My name is Jan Berger and I am one of the Tour Coordinators in Starr’s Tour Operations Department. Around this time of the year, my fellow Tour Coordinators and I are busy working on the itineraries and reservation details for the upcoming tour season. One of the new tours in my area of responsibility is the Mid-Atlantic Maritime Magic and I felt I just had to write about this great little get-away.

This little gem of a tour has so many wonderful attractions! The “magic” in the name of the tour is two-fold.  An actual magic show is the featured entertainment one evening; but to me, the magic is the delightful components of this three day tour.

The first day features maritime history with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, MD. Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. The museum’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings. Its collection of Chesapeake Bay watercraft is the largest in existence numbering about 85 boats! The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is the only museum devoted to interpreting the entire maritime region of the Bay. Overnight accommodations for this lovely vacation are located directly on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland where every room features a private balcony with ocean views!

Get ready for another day filled with fun and fascination! The second day starts with the O.C. Life Saving Station. Housed in a beautifully restored building, the Station highlights exhibits concerning the history of the Life-Saving Service featuring aquariums, doll-house replicas of hotels that once lined the boardwalk, shipwreck artifacts, a mermaid collection, bathing suits from the past, and a Sand-From-Around-the-World exhibit.

Next, embark on a tour of Assateague Island before enjoying lunch in the quaint, Victorian town of Berlin. Then, board “The Explorer” for an exciting eco-cruise around Assawoman Bay.  Learn about Ocean City’s Eco-system and wildlife while navigating the Ocean City fishing harbor and watch the fishing boats as they leave to get their daily catches. Each cruise features a professional naturalist and on-board touch tank so you can discover and learn firsthand about the unique coastal eco-system. Join in on the adventure as we actually land on Assateague Island! You’ll get hands on experience as you toss a net, hoist a crab pot,

and learn all about the fascinating creatures we discover as our naturalist collects and identifies our catch. We’ll explore salt marshes, observe ospreys, pelicans and other unique marine birds; and, of course, no cruise is complete without viewing the famous Assateague Ponies! This may be just the thing you need for a fun, enjoyable learning experience during your stay in Ocean City. Later, get ready for a magical evening at Dicken’s Parlour Theatre where some of the world’s best magicians entertain and mystify audiences in an intimate 60 seat theatre. Afterwards, you’ll be treated to a special meet and greet with the performers who will delight with a few more magic tricks at each table!

On the last day you’ll visit the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum which houses an ever-changing exhibit featuring new artifacts as they are recovered from wrecks off of Delaware’s coast. The collection of shipwreck and recovered artifacts is one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic and contains shipwreck artifacts both regional and worldwide.

Finally, what would a visit to the coast be without lighthouses?  We will make two lighthouse visits for some great photo ops; the Fenwick Lighthouse, built in 1858, and the Delaware Breakwater, built in 1767 and also known as the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. And what’s a vacation without shopping?  We can’t pass up a stop at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach where we can pick up “a little something” for ourselves or that person we left at home!

Our departures are in early May (Aren’t you ready for a little sun and sand?), and early October (The crowds are gone but the weather should be perfect!) Come join us!

 

See you at the beach!
Jan Berger
Tour Services Specialist,
Starr Bus Charter and Tours

 

Photo Credits: Lee Cannon, and others courtesy of Assateague Explorer & Harrison Group