Boat Trip to Historic Havre de Grace Maryland

havre de grace

Join us on a Chesapeake Bay boat trip to explore the historic waterfront town of Havre de Grace on Susquehanna River

A few seasons ago (fall 2018) we decided to spend the night in Havre de Grace, check out the town, climb the Concord Point lighthouse, learn a little about its history and relax in this beautiful spot at the mouth of the Susquehanna River on the Chesapeake Bay.

WATCH THE VIDEO of our trip!

 

It was a cloudy day when we began our cruise from the Sassafras River to the Susquehanna River… but although it was overcast, there was no chance of rain. We had a very peaceful mid-morning cruise and the water was super smooth crossing over the Chesapeake Bay. Overall it was about a 40 minute boat ride.

As we approached the Susquehanna we saw a guy parasailing, which was pretty cool watching him flying above us on the water.

We stayed at Tidewater Marina which was super calm & protected… although a little stagnant by our slip… but still a nice marina for a quick trip. The location was good because it was just a short walk to town or the lighthouse.

We took a walk to Tidewater Grille for lunch – one of many good restaurants in town. Its located alongside the railroad which can be a little noisy. But the restaurant was good, and had the biggest kids chicken fingers ever. And it was a nice spot to check out the scenery from Havre de Grace.

Next we went to the promenade by the Concord lighthouse. The lighthouse is relatively small but the kids & I still had a lot of fun climbing up to the top to see the view.

A few pics & then it was time to explore some of the history of Havre de Grace…

Cool Historic Facts About Havre de Grace

  • During the War of 1812, Havre de Grace was attacked by the British.
  • The cannon serves as a memorial to John O’Neill marking the site of the Concord Point battery in Havre de Grace.
  • Lieutenant John O’Neill single-handedly manned a cannon to help defend the town.
  • Havre de Grace made O’Neill and his descendants the hereditary keepers of the Concord Point lighthouse
  • During the First Congress in 1789, Havre de Grace missed by only one vote being named the capital of the United States
  • Havre de Grace is named after the port in France, Le Havre de Grâce which means “Harbor of Grace”
  • In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed the promenade and flooded the city about 2 blocks into downtown.
  • In 2004, Americorps reconstructed the promenade. It now serves as a waterfront boardwalk and nature walk from Tydings Park to the Maritime Museum, and on to Concord Point Lighthouse.

The walk gave us a chance to discover some cool history to share with the kids!

The next morning we took a quiet walk along the shore and explored the marina a bit. Then it was time to start our return cruise. It was another overcast day with calm water… and another nice cruise across the Chesapeake Bay.

Check out the VIDEO of our boat trip – hope you enjoy…  be sure to like it  & subscribe for more videos from our boat life!

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Diane Seltzer

View posts by Diane Seltzer
Diane is the founder of MyBoatLife.com as well as the boating lifestyle site for kids BoaterKids.com. Active in the boating industry, Diane has also led the marketing for multiple recreational boating businesses and startups.
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