that I-95 has become, is passing the wonderful historic places on the route. My route starts at the highway 17 exit off I-64 west and can continue north a number of different ways depending on my final destination. The easiest way to reach Stratford Hall and other beautiful historic properties from Highway 17 is to cross the Rappahannock River at Tappahanock on Highway 360 then north on Highway 3 which winds toward the Potomac. You'll see the signs for Stratford Hall from that road. If you're feeling adventurous, like I did in earlier years, you'll let your GPS take you through roads in an exploration of the countryside. In historic, beautiful Virginia you never know what you'll find. A visit to Stratford Hall is a must for those fascinated by American history.

I visited the grounds on an early Sunday morning and came away quite enchanted. It was huge! It was…read morewell staffed! It was beautiful. All around well done and one of my favorite of the old surviving Virginia plantations. You park and go thru a very small museum to pay your dues. Then across a neat bridge over a ginormous gully to the gift shop and a beautiful walk to the house. The house tour (self audio) was quite cool. The grounds were just awesome. Lots of outbuildings well maintained. It was like a mini Colonial Williamsburg in all the depth and information. I could have spent a day there. Later, I decided to drive the other side and stumbled upon a whole new unexpected world. Lots of cabins that could be rented, a restaurant that seemed closed for the winter and then a windy drive to the river where people were searching and finding fossil shark teeth. One showed me his treasures. They weren't gigantic, but you could definitely tell they were shark teeth. Finally before leaving the river front was a old gristmill which alone would have been worth the trip. Anyone near the area should add it to their list and if you have guests around, make it an activity on your "visitor's list".