Leonardtown Wharf

Thank you everyone for all of your wonderful anniversary well wishes!  We had a nice low key day and we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner.  I also LOVED hearing all of the great stories about how some of you met your spouses...they all made me smile.  I just find it so amazing how two people can find each other in this big wide world and be the perfect match for one another!

It's been a while since I took you all along with me on a field trip, so last night after dinner we wandered down to a local wharf, about a half an hour from our house, that was recently renovated.  Leonardtown is a small town that serves as the county seat.  It has a long and colorful history as a main center of politics and commerce in the state of Maryland, and Frances Scott Key's family even once called it home.

Today, it is a sleepy little town with quaint shops, small local businesses, great restaurants, and friendly people.  It is the kind of place where locals meet at the town's post office to exchange the latest news.  And where folks gather for holiday parades throughout the year, including one to kick off the holiday season with the lighting of the town Christmas tree complete with fire trucks and Santa!

The wharf used to be a place where commerce was king.  Steamboats ran between the Leonardtown Wharf and Washington DC and Baltimore.  There was even a floating theater which came each year for a few months to entertain the local residents!  And when tobacco was used as currency, it was a primary port in the new world for trade with Europe.

The newly finished wharf area is the perfect spot for an evening stroll, especially when the evening was as lovely as it was last night!  There is a building where you can rent kayaks, and walkways span the waterfront and traverse the wetlands.

As you look back up the hill toward the town of Leonardtown, there are some old Victorian homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Some of them are being used as office space, while others are still used as private residences.  Several new condominiums in cheerful pastel colors dot the hillside overlooking Breton Bay.

Besides being beautiful, there are also practical aspects to the wharf, like these "life ring" boxes in case someone goes for a swim unexpectedly!  I love the brick and stone compass rose and the large flag pole and how it was silhouetted against the evening sky last night!

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

There are several signs posted along the waterfront which give you a little history about the wharf from years gone by.  If you click on each picture above, you can blow them up for easier reading!  Many of the names listed and people pictured are descendants of the original settlers to the area, and those families are still prominent in Leonardtown today.

The soft hues of the sunset and the still waters were the perfect ending to our 24th anniversary day!  Thank you again for your kind comments and for coming along with me on our little stroll along Leonardtown's waterfront!