September 6, 2023 • 7 mins
On this week's episode of WTN, I'm joined by Tara Coursey, Tourism Manager for the Caroline County Office Of Tourism to chat all about this beautiful, rural paradise! Tara gives me the inside scoop on all of the history that can be explored while visiting Caroline County, plus some of the most popular outdoor attractions (including the Chesapeake Ghost Walks), popular events & what's to come down the pike for the rest of the year!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Whereto Next a chavel podcast with me.
Your host my name is Francesca Presti, and today we've got Tara Corsi,
tourism manager for Visit Caroline County,on with us to talk all about Caroline
County. Tara, welcome, Hi. We are so excited to finally have
you here on the podcast. AndI know that there is so much happening
this time of year in Caroline County. So why don't we just start with
(00:20):
the basics and dive right in.Let's talk about Caroline County. Short thing,
So, we are a rustic,rural and remote community. It's the
perfect place to come and relax andunline. We're situated on Maryland's eastern shore,
just between the Chesapeake Bay and theAtlantic Ocean. The natural beauty of
our area really invites people to comeout and explore. You can become immersed
(00:41):
with our pristine waterways and countryside landscapes. It's ideal for relaxation and we have
a lot of small towns. FarmCaroline County is an easy day trip from
various points north and south, andwe thrive on making our visitors still welcome
as if they belong years. There'salways something going on eventwise, including our
signature events, Summer Fests, whichjust wrapped up. We have a Starberry
(01:03):
Festival in Ridgeley and the annual Thresherman'sShow. Yeah, lots going on for
everybody visiting Caroline County, which isalways nice to have a wide variety of
activities to choose from. Visit CarolineCounty dot org is where you want to
go for more information and to startplanning your trip today. And if you
are a history buff, I know, Caroline County it's kind of the place
to visit so rich in history.What can visitors check out? There's a
(01:26):
ton of things that you can doif you're interested in stepping back in the
time our heritage experiences. They canbegin with visits to one of our five
historical Societies, which also includes theMuseum of Rural Life. There's also several
heritage trails throughout the county. TheHarrytime and Underground Railroad Byway. We have
fifteen stops that run consecutively through thecounty from the southern end to the northern
(01:49):
end near the Delaware state line.There's also an app that's associated with the
byway, and we have a drivingtour map available to download. We also
participate in the Civil War Trails.Those are markers that tell lesser known stories
and events that took place during thattime. I'd also encourage you to visit
our several dwellings that have been refurbishedin our area. And then we have
operator reunturs that address steamboat history andvoting and birding along the underground railroad byway.
(02:15):
Lots to do and lots to checkout. So much history in Caroline
County, and like I said,visit Caroline dot org is where you want
to go for more information to exploreand to start planning your trip today.
And not only is Caroline County sorich in history, it truly is the
perfect rural getaway if you're looking tokind of slow down enjoy the great outdoors.
I know there is so much toexplore and check out when it comes
(02:36):
to great outdoors in Caroline County.So what are some of those outdoor tractions
that people really enjoy when they visitCaroline County. So, Caroline County is
actually the home to two state parks, which are the perfect place to camp,
hike, bike, and enjoy nature. We have acres of unspilled nature
and waterways, hours of outdoor funfrom paddling and peddling to sports, shooting
(02:57):
and fishing. We're also host toAtkins Arboretum, which is a four hundred
acre garden and preserved that's dedicated topromoting the appreciation for conservation of rich and
diverse native plants to Delmarco. Thefour miles of interpreted plat path lead visitors
through woodlands, meadows, wetlands andstreams and display gardens, so we had
(03:17):
plenty to author. It's beautiful atSerene and I think you said anyone that
comes here would appreciate it. Yeah. Absolutely. Terra Corsi is on with
you this morning, tourism manager forVisit Caroline County. Visit Caroline dot org
where you want to go for moreinfo and to start planning your trip.
Today, I was exploring the websitemyself and one thing that caught my eye
(03:37):
was the Chesapeake Ghost Walks. Whatare those all about? Tara? So,
the Chesapeake Ghostwalks are a series ofwalks that take place on the historic
Eastern Shore where ghosts and spirits andelementals still happen around The Ghostwalks run from
March to November and the Caroline CountyWalk itself is situated in downtown Denton,
(03:58):
which is our county seat. Thesights here that are still active include the
bet In Jail, which is believedto be haunted by the spirit of Wish
Shepherd, who's been haunting the jailssince his hanging in the early nineteen hundreds.
Oh Jesus, Yeah, and I'msuch a scaredy cat too, like
this this thing. It sounds cool, but for me, I like,
I don't know if I can handleit. I think you'd be just fine,
(04:23):
really really enjoy It's about the hourlong. You're talking about one point
five miles around the courthouse screen.So there's like five sites, including that
jail that I mentioned, and thenyou'll walk through like two graveyards. But
it's safe. I haven't handy yet, Okay, So it's it's friendly.
It's a friendly tour for wimpy whimpslike myself. Yes, absolutely all right.
(04:45):
Visit Caroline dot org for more informationon that and everything we've spoken about
this morning. And I know we'rekind of approaching the tail end of summer,
which is quite sad for a lotof us. But I would love
to know about what visitors can checkoff the rest of the summer the rest
of the year. I know thatyou and mentioned a couple of signature events
at the beginning of our conversation,so why don't you expand on, you
know, those events that people cancheck out in Caroline County. So one
(05:09):
of the things that we've done reallywell here is the creation of exciting and
new events. We have our signatureevents that I did mention, but there's
never a short of a shortage ofunique things to do to fill a weekend.
So as the summer winds down,we can expect to see a lot
of fall and winter events. Somehighlights of that would be including a visit
to jay Z Farms, which isopen through the fall and it holds special
(05:30):
events in the winter. It's funfor all ages. Each year they have
a ten acre corn maze and we'realways surprised by what design they're going to
come up with. The fifteenth annualAlpaca Festival is coming up. It's the
two day event, so you've gotalpacas if you're interested in farm animals,
rides, artists, and crafts,and it lends itself to the aggreaturism side
of things here. In the county, which we really like to promote.
(05:53):
There's also several five k's that areplanned. We're having our first ever five
K color run coming up. Andthen max were Fest is also a really
big draw. You're asking what isthat as we're like, and they compete
for a chance of becoming the bitcheese and they get, you know,
this crazy wacky trophy. But webest of all the people that are coming,
(06:14):
they're visiting to taste a bunch ofbacarny sheees. So it's really I'm
gonna have to mark that down onmy calendar absolutely. And then rounding things
out in the winter months, wehave Whoville Holiday Park Village it's a family
favorite, and Christmas and Ridgeley It'sfeaturing outdoor skating rinks, inflatables and all
around howidy theme attractions. So wejust roll right out of summer into fall
(06:36):
and into the winter. There's alwayssomething to do. Absolutely so much happening
in Caroline County. Visit Caroline dotorg is where you want to go for
more info and of course to startplanning your trip today. A lot of
great things coming up in Caroline Countyand the fall and winter. As Tara
just kind of give us the insidescoop. Tara, I want to say
a big thank you once again formaking some time for us here this morning
(06:57):
and giving us the inside scoop onCaroline County. Absolutely, thank you so much
Good morning, and welcome to Whereto Next a chavel podcast with me.
Your host my name is Francesca Presti, and today we've got Tara Corsi,
tourism manager for Visit Caroline County,on with us to talk all about Caroline
County. Tara, welcome, Hi. We are so excited to finally have
you here on the podcast. AndI know that there is so much happening
this time of year in Caroline County. So why don't we just start with
(00:20):
the basics and dive right in.Let's talk about Caroline County. Short thing,
So, we are a rustic,rural and remote community. It's the
perfect place to come and relax andunline. We're situated on Maryland's eastern shore,
just between the Chesapeake Bay and theAtlantic Ocean. The natural beauty of
our area really invites people to comeout and explore. You can become immersed
(00:41):
with our pristine waterways and countryside landscapes. It's ideal for relaxation and we have
a lot of small towns. FarmCaroline County is an easy day trip from
various points north and south, andwe thrive on making our visitors still welcome
as if they belong years. There'salways something going on eventwise, including our
signature events, Summer Fests, whichjust wrapped up. We have a Starberry
(01:03):
Festival in Ridgeley and the annual Thresherman'sShow. Yeah, lots going on for
everybody visiting Caroline County, which isalways nice to have a wide variety of
activities to choose from. Visit CarolineCounty dot org is where you want to
go for more information and to startplanning your trip today. And if you
are a history buff, I know, Caroline County it's kind of the place
to visit so rich in history.What can visitors check out? There's a
(01:26):
ton of things that you can doif you're interested in stepping back in the
time our heritage experiences. They canbegin with visits to one of our five
historical Societies, which also includes theMuseum of Rural Life. There's also several
heritage trails throughout the county. TheHarrytime and Underground Railroad Byway. We have
fifteen stops that run consecutively through thecounty from the southern end to the northern
(01:49):
end near the Delaware state line.There's also an app that's associated with the
byway, and we have a drivingtour map available to download. We also
participate in the Civil War Trails.Those are markers that tell lesser known stories
and events that took place during thattime. I'd also encourage you to visit
our several dwellings that have been refurbishedin our area. And then we have
operator reunturs that address steamboat history andvoting and birding along the underground railroad byway.
(02:15):
Lots to do and lots to checkout. So much history in Caroline
County, and like I said,visit Caroline dot org is where you want
to go for more information to exploreand to start planning your trip today.
And not only is Caroline County sorich in history, it truly is the
perfect rural getaway if you're looking tokind of slow down enjoy the great outdoors.
I know there is so much toexplore and check out when it comes
(02:36):
to great outdoors in Caroline County.So what are some of those outdoor tractions
that people really enjoy when they visitCaroline County. So, Caroline County is
actually the home to two state parks, which are the perfect place to camp,
hike, bike, and enjoy nature. We have acres of unspilled nature
and waterways, hours of outdoor funfrom paddling and peddling to sports, shooting
(02:57):
and fishing. We're also host toAtkins Arboretum, which is a four hundred
acre garden and preserved that's dedicated topromoting the appreciation for conservation of rich and
diverse native plants to Delmarco. Thefour miles of interpreted plat path lead visitors
through woodlands, meadows, wetlands andstreams and display gardens, so we had
(03:17):
plenty to author. It's beautiful atSerene and I think you said anyone that
comes here would appreciate it. Yeah. Absolutely. Terra Corsi is on with
you this morning, tourism manager forVisit Caroline County. Visit Caroline dot org
where you want to go for moreinfo and to start planning your trip.
Today, I was exploring the websitemyself and one thing that caught my eye
(03:37):
was the Chesapeake Ghost Walks. Whatare those all about? Tara? So,
the Chesapeake Ghostwalks are a series ofwalks that take place on the historic
Eastern Shore where ghosts and spirits andelementals still happen around The Ghostwalks run from
March to November and the Caroline CountyWalk itself is situated in downtown Denton,
(03:58):
which is our county seat. Thesights here that are still active include the
bet In Jail, which is believedto be haunted by the spirit of Wish
Shepherd, who's been haunting the jailssince his hanging in the early nineteen hundreds.
Oh Jesus, Yeah, and I'msuch a scaredy cat too, like
this this thing. It sounds cool, but for me, I like,
I don't know if I can handleit. I think you'd be just fine,
(04:23):
really really enjoy It's about the hourlong. You're talking about one point
five miles around the courthouse screen.So there's like five sites, including that
jail that I mentioned, and thenyou'll walk through like two graveyards. But
it's safe. I haven't handy yet, Okay, So it's it's friendly.
It's a friendly tour for wimpy whimpslike myself. Yes, absolutely all right.
(04:45):
Visit Caroline dot org for more informationon that and everything we've spoken about
this morning. And I know we'rekind of approaching the tail end of summer,
which is quite sad for a lotof us. But I would love
to know about what visitors can checkoff the rest of the summer the rest
of the year. I know thatyou and mentioned a couple of signature events
at the beginning of our conversation,so why don't you expand on, you
know, those events that people cancheck out in Caroline County. So one
(05:09):
of the things that we've done reallywell here is the creation of exciting and
new events. We have our signatureevents that I did mention, but there's
never a short of a shortage ofunique things to do to fill a weekend.
So as the summer winds down,we can expect to see a lot
of fall and winter events. Somehighlights of that would be including a visit
to jay Z Farms, which isopen through the fall and it holds special
(05:30):
events in the winter. It's funfor all ages. Each year they have
a ten acre corn maze and we'realways surprised by what design they're going to
come up with. The fifteenth annualAlpaca Festival is coming up. It's the
two day event, so you've gotalpacas if you're interested in farm animals,
rides, artists, and crafts,and it lends itself to the aggreaturism side
of things here. In the county, which we really like to promote.
(05:53):
There's also several five k's that areplanned. We're having our first ever five
K color run coming up. Andthen max were Fest is also a really
big draw. You're asking what isthat as we're like, and they compete
for a chance of becoming the bitcheese and they get, you know,
this crazy wacky trophy. But webest of all the people that are coming,
(06:14):
they're visiting to taste a bunch ofbacarny sheees. So it's really I'm
gonna have to mark that down onmy calendar absolutely. And then rounding things
out in the winter months, wehave Whoville Holiday Park Village it's a family
favorite, and Christmas and Ridgeley It'sfeaturing outdoor skating rinks, inflatables and all
around howidy theme attractions. So wejust roll right out of summer into fall
(06:36):
and into the winter. There's alwayssomething to do. Absolutely so much happening
in Caroline County. Visit Caroline dotorg is where you want to go for
more info and of course to startplanning your trip today. A lot of
great things coming up in Caroline Countyand the fall and winter. As Tara
just kind of give us the insidescoop. Tara, I want to say
a big thank you once again formaking some time for us here this morning
(06:57):
and giving us the inside scoop onCaroline County. Absolutely, thank you so much
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