Martinak 2025

Norma, Daphne, and I got a late start, partly due to her making something nice for the potluck, but also because I needed to pick up some medicine at the pharmacy which they didn't have in stock.

Traffic wasn't light but I let Google Maps guide me on some of the lesser known roads, likely passing the heaviest traffic. We ended up arriving at Martinak State Park's boat ramp as the other paddlers were launching on Watts Creek. I might have still been able to join them but I figured I would instead join Norma and Daphne for a walk on the trails in the park.

We unloaded our stuff at the pet-friendly Dogwood Cabin. In Maryland state parks, the pet-friendly cabins are called Dogwood or Fir, which makes perfect sense. Our cabin was small, basic, and clean. It had a queen-sized bed and two singles in a bunk. It had air conditioning, a fan, and ceiling light. No refrigerator or plumbing. It was a short walk to a public restroom and shower with outside sink for washing dishes.

There weren't many people at the campsite. I'm guessing most people were interested in beaches along the ocean.

Starting from our cabin, we walked on the paved Activity Trail. It seemed almost the entire park was shaded, which Norma liked. I was concerned that with all the trees, we wouldn't get any breeze and the mosquitos would be bad. Fortunately, mosquitos were not an issue...at least not during our visit.

We walked on the dirt trails on the west side of the park where Daphne was intrigued by a turtle we found.

The three of us walked to the amphitheater and boat ramp on the south side before heading back. I'm guessing we walked two miles at most. The ground was flat and well-drained.

The whole group (about 24 people) met for dinner at the Driftwood Pavilion, an impressive structure that looks like it could withstand a hurricane. We sat with Lisa, Vicky, Marianne, and Ben.

Daphne was fairly well-behaved in that she didn't beg too much. I think the walk wore her out.

Our trip leaders, Sophie and John S., announced their plans for tomorrow. Norma, Daphne, and I would join Sophie for what we expected would be the easier, less ambitious trip.

Norma and I stopped at the closest Dunkin' Donuts to pick up breakfast and lunch for our time on the water. Then we met the group at the Martinak Boat Ramp. This would be our takeout. Next, we drove to Coveys Landing where we launched onto Tuckahoe Creek, heading downstream. I didn't count but I think we started with about 15 people.

As usual, I was the only paddleboarder in our group and the only one with a dog.

The day started out sunny and not too hot. I took a lot of pics during the first part of our trip.

We pulled over at a sandy/muddy area. Daphne found a shady area to roll around while some of the kayakers cooled off in the water.

After a short break, we were back on the water.

I passed my camera over to Norma and then it was her turn to play photographer.

We took another rest where Marianne showed me a piece of crab she found. I showed her a spatterdock seed pod that I picked out of the water.

At a pier, I found a dragonfly exuvia which I showed to the group.

A few kayakers put a vehicle at New Bridge Landing / Tuckahoe Landing Bridge, the most downstream site on the Tuckahoe, to do a shorter trip. In hindsight, this would have been a better idea for Norma and Daphne. Instead, the two of them continued on with the rest of the group.

I saw some pretty flowers.

As the humidity picked up a bit, the sky got a little hazy and the temperature rose. I made sure to give Daphne plenty of dunks to keep her cool. She was not pleased about that.

Eventually, we reached the Choptank River. The water was wider with more powerboat traffic, not to Norma's liking.

While there were plenty of trees near the shore, the sun was too far overhead and vegetation like spatterdock sometimes made it impossible to get any shade while paddling. Staying hydrated and wet was the best way to stay comfortable.

We saw the usual birds, including some bald eagles from afar. One that fooled us was this cutout of a great blue heron.

Here's a real osprey in a nest.

After over five hours, we completed our trip at a very busy Martinak boat ramp. Power boats were waiting to land so a lot of us disembarked at the pier. We paddled 13.2 miles. I think Norma and Daphne would have been better with ten miles and four hours.

We did the car shuttle, leaving Norma and Daphne at Martinak to guard the boats. I retrieved my car at Coveys Landing and then drove back to Martinak. But when I went to load my SUP, I realized my roof rack foam was missing. I failed to remove it before driving back and it blew off. I improvised by wrapping towels around my rack to cushion the SUP. Then Norma and I drove back to the launch site to try and find what I lost. We found one of the two foam blocks on the side of the highway.

Norma and I ate at Market Street Public House a few weeks ago. Back then, we both had their fish and chips. We had it in years past and enjoyed it. But this last time it was terrible. The rest of the group was eating at this restaurant so we joined them, though we sat outside because we had Daphne.

Today, we ordered something other than the fish and chips. I had their smash burger with bacon. I very much enjoyed it. The fries were good too though they were not on our last visit. Not sure what changed. Norma also enjoyed her meal. I went inside to say hi to the kayakers and a couple of them came out to talk to us.

Even though the day was warm, the sun was now low and we were very comfortable sitting in the shade outside.

I heard some of the group went out for ice cream after dinner. We decided to pass on that.

Norma and I were up at 0600. Today was supposed to be the hottest during our stay with tomorrow commencing a heat wave advisory with heat index of 109. With yesterday's trip being more than what Norma expected, I figured I could better tailor this trip to her liking if it was just her, Daphne, and me.

We loaded up the car and swept up the cabin. Then it was another trip to Dunkin' Donuts for her coffee and my breakfast bagel.

After a short drive, we launched at Hillsboro at 0800. They now have a porta-john, which they didn't on my last visit. When it comes to scenic, natural trips, this place is about as good as it gets in Maryland.

We paddled upstream, taking our time, and snapping lots of photos, especially at the bridges.

We passed several paw paw trees bearing lots of fruit.

This far upstream on the creek is narrow and sometimes shallow. There were lots of obstacles we had to maneuver around or under. There were also a couple minor portages.

The scenery was everything I remember. This is a great place to get out in nature.

Both Daphne and Norma were enjoying being out so early. The low sun ensured we stayed in the shade for most of our trip.

We only made it about 2.4 miles upstream. We pulled ashore at a small, pebbly beach for a snack (below). Near this were some shallow rapids that we would have had to portage around or through to continue.

Here's our route.

After paddling, we headed back to Denton to grab lunch at the Denton Diner. They didn't have outdoor seating so we drove back to Martinak State Park to eat at one of the picnic tables near the boat ramp. I had the fried flounder sandwich. Not a lot of meat but the fries were good.

I drove us home. It took and hour and 50 minutes because there were so many people returning from the eastern shore. But we expected that. At least traffic was moving.

Norma and I enjoyed getting out with the WatersEdge group. She met some really nice people such as Marianne and Debbie. While Saturday's trip was a little much for her, she enjoyed our walk on Friday, the potluck, and our paddling on Sunday.

This was our first boating adventure with my new used car, a Subaru Outback. It is much taller than my Impreza. I like the way it handles along with some of the new safety features.

Martinak State Park was the first place that Norma and I camped together (just the two of us) back on July 1-4, 2006. Tuckahoe Creek was the third place we paddled, taking out at Hillsboro on July 4. My notes indicate we even picked up breakfast at the Dunkin' Donuts in Denton on July 1, though I'm not sure if it was the same one. Regardless, we have a lot of fond memories of this area.