The sun was shining, a loved up couple of Ospreys circled above, our boat was cutting majestically through the calm waters of Chesapeake Bay and a perfect sea breeze caressed my face. It was a lovely moment in the lovely American state of Maryland.

So needless to say I promptly fell asleep and missed the majority of the boat trip on the majestic Miles River.

Which is just my luck because I’m usually wide awake in the West Midlands during my bus journey to work everyday.

However, just as falling asleep was beautiful so was waking up, my senses were aroused by beautiful sea air, the sound of water and truly amazing scenery.

On America’s East Coast Maryland is dominated by Chesapeake Bay which is a geological wonder on a scale that dwarfs anything in the Western Hemisphere. America's biggest estuary is over 200 miles long and needless to say is a paradise for anyone who loves boating and fishing.

However, the cities, towns and villages that have grown up around the bay are some of the most picturesque in all of America and St Michaels, where our boat The Patriot docked, is no exception.

Branding itself the ‘heart and soul’ of the bay St Michaels has a rich history of shipbuilding, sailing and boating and is now a magnet for fun-seekers from surrounding states especially Washington DC which is just a few hours away.

We were staying at the Habourtowne Resort in St Michaels which has idylic cabins on the shores of the bay and some of the best conference and golf facilities in the state.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum demonstrates man's constant battle to tame the sea through bravery, innovation and new technology.

It's a Maryland tradition to catch, smash up and eat the bay's famous crabs. And the Crab Claw restaurant overlooking St Michael's Bay is the place to do it. The trouble is I can't stand crab, it's hard enough for me not to destroy the dining table whilst eating normal food let alone bringing a hammer and an animal with armour into the equation. Luckily for me the rest of the menu was great.

However, later that night at the town’s Inn at Perry Cabin the crabcakes I ate at the were lovely, though I felt a bit of a fraud chickening out on the real experience.

Then again, everything was lovely about the menu at Sherwood’s Landing at the Inn at Perry Cabin luxury resort because it is the only four diamond restaurant on the bay’s Eastern shore.

I started with the oysters on the half shell with mignonette and cocktail sauces followed by the 22 ounce bone in ribeye with old bay spiced vadalia onion rings and sauteed spinach. And finished the night with the three cherry desert. Every single mouthful was a pleasure to eat and the genteel atmosphere made the night even better. And is not expensive as it could be.

As is the rest of St Michaels, it is perfect for couples and families from all ages, and all occasions and though a millionaire’s playground you don’t need your own superyacht to go as there are some great deals to be found.

Ellicott City in Howard County is another perfectly manicured Maryland settlement. Nestled in pine tree covered countryside the town is home to the US’s oldest rail station and the fascinating Baltimore and Ohio Railway Museum. Every building in the town is perfectly painted in different colours. Main Street is a joy to behold with art galleries, book shops, gift shops and high class restaurants and friendly eateries. All of which seem to have an owner with a story to tell and full of information about their beloved town.

Howard County has one of highest wage rates per head thanks to the prevalence of the multi-billion dollar military industrial complex in the area so like everywhere else in the world, where there is money there is top notch restaurants, 17 within walking distance in fact. We ate at Tersiguels French Country Restaurant which by all accounts is one of the best French restaurants in America. The family run restaurant was a delight with each perfectly prepared course melting in the mouth and certainly lived up to its reputation.

Across Main Street is the German themed Ellicott Mills Brewery, which had enough big screen tvs show about 10 sports simultaniously. It was just a shame we were watching England play at the time. However, the countless locally brewed beers and none stop supply of amazing sausages, including a mouth-watering Venison variety to die for, made up for tripe on the television.

The city of Baltimore was our next stop. It's one of those places that Americans give you a quizzical look when you say you've been or going there.

Famed across the world for all the wrong reasons after the brilliant tv series The Wire depicted a world of drugs, murder, gangs and corrupt cops and politicians.

And being a fan of The Wire I can't deny I got a kick out of hearing the 'werp werp' of the police sirens and needless to say I got our bemused driver to drive us to the 'low rises' featured in the series.

The Fells Point district of Baltimore is a truly fantastic place to wander around and enjoy a night out. It's cobbled streets, countless bars and shops, vibrant nightlife give the place character. The former sailors hang-out was Maryland's first historic district. Many of the streets, homes and pubs date back centuries which is pretty rare in America. We went on a ghost tour that was fascinating for the first half an hour but then thoughts turned to the liquid spirits we were missing by walking past so many brilliant drinking holes.

Downtown Baltimore has some great museums and the impressive Monaco Baltimore hotel which used to be the headquarters of the giant B&O railway company. The rooms were boutique standard and the lobby conjours up images of prospectors and railway men in the 1800s. And it’s adjoining B&O American Brasserie serves some of the best steaks in the city.

Balitmore’s downtown is bustling with uncompromising NFL franchise The Baltimore Ravens and baseball team Baltimore Orioles both playing at adjoining downtown stadiums as well the city attracting top musical artists.

Maryland has many historic sites, many concerning the American Civil War, and has a dedicated ‘history road’ that tourists can follow.

The state capital Annapolis is one of the most historic places in America as the Maryland State House first met in 1779 and is the oldest in continuous use in America.

However, the town is renowned across America as the home of the US Navy Academy. The historic campus is open to the public and is a National History Landmark. The women I was on holiday certainly went a bit woozy at the sight of all the fit young sailors marching around in uniform. Retired former cadets give tours around the site and our grizzled guide really made the place come alive with plenty of fascinating stories about life in the Navy.

The town of Annapolis also perfect for a stay with plenty of shops, restaurants and museums.

And of course boat trips, this time we explored the harbour in a small electric powered Duffey boat, which even I was allowed to captain for a short while.

And luckily for my fellow passengers for this spell on the water I even managed to stay awake whilst at the helm.

For more information on Maryland visit www.capitalregionusa.org.

FACTBOX I stayed in the Monaco Hotel in Baltimore www.monaco-baltimore.com And the Harbourtowne Resort in St Michaels, Maryland www.harbourtowne.com. British Airways offers a seven day fly-drive to Washington DC from £549 per person. Includes return BA flights from London Heathrow and inclusive Avis car hire. Subject to availability, based on two sharing and includes all UK taxes.