Water, water, water. The economy of this state is closely tied to Chesapeake Bay. A rich source of oysters, crabs, fish, and shellfish, the bay with all of the inlets gives this small state one of the larger coastlines in the nation.
Annapolis, the state capital and home to the US Naval Academy, takes advantage of a location on the western side of the bay.
What did they teach Midwestern children about this state in social studies? Lord Baltimore and his Catholic colonists. More than half a century later I can recall the black and white photo (of a painting done later) of the settlers lifting a banner up on the hill.
I visited this state three times in my life. The first, a family vacation, I was too young to appreciate most of the sights. The second, as a teen, impressed me with pastoral scenery from the bus heading to the nation’s capital. The third, most recent visit, occurred in 2013 and I had the presence of mind to take a photo.
We entered the state in the narrow, western arm and stopped to enjoy the view at a welcome center.
