Learning the value of the bay in just a ride through the country A SUNDAY DRIVE

Picnic tables and benches are scattered along the route for fair-weathered lunching and fast-food restaurants are within /^ close driving distance from the tour area. Handicapped parking is available at some of the spots designated for exploration.

After driving the meandering route along the Patuxent, watching for eagles and osprey, ducks and bass, Mr. Lewis hopes drivers will realize the importance of preserving this main tributary to the bay. "You can't see those from your living room."

Party on the Bay events

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Crab Day. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today. Celebrate the famous crustacean with crab races,

exhibits, boat rides, music and seafood. St. Michaels. [phone]. Admission.

Dorchester Chamber of Commerce Seafood Feast-i-val. Noon-5 p.m. today. All-you-can-eat seafood feast on the shores of the Choptank River. University of Maryland Horn Point Lab, Cambridge. [phone]. $18 for adults, $9 for children under 12.

Budweiser Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce Pro-Am Fishing Tournament. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. today, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. tomorrow. Fishermen compete for prize money for trout, flounder and bluefish. Somers Cove Marina, Crisfield. [phone]. Fee.

Critical area driving tour. Noon-3 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 16, 23, 30. A 4-mile, self-guided drive along the Patuxent River, beginning at Patuxent Park and ending at Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary. Croom Airport Road, off Route 382 East. [phone].

Harford County Seafood Festival. Noon-7 p.m. today, noon-5 p.m. tomorrow. Enjoy shrimp, clams, oysters, also children's programs, music and crafts. Tydings Memorial Park, Havre de Grace. [phone]. $3 admission to the park, pay-as-you-go menu.

Canoe jousting. Noon-5 p.m. tomorrow. Canoe jousting competition on the scenic Pocomoke River. Sturgis Park, Snow Hill. [phone]. Fee for competitors.

Meander through the marshes. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow. Take a half-hour guided tour through cattail, water lily and wild rice aboard a historic dugout canoe. First-come, first-served. Jug Bay Sanctuary. [phone]. Fee.

Osprey tour. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Aug. 12 and 19. Take binoculars and see osprey and their young up close as a Department of Natural Resources guide conducts a one-hour tour of osprey resting grounds. Half-hour video included. Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, Croom. Reservations required. [phone].

Bike the Bay '92. 7 a.m. Aug. 15. Cyclists can enjoy a 14-, 30- or 50-mile bike ride through Anne Arundel County to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. London Town Publik House, Edgewater. [phone]. Fee.