55 miles S of Annapolis; 80 miles S of Baltimore; 60 miles SE of Washington, D.C.; 150 miles SW of Wilmington

For more than 100 years, Calvert County -- with Solomons as its centerpiece -- has been a Baltimore-Washington playground. Largely agricultural, the area is becoming much more a Washington suburb, but its nearby parks, local history, outdoor activities, and marine sports continue to attract visitors.

Solomons, also known as "Solomons Island," for the island that makes up its center, is dominated by water. The island sits at the end of two peninsulas formed by the Patuxent River, Back Creek, and Mill Creek (the Patuxent's mouth into the Chesapeake is visible from the town's southern end). The island is connected to land by a bridge so short that if you blink, you'll miss it, but you'll still feel surrounded by water. A walk through town will take you past sailboats and charter fishing boats, as well as watermen's homes, the century-old Drum Point Lighthouse, and Solomons' wide public pier, the place to see beautiful sunsets over the Patuxent.