Salisbury, MD Outdoor Activities

Pasadena Golf Center lets visitors create the satisfying thwack of a club hitting a golf ball in one of two locations. They can make out the sound on the 18-hole mini-golf course—where ears will also pick up the sound of trickling waterfalls and the gurgling of landscaped streams and ponds—or at the driving range. Golfers can manipulate a variety of clubs there since targets are set up at different lengths, and 20 of the range’s 34 hitting stations are covered to provide shade during warm months and heat during cold ones. In addition, a full setup of lights let them swing away into the evening or when Apollo's chariot of fire is in the shop. To assist in swing mechanics and proper alignment, the center organizes lessons led by Golf Academy of America–certified instructor, Brett Francisco.

Pasadena Golf Center is also equipped with a nine-station batting cage that challenges visitors with baseball pitches of varying speeds as well as slow- and fast-pitch softball. A 1,600-square-foot patio nearby can facilitate birthday parties or other special events.

Assateague Island sits along the eastern coast near the spot where Maryland and Virginia begin to touch. The National Park Service safeguards the 37-mile island's varied ecosystem, in which wild horses brought there by 17th-century colonists still trot freely near the salt marsh. In 2009, a trio of college pals made it their mission to introduce nature enthusiasts to this dynamic wilderness. After Tom Simon, Neil Nimrichter, and Dale Barber left The Ohio State University with degrees in Environmental Science and Adventure Recreation, the friends were drawn to Assateague's complexity and coastal beauty as a spot to begin their careers. Today, their company, SuperFun Eco Tours, leads customers on various kayaking explorations of the island's wonders, quenching theirs and their customers’ thirst for adventure by exploring the areas of the island accessible only by boat or human catapult.

At Chesapeake Beach Water Park, guests swiftly wind down eight curling waterslides, skimming through fast-paced twists and gravity-defying turns before shooting out into the pool's calm, cerulean waters. A league of EMT-trained, certified lifeguards watch over the waters, ensuring visitors stay safe as they romp through the beach-like lagoon and the kids' activity pool. Glistening streams flow over picturesque rock faces, splashing onto guests as they float lazily beneath on complimentary rented tubes or pet sea monsters brought from home.

Those who've tired themselves out with daylong Marco Polo matches can sunbathe on lounge chairs on the expansive decks, or walk to the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa to rejuvenate. Further connecting with the community, the park supports local organizations such as Relay for Life, the Red Cross blood drive, and Great Dane Rescue.

The backstories of most famous pirates are filled with ruthless deeds and dangerous raids. Inspired by their own kids' love for all things pirate-related, two mothers founded Urban Pirates. The swashbuckling crew whisks families on one-hour voyages around the Baltimore Inner Harbor in the 52-foot ship Fearless, regaling them with maritime songs, games, and activities. But the passengers aren't mere spectators—they become real members of the crew, donning pirate costumes complete with drawn tattoos and facial hair and manning water cannons to help protect the ship when it's stormed by rival pirates.

The charismatic buccaneers can also personalize their charters, whether by distributing eye patches and other goodies to birthday-party guests, hosting on-the-water weddings, or guiding corporate groups through team-building exercises, such as teaching a parrot to say "profits are up!" On evening adult cruises, they even encourage patrons to bring their own grog from home. And, though the Fearless stays moored for the winter, the crew hardly abandons their mission to spark young imaginations. Rather than take to the sea, they visit Baltimore libraries and put on free pirate-themed story events that also incorporate games and songs.

Ayers Creek softly ripples by the idyllic location where Steven and Suzy Taylor run their kayak and canoe center. Despite being situated near Ocean City, the watery spot is quiet except for the occasional stirring of a duck, heron, or standup paddleboard. Steven has been a neighbor to the animals in this stretch of coastal Maryland since childhood, and the couple now operates their business from their own bankside property. Both Suzy and Steven spent decades mastering the waters on their own before they began giving tours of the salt marshes and wetlands. Steven, an environmental consultant, often narrates on these tours, reliving his boyhood awe for visitors as groups encounter deer and fly-by cameos by bald eagles. Committed to preservation, the Taylors sprinkle guided adventures with educational factoids about the area's diverse ecology as paddlers conquer the headwaters.

Comprised of beersmiths at locally-owned, nationally-distributed breweries such as 16 Mile Brewing, Dogfish Head, and Iron Hill Brewery, the Delaware Brewers Guild forms a single, sudsy hub for beer connoisseurs in the First State. In 2012, the guild has organized the first-ever Brews by the Bay festival, an afternoon of music, food, and craft beers on the brink of Delaware Bay. Besides planning frosty, foamy festivals and hilarious pranks like filling fire hydrants with wort, the guild works to promote and protect the interests of local brewers big and small.