Betterton Beach, MD

Describe it however you want--we all can agree it's been ridiculously hot in the DC area. So when I sweated through my clothes (gross, I know) for the third straight day in my 10-minute walk to air-conditioned work, I knew it was time for an outdoor water getaway. But with gas prices high and only one day off, Justin and I ruled out Ocean City or Rehoboth Beach. We wanted somewhere closer with fewer crowds. The answer: Betterton Beach.

Tucked away in Kent County at the top of the Bay, this hamlet has an easily accessible public beach. Justin and I left Crofton on a Friday morning and made it to Betterton before noon, passing little traffic once we were over the bridge. You'll drive through quaint towns like Chestertown and Centreville on your way. A word of caution that GPS systems may blip out in Chestertown but don't panic. They'll find a signal.

Once we drove to the public beach, we found ample parking that was only a few minutes walk to the sandy beach. Did I mention it was a scalding sandy beach? Sandals, people, and good sturdy umbrellas if you're venturing out on 100-degree days like us!

This Superbrella was a lifesaver, keeping us happy and shaded. And thankfully, a steady breeze from the water meant it was bearable to sit in the shade for a few hours before cooling off in the water. Betterton Beach is unique for the water and its lack of sea nettles. Justin tells me its uncommon for Bay water to have little to no salinity. It's more like swimming in a lake with a steady current of small waves. So after lazying away until I was sure I never worked in DC, we decided to head back toward greater civilization.

We cleaned up as best as we could at the bathhouse (it's not luxurious, but it gets the job done) and headed over to Rock Hall for dinner and more exploring. Rock Hall is further Southwest, about a 20-minute drive. The town also has a little public beach park, but we declared it less attractive than our fun time at Betterton. Still, Rock Hall has some cute-looking restaurants (we stopped at Bay Wolf) and a rather nice bed and breakfast.

All in all, this beach escape is in our top five trips together (man, we need to travel more as a couple!). We hope you'll check it out as well.

Stats:
Destinations: Crofton to Betterton to Rock Hall and back to Crofton.
Miles driven: 169, give or take a few.
Toll charges: $2.50 for car ($1 if you use EZ pass) over the Bay Bridge
Essentials: Swimsuits, bug spray, suntan lotion, big umbrella, portable radio, snacks & drinks and floats.

Keep in mind before you go:

• There are no restaurants or stores in Betterton. Bring your snackies, drinks and other things with you, and plan to have dinner in another town, like Rock Hall or Chestertown.
• The bathhouse is basic with no hot water. At least, the women's showers had cool and super-cold when I tried them. Definitely wear flip-flops in there to change and perform other duties.
• Think shade! There is a good 100 feet of sandy shore out in the open, which is optimal for skin cancer as my mother often reminds me. Even if you want to sunbathe, a good umbrella keeps you cool when you want out of the sun.