This week's destination, Havre de Grace, is not something you have to spend a long time planning. For Baltimore residents, the drive is about 45 minutes; and likely some of you are even closer. It's just off I-95 as you're heading north and is known for the Maryland House rest stops nearby.

For that reason, a lot of people might not consider the Harford County city a day-trip, or even a destination. More like a suburb being rapidly absorbed by neighboring golf courses and condos that, a la Kent Island, seem to extend into the bay in defiance of tides and gravity.

But I would urge another look. This small town's harbor is still a great place to watch ducks, have a nice meal and tour a few doable attractions. True, Havre de Grace doesn't get the canvasbacks that it used to, but even run-of-the-mill waterfowl are beautiful to watch as they sun themselves on the beaches of the Susquehanna. This is, after all, where the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake Bay, and it has a rich history of duck-hunting and fishing.

If it's ducks that float your boat, try the Decoy Museum, which boast a small but excellent collection of carved decoy ducks. Check their web site for carving demonstrations. The town's maritime museum tells the hsitory of the proud town. The Concord Point Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operated light in Maryland, and offers spectacular water views. Check here for its hours.

And Havre De grace has one of the state's last remaining skipjacks, the Martha Lewis.

Ask an old-timer in town about Tropical Storm Agnes, and you will probably get an earful on what happened to the Susquehanna Flat's lush grassbeds, which were food for the legendary ducks and also key habitat for the blue crab. The grasses have made a comeback in recent years, though they are not what the old-timers remember.

I regret I never made it to the Crazy Swede restaurant, which now appears to be out of business. But even without it, the town seems to have no shortage of dining options. Here's a list of them.

Havre de Grace is one of those places I always mean to go back to, because my trips there have been brief. Now that it's warm out, I imagine we'll be going there soon.

(Baltimore Sun photo)