There are few things more relaxing than being out on the water. And one of the most intriguing places to do this is just outside Lynnhaven Bay, on tour with Pleasure House Oysters. Oysterman Chris Ludford grows and harvests oysters on leased marshland along the Lynnhaven River by the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and takes small groups out on his boat for an hour or two of aquaculture immersion. It’s an educational, behind-the-scenes look at the intricacies of oyster farming, with everything managed by hand.
The Lynnhaven oyster is famous – big and salty, fat and firm. Bivalves from this region fed entire communities a few hundred years ago and were coveted by European royalty for more than a century. Today, Ludford supplies oysters to restaurants and will shuck a few right off the side of the boat for you. After the tour, sit on the patio at Chick’s Oyster Bar, one of the original waterfront seafood shacks.
