Crazy enough, today’s adventure was not supposed to happen. This impromptu “On Location” was inspired by us (my daughter and I) just being bored at home. Maryland has several islands, and I have never been to one since I have lived here for over a decade. Neither has my daughter.
So, I decided to change that, and we drove to Kent Island, just outside our state’s capital—Annapolis.
The drive from where I reside in southern Maryland wasn’t too bad, but traffic, unfortunately, was heavy that day. More regrettable, there were at least three traffic accidents during our journey there, but it appeared that no one was especially hurt. That’s a good thing.
Nevertheless, we finally reached our destination and proceeded directly to Matapeak State Park. Since this trip was unplanned, I did not pack any additional water, and we did not wear clothing suitable for hiking. I parked near the overflow car lot near the entrance, so we did not explore half of the park. If I had driven further down, I believe I would have parked closer to the beach area. We missed that opportunity but maybe next time?
We did walk on Kent Island South trail, a paved walkway stretching from the parking lot and near some houses. We were not in deep woods here but walked along the main road, the same one on which the entrance was located. The day was nice, not too hot, and barely, if any, humidity. It was an uneventful trek except for encountering our reptilian associates. Two snakes were present, one green and the other black, snuggled by the side of the trail at their respective locations.
As you can see from the pictures, they were small, and I’m sure they were not poisonous. Of course, I’m not an expert and had no idea about their classification. Due to that, we gave them reasonable space and proceeded down the trail uninterrupted.
Well, that is it for this spontaneous “On Location” at Matapeak State Park. This was my first time being in part of the state, Queen Anne’s County, and it won’t be my last. I am not sure when I will be coming back since the next On Location will be a few miles outside of Baltimore, but who knows? It may be one of my winter hikes…
KG Bethlehem 