About 12 miles down
Rte 224 is Purse State
Park (%301-743-7613; http://www.
dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/
southern/purse.asp; Rte 224;
hsunrise-sunset), a wooded
area that fronts the
Potomac; you’ve got nice
views clear to Virginia
and the Marine Corps
base at Quantico.The Drive » You can drive
around the entire peninsula on
MD-224. When you’re ready
to move on, hop on MD-425N
and take it to MD-6; take 6
eastbound for 11 miles through
bucolic countryside to reach
La Plata.3 La Plata
Named for a river in
Argentina, La Plata is the
seat of Charles County.
It’s a prosperous little
country town, but for all
that, it’s subject to the
sprawl that creeps south
from DC.
The Port Tobacco
Players (%301-932-6819;
http://www.ptplayers.com; 508
Charles Street) is a local
theater company that
puts on Broadway and
off-Broadway standards,
plus a few lesser-known
pieces. Catch a show –
not for the production
values, but for the chance
to peek into a hyper-local
arts scene.5 p225
The Drive » Get back on
MD-6 and backtrack west for
around 2 miles. Turn left at
Chapel Point Rd and follow it
for 4 miles. When you see an
amazing view of the Potomacnext to a charming church,
you’re in business.4 St Ignatius &
Popes Creek
On a gentle slope
overlooking the Potomac
River is St Ignatius
Church (www.chapelpoint.
org/; 8855 Chapel Point Rd,
Port Tobacco), which hosts
the oldest continuously
active Catholic parish in
the country. The church
itself has a lovely exterior
profile. If you visit, you
can content yourself
with wandering the
cemetery, which offers
great sightlines out to
the water. The forested
bottomlands visible
from Ignatius’ backslope
constitute 600 acres
of state-owned land;
you’re welcome to stomp
around, but there are no
trails.
If you continue on
Chapel Point Rd you’ll
hit US 301; take this for
1.5 miles, then turn right
onto Pope’s Creek Rd.
This 2-mile country lane
is quite pretty, and was
also the escape route
John Wilkes Boothe
took to Virginia after
assassinating Abraham
Lincoln.
The Drive Turn around
on Pope’s Creek Rd and
head back to US 301.
Turn left (north) onto 301,
then almost immediately
turn right onto MD-
234, Budds Creek Rd.
After barely a mile you’ll
pass Allen Fresh Run, amagnificent marshscape- pull over and take a
picture. It’s about 7 miles
to the speedway.
5 Budds Creek
Before you properly
explore St Mary’s County,
the first county in the
state and one of the
oldest counties in the
country, consider this:
you have been driving
(hopefully) responsibly
for perhaps thousands
of miles on our trips.
Maybe it’s time to see
some people drive like
maniacs. Enter Budds
Creek (%301-475-2000;
http://www.buddscreek.com;
27963 Budds Creek Rd,
Mechanicsville), one of
the premier motocross
racetracks on the Eastern
seaboard. It’s always a
blast here – a blast of hot
exhaust and speed across
your face, but a blast
nonetheless.The Drive » Continue on
MD-234 for 12 miles (you’ll pass
through a traffic circle). 234
hits MD-5; turn right here and
continue through Leonardtown
for about 2 miles. Turn right
on Washington St and look for
the Bank of America building;
this small square is ‘downtown’
Leonardtown.6 Leonardtown
The seat of St Mary’s
county has worked hard
to maintain its small-
town atmosphere. The
central square (Fenwick
& Washington Sts) is
the closest thing thisTRIP HIGHLIGHTWASHINGTON.DC,.MARYLAND.&.DELAWARE.TRIPS18
(^) SOUTHERN MARYLAND TRIANGLE