Shore Good

This coastal ride passes through Victorian towns in Maryland, with stops for farmers markets, bald eagles and art. At sunset, pick some flowers with your sweetie.

Route: From the Capital Beltway, head east on Route 50 over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Turn left on Route 18 to Queenstown, then left on Route 213 to Centreville, through Church Hill and across the Chester River into Chestertown. Turn left on Route 20 and pass through Rock Hall, and make another left on Route 445 to Eastern Neck Island. Double back through Rock Hall and onto Route 20, then go left on Route 298 and left on Still Pond Road (Route 292) to Still Pond and Betterton.

Highlights:

The Ivy Market Cafe, part of Queenstown Inn Bed & Breakfast, is in a quaint shingled farmhouse. Plan your trip over a blueberry turnover and a latte in its shady garden lined with old-fashioned roses. Or ask for a sampler of the cafe's fresh salads: egg, curried chicken, cucumber and fruit. 7109 Main St., Queenstown, 410-827-3396.

Jeannie's Shore Good Produce is the perfect place to steal a kiss in a cherry orchard. Ask owners Jeannie Coleman and Barry Clothier for a milkshake made with that week's freshest local fruit. We were there during strawberry season, and the icy pink concoctions made us swoon. 5306 Church Hill Rd., Church Hill, 410-778-1619.

Textures Gallery isn't what you'd expect in the middle of what seems to be nowhere. Alice Pickett-Lewis, a g raduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, makes hand-loomed rugs in the back of her studio on the outskirts of tiny Rock Hall. She also sells a well-edited selection of pottery and other handicrafts. 6202 Rock Hall Rd., Rock Hall, 410-639-7211.

The Shoppes at Oyster Court is a tucked-away cluster of Caribbean-colored cottages offering candles, plants, jewelry and more. Enjoy a sandwich from Bay Leaf Gourmet under a 250-year-old elderberry tree, and visit "Hubby Daycare" -- a cottage equipped with cold drinks, issues of GQ and a TV tuned to bass-fishing tournaments. 5761 Main St., Rock Hall.

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge offers winding roads, hiking trails and docks for watching bald eagles and Tundra swans. "It's one of those stress-free rides, and when you get back, you're relaxed," Barry Clothier says. 1730 Eastern Neck Rd., Rock Hall, 410-639-7056.

Cristal's Cut Flowers is the spot to smell the roses, literally. Cristal Payne encourages couples to wander her hillside garden to create their own one-of-a-kind bouquet. 13600 Still Pond Rd., Still Pond.

MAP CREDIT: Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso - The Washington Post