Swordwhale Walking: illustration, webcomic, stories, photojourneys, videos
  • launch here
    • what I do and how much I charge
    • tales of the Earth Life Foundation
    • American lotus
  • art & stories
    • black horses
    • Sea Ponies of Chincoteague
    • Just Animals
    • playing with water
    • Tradigital illustration
    • environmental education >
      • Christmas Magic Mural 2020
      • animal alphabet and counting murals
      • Assateague ponies
      • the salamander room
      • more touch room ocean
      • more: touch room forest
      • wetland
      • wetland art
      • greenleaf
      • reptile week murals: Nixon Park
    • just animals: photography
    • Tales of the E.L.F. >
      • That Darn Elf, a musing or two
      • cast and crew
      • I dreamed of black horses
      • fanfiction: If Wishes Were Elves...
      • Following Raven
      • The Merrow's Cap >
        • Merrows Cap credits
      • Manannan's Horses
      • fandom >
        • Radagast's Rabbit Ride
        • the Lone Ranger >
          • LOLs and Trolls
          • but wait, there's Moore, and Silverheels
          • Hi Yo Silver
        • black panthers and night furies
        • tales of Middle Earth >
          • Mirthwood
          • Loth-LOL-ien >
            • Im-LOL-dris
            • Smirkwood
            • well, that coulda' been worse
        • Sherlocked
        • catz and doges on fandom
        • Faithful Sidekicks
    • murals
    • scribblings
    • coloring pages
  • mermaid tales
    • Gramma Swordwhale's Mermaid Blog >
      • how to mermaid
      • merfolk on the Chesapeake
      • my life as a mermaid
    • privateers and pumpkins and ponies oh my!
    • stupid gravity (the adventures of a mermaid on Eastern Neck Is.) >
      • stupid gravity credits
    • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass >
      • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass: credits
    • Stupid Gravity: Misty Cloudy Windy Stormy Augh! >
      • Misty Stormy credits
    • Stupid Gravity: the search for mermaids
    • mermaids, Moana and Maui, beached on Christmas Eve
    • horseshoe crabs forever
    • stupid gravity: hot hot hot >
      • hot hot hot credits
  • Chincoteague
    • A Beginner's Guide to the islands
    • back to the islands 2021 >
      • Ponies 2021
    • identify that pony
    • chincoteague pony art
    • Fall Roundup Oct 2019
    • Chincoteague 2019
    • pookas pumpkins and swamp ponies
    • Chincoteague Carousel
    • Chincoteague November 2018
    • the 3rd Sea Voyage of Makenuk's Fin
    • wild horses and kayaks 2017
    • wild ponies in camp
    • North Beach
    • on island time
    • saltwater cowboys
    • Chincoteague
    • Christmas by the Sea
    • island ponies
    • Ace and Unci revolt
    • beached
    • running water in between
    • Assateague Light
    • the Haunted Lagoon
  • crafty stuff
    • customizing riders and other characters
    • Wonder Horse repaint
    • Rich Toy hobby horse rehab
    • photo your toys >
      • how to photograph Breyers in the wild
      • welcome to Hawk Circle: telling stories with model horse photography >
        • more Hawk Circle
        • take your models to the beach
      • Lokigator and Throg's Epic Adventure
      • Sam and Bucky's Excellent Adventure
      • Mando and Grogu
      • paint and wet snow pants
      • Legolas and Hwin, snow
      • derps (or how not to photograph Breyers and others)
      • wild Breyers >
        • printable prints and downloads
        • water horses
        • beach Breyers
        • Lotus Legolas and Arod
        • teeny tiny Breyers
        • backyard Breyers and Schleichs
        • vintage breyers
        • Hartland Horses
        • Black Horses
      • educational display
      • Schleich and Safari Faeries
      • North beached
      • more model horses
      • beach party
      • advenatureData
      • Finding Hank
      • Otterlock and Hedgejawn >
        • Hounded in Baskerville
      • how to photograph your dragon
    • ModPodge rules
    • paint pours
    • flour salt clay
    • chalk paint
    • rock it: paint rocks and use or lose them
    • faerie gardens >
      • more faerie gardens
      • faerie festival at Spoutwood Farm
    • sea this tutu (and make)
    • I found Dory
    • knit me a mermaid, or chicken, or Hei Hei
    • sea treasures
    • sea glass
    • sea horses
    • rehabbing horse epic fail >
      • do you wanna build a snow pony?
      • do you wanna build a sand pony?
      • Barbie horse gets a makeover
    • mermaid saddles
    • Yule Laugh, Yule Cry... >
