Lolo and boys biking at BlackwaterEvery November, New Jersey schools close for 2 days for an annual teacher’s convention. They’ve been doing this since even when I was a kid. Although November isn’t always the nicest month in the East, it is a good time to explore new places that don’t require sun or snow to have a good time. Last year we had a great time exploring the Boston environs, so this year we decided to head south Chesapeake’s Eastern shore, an area rich in both history and natural beauty. In order to better prepare for this trip, I began reading Michener’s Chesapeake, but only got through about 200 of its 888 pages before we left. I barely got past the 1500s.

Finding a campground open at this time of year isn’t always an easy thing. Most of them seem to close around Columbus Day or even earlier. However, luckily we did manage to find a lovely campground in Greensboro, Maryland, right in the heart of the eastern peninsula. This served as a great base camp for our 4-day exploration of the Eastern Shore.

Another big benefit to coming to the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake at this time of year is that it lies on the Atlantic Flyway, so most birds migrating south for the winter have to pass right through here. There are several wildlife refuges in the area that provide wonderful opportunities for spotting many of these migrating birds.