Can’t decide if you prefer a walk, a bicycle ride or an excursion on the water? An exploration around the Port Tobacco historic district provides opportunities for all three. Near La Plata in Charles County, Port Tobacco was once the second largest city and deep water port in Maryland, importing goods from Europe and exporting hogsheads of tobacco.
The Part of Plenty B & B—“Plenty” was the name of the original farm—is a base from which to explore. From the B&B, it’s ¾ of a mile to the former Port Tobacco Courthouse and a one-room school house and another 1.7 miles to Thomas Stone National Historic Site, named for a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Operated by the National Park Service, one can visit the restored house and stroll the 322 acres of Haberdeventure, a “dwelling place in the winds.”
To access the water or to find a meal, head south on Shirley Boulevard (off Port Tobacco Road)–the marina at the end of the road is a site on the Port Tobacco River Water Trail, which connects with Chapel Point State Park. Those visiting the Park by bicycle will be rewarded with a sweeping view of the Potomac Tobacco River, a short ride south from the historic Courthouse to Saint Ignatius Church, located within the Park.