      • a Brandywine Christmas
    • Uncle Bob's Toys >
      • Uncle Bob's Toys 2016
      • more: Uncle Bob's Crafts
      • the Adventures of Mortimer
  • adventures
    • Go Play Outside
    • Nature Deficit Disorder
    • I heart Nature
    • autumn light
    • cats
    • mushing 101 >
      • dogs on wheels >
        • Autumn Run on Wheels
      • dogsled
      • dogsledding: running on snow! >
        • Groundhog Day
      • kids and dawgs: first sled run
      • Klondike Derby
      • Sled Dogs and Pirate Ships
      • Christmas Day Run: Rail Trail
      • Horses and Huskies: when predator and prey share the trail
      • Schipperke doo dah >
        • Runnin' with the Big Dogs
        • Hobbit Husky
      • women who run with the wolves
      • Play Time
      • wubba wubba
      • New Year's Dog Day
      • Team Swordwhale
    • trains, sleddogs, and horses oh my!
    • butterscotch and sprinkles
    • horses >
      • horse reference for art
      • ponies small but mighty
      • First Horse: Saraf
      • the Wild Black Mare
      • between thunder and lightning
      • Goliath, Nevada Mustang
      • Yataalii
    • Planet Water >
      • Planet fish tank
      • planet toadpool
      • Planet Pond
      • Under the Lake
      • Planet Stream
      • Planet River
      • Planet Marsh
      • Planet Ocean
      • Planet Water Bird >
        • Planet Water Bird: gulls
      • Planet turtle
      • Planet water snake
      • planet amphibian
    • kayak! >
      • blue boat home
      • kayaking 101
      • favorite good boats
      • some kayak videos
      • kayaking Assateague and Chincoteague
      • how to train your dragonfly
      • Chasing Raven
      • the Susquehanna River >
        • the Rock Garden >
          • return to the Rock Garden
        • Conewago Dreamin'
        • the Conejehola Flats
        • Thunderbird Island (petroglyphs on the Susquehanna)
        • to the White Lady and Beyond
      • Calvert Cliffs fossils
      • Sassafras River Lotus Paddle >
        • Return to the Sassafras
        • sassafras river 2015
        • sassafras paddle 20160814
        • Sassafras River 2017
        • Sassafras river 2018
      • Eastern Neck Island >
        • winter marsh, winter beach
        • Eastern Neck Island: under the supermoon
        • more Eastern Neck Island
      • Pinchot Park
      • Lake Marburg >
        • where are the manatees?
        • ...and the dolphins???
        • macros and SAVs
        • Lake Marburg 2018
        • how to be a kayaking Gramma
    • beached
    • dive in! (SCUBA) >
      • Gourd of the Rings
    • mid Atlantic seashells
    • longship company >
      • December sail
      • Sae Hrafn at Oakley
    • pirates and privateers >
      • Sailing 101
      • Schooner Sultana 1768
      • Capt John Smith Shallop
      • Pride of Baltimore II
      • Kalmar Nyckel
      • downrigging 2010 >
        • Chestertown autumn
        • Downrigging Weekend 2014
        • Downrigging 2015
        • Downrigging 2016
        • Downrigging 2017
        • downrigging 2018: pink tardis
        • Downrigging 2019
      • privateer weekend
    • horseshoe crabs and red knots >
      • horseshoe crab spawn 2021
      • slaughter beach
      • horseshoe crabs and semipalmated sandpipers 2019
    • surfboards and watchtowers: Cape Henlopen >
      • beached
      • Watching Whales >
        • Watching Whales...again
    • Seadogs: Newfoundland water trials
    • wind hounds
    • wild things! >
      • baltimore aquarium
      • there's a hummer in the garage...ceiling ...
      • critter cam
      • sky walking
      • leaf-fall
    • The Adventures of the Good Ship Fearaf
    • the incredibly dead blog page
  • art class
    • framing 101
    • watercolor: how to
    • sip n paints
    • acrylic painting 101
    • wildlife art class
    • Santa, You're Doomed
    • (drawing) horses 101 >
      • horse color 101
      • gaits
      • ponies in motion
      • tack
      • Draw: a horse
    • dogs and wolves
    • go ahead, draw a pirate ship
    • anthropomorphism (cartoon animals and stuff)
    • the Little Kids Page of Big Ideas
    • mural: how to >
      • Gabriel's Whale
      • stuff you need
      • drawing (mural)
      • drawing mural 2
      • painting
      • mural jungle
      • mural bat cave
      • mural cats
      • mural ocean
      • mural arctic
      • mural leaf smacking
      • watershed mural
    • crayons and colored pencils
    • palettes
  • wait wait! let me get the camera!
  • who perpetrated all this???
    • swordbroad

for high quality jpgs of images on these pages or to commission original images email me at [email protected]


What my parents told me to do. And probably yours too. Here are some great locations for adventures, day trips, and longer expeditions. Kid friendly. We start at the top of the page with places in York County PA, and go south and east to the Bay and DelMarVa. Most of these are easy day trips. And most are free. Click on the pics to learn more.

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Nixon Park

Nixon Park (part of the York County Park System), Jacobus PA. Trails, world class museum/visitor's center, hands on exhibits, touch room for kids, nifty gifty shoppe, books to read to your kids, borrow a back pack and explore the trails or the Sensory Meadow, attend one of many family oriented programs like Moonlight Boat Rides, Sunset Bike Rides, Reptile Week, Slalamander Stroll and others... mostly free, the rest is stupid cheap.
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Lake Redman & William Kain Park

Jacobus PA. Rent a boat (kayak, canoe, rowboat, peddle boat) and explore the lake or fish from shore, or walk the trails, or use a picnic pavillion. Part of the York County Park System. Look for the night herons (above) at twilight, as well as bug-hunting bats, the red-jewel eyes of fishing spiders skating the water's surface, and long-jawed orb-weavers clinging like Spiderman to the overhanging shrubs.
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Chestertown MD &
Downrigging Weekend

This colonial town up the Chester River is worth a visit any time of the year (waterfront, history, shops, galleries, great food, the Schooner Sultana), but on Halloween Weekend the waterfront becomes a floating timeline from 1630 to the 20th century. Tall ships from around the Bay and beyond fill the docks and river. You can tour the boats (and trick or treat on them) for free. Or sail on one of them for a fee (varies). Great photo op, bring cameras and lots of batteries! If you're camping: Bayshore Campground is the best.
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Schooner Sultana
(sail on a "pirate ship")

Chestertown Maryland. This full sized reproduction of a 1768 topsail schooner looks like a pirate ship to most kids... and she's the perfect size for middle schoolers to handle. She sails on missions of fun and education around the Chesapeake Bay, taking school kids and campers on adventures of a lifetime. You can do a public sail on her (with your kids) for less $$$ than it takes to go to the amusement park. It's hands-on (uh, yeah, they let the kids drive the ship). Bring a camera.
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Sae Hrafn
(go Viking!)

Sail on a Viking longship... you only have to go to Oakley MD, and hook up with the Longship Company (we launch at the Blimp Captain's house). We love visitors (it means we have more crew). We're a serious bunch of funloving historical reinactors. Come man an oar, raise the sail, sing bawdy sea shanties (OK, we'll modify that if there are kids). Free, though we do appreciate anyone who can make a donation.
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Sail on a Privateer!

The Pride of Baltimore !! is a reproduction of the wicked swift and agile privateers of the War of 1812. You can tour the decks for free, or sail for a fee (still cheaper than the amusement park) at various places around the Bay and east coast. Haul a halyard and brace the sails. Bring earplugs so you can keep filming when they fire the cannons! She is sometimes seen in the company of the Privateer Lynx. And join her and others for Privateer Day in Baltimore MD, in April.
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Calvert Cliffs State Park MD (bay beach, fossils)

Take a mile hike through the woods, past the swamp (swamps have trees, marshes have grass), past the beaver dam and water lilies to a Chesapeake Bay beach. Tall sand bluffs hide a fabulous treasure: fossils! Fortunately they readily wash out in any storm and can be found lying on the beach. You are allowed to take what you can carry in two hands (bring containers and a back pack anyway, you'll also need a lunch, water, wading gear and a towel).
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York County Heritage Rail Trail

Bike it, hike it, ride it, mush it (above, William and Denali, Legolas and Nikki in background). Miles of level, packed sand, wonderful for horse hooves or joggers' feet or bikes... or a wheeled dogrig and three huskies. Woods, agricultural lands and small towns, historic sites (which have open houses, visitor's centers and events). Nice short "walk the dog" hike, or a longer trek. Organized bike events through Nixon County Park.
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Lake Marburg
Codorus State Park

Trails to hike and horseback ride, sailing, rent a kayak or bring your own, ridiculously clear water, osprey nest, and nearby, an eagle nest with its own webcam (best visited online: click the osprey pic above. Codorus State Park offers many family friendly environmental programs too.
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Pinchot State Park

Hike it, bike it, horseback ride it, kayak it. Boat rentals in summer, swimming beach on the Harrisburg (north) side, great trails for biking or walking dogs (MUST BE LEASHED!!!). Lots of wildlife, especially if you paddle or hike up Beaver Creek (look for the barred owls and great blue herons). Good fishing: Big Bass Lake. Great for picnics (shady beaches). This is a shallow, eutrophic lake, so sometimes in summer the algae and pondweeds can take over. I've mushed my huskies through the campgrounds in winter. Great for cross country skiing.
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Eastern Neck Island
(Bay beaches, trails)

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is tiny in size, big in possibilities. It lies just north of the Bay Bridge on the eastern side of the Bay, western side of DelMarVa, at the mouth of the Chester River. The water is somewhat salty, just enough for clams and oysters, blue crabs and rockfish, and visiting cownose rays. Fish it, hike it, walk the trails to small mooncurved sandy beaches. Play in the water, launch a kayak or boat on a trailer at Boggle's Wharf. Check out the nifty visitor's center/gift shop. Entrance is free. Check the tide charts and weather if launching a boat. If swimming, you may encounter sea nettles at certain times of the year: a diveskin, or surfer shirt or other water friendly clothing is proof against them. If camping, check out Bayshore Campground nearby.
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Cape Henlopen
(ocean beaches)

Ditch Ocean City and the developed beaches for a real beach experience. Cape Henlopen State Park has a downright luxurious campground, gorgeous sand beaches, cool watchtowers from WWII, a terrific visitor's center, naturalist programs for families to learn about the Cape's environment, and the Great Horseshoe Crab Migration (don't miss it!).
click here for more...

Chincoteague
and
Assateague Islands
(ocean beaches)

Just south of the manic crowding and expense that is Ocean City, Assateague lies like a long narrow dragon, the tiny egg of Chincoteague tucked into the southern end of its tail. Assateague is home to the wild things, Chincoteague keeps most of its watermen's town quality. Assateague has several parks and wildlife refuges (all with excellent family programs, most free). Chincoteague has cottages, camps, condos to rent, shops, galleries, great food. Rent a kayak or take one of the guided tours of the backwaters. Uncrowded beaches. Home to the only wild horse roundup in the east.
1630s era colonial vessel Kalmar Nyckel, shot from my kayak

Kalmar Nyckel
(more pirate sails)

The tall ship of Delaware is also seen in the Chesapeake Bay at times. She's a gorgeous blue, carved like a wedding cake, towering three masted full rigged ship. She does public sails including fun "pirate sails" aimed at kids. worth the price (about like taking your kids to an amusement park for a day, but this is cooler).
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Susquehanna River
Wrightsville

Take the Wrightsville exit off Rt. 30 and go through this small river town to the John Wright Store and Restaurant. The parking lot behind the store leads to a boat ramp and a small park. From there you can launch a (properly stickered) kayak or fishing boat on a trailer, or sit on the shore and fish, or wade in the shallows and look for crayfish or macroinvertebrates. The John Wright Store has food and gifts (and a bathroom). Wear a PFD, there is some current (speed depends on rainfall) and the rocky bottom may drop off beneath you. Just downriver is another small park with river access and a boat ramp.
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Susquehanna River
Long Level

Drive from Wirghtsville down along the York side of the river to Long Level. Look for Shank's Mare Outfitters. By the river is a nifty beach (sorry, no swimming signs abound), a trail, and a place to launch a kayak, or just sit and watch or fish. Shank's Mare has great outdoor gear, an ice cream shop, and rents kayaks (easy to use sit-ons).
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Susquehanna Petroglyphs

Just south of the Safe Harbor Dam lie two rocks covered with ancient Native petroglyphs (rock drawings). These small islands in the Susquehanna are only accessible by small boat (kayaks are perfect). You can come out of the Conestoga River, or up from Pequea. If you go, walk softly, and leave something (sage, tobacco) for the spirits of the Rock.
More: click pic below...
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Sassafrass River
​(on the bay)

Put your boat in at Turner's Creek Park and drift through beds of American Lotus blooming from nid-July to mid-August. Or walk the shores and trails, check out the visitor's center, no fee (unless launching a trailered boat). 
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Betterton Beach
(Chesapeake Bay)

At the end of the Sassafras River lies the tiny town of Betterton. It used to be the beach destination before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge sent everyone to Ocean City. The beach is still fabulous, a long stretch of sand on a tidal freshwater river (no jellyfish in the summer) with small waves and occasional sea glass. Picnic tables, shady trees, a bathhouse and seabirds too. 
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Rock Hall MD
(Bay beaches)

Just north of Eastern Neck Island, at the end of the Chester River, lies the tiny town of Rock Hall. Good eateries, fine fishing, excellent places to launch a boat, or visit the small, uncrowded sandy beach at Rock Hall. If you're staying overnight, nearby is the really awesome Bayshore Campground.
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Point Lookout
(on the Bay)

This park lies at the mouth of the Potomac River and looks down the vast stretches of the Chesapeake Bay. You can camp nearby, fish, hike, swim. Pets are allowed in some areas. Gorgeous seascape ranges from backwater marshes to big open water.
Header: Sled dog team: Scotty and Breezy, racing Siberians, pulling Mona Kotchmar's rig at Micheaux State Park PA.
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