Long ago, in times past, I biked to the beach from the Kent Island side of the Bay Bridge. I did it in one day but wasn't loaded up with panniers either. Now, I will do it in reverse, taking two days to get to the Bay Bridge and then another day to get home. This will allow me to linger with my host a bit on Sunday morning before pushing off, doing the "shorter" day first. The second day, I'm camped out across from Fisherman's Inn, a restaurant that comes highly recommended, and the third day, I will head home, assisted with a lift over the bridge from a friend who works near Annapolis.

You can't bike across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and if you don't know a friend, there is a service that will carry you, Kent Island Express (410-604-0486), for $35. Not a bad deal.