The barrier islands of the Eastern Shore are difficult to get to, and even a day trip can be costly with guides charging per-person and per-hour rates.

If you can't visit the islands themselves, a trip to the Barrier Islands Center might be the next best thing. The museum, constructed on the poorhouse farm of Northampton County, details the rich history of the islands and the life and times of those who lived there.

"This is a very successful grass-roots project and belongs to the people of the Eastern Shore," said Laura Vaughan, director of the center. "This place has an aura about it."

The center is in Machipongo, on U.S. 13 about 20 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Find out more at www.barrierislandscenter.com or call (888) 678-5572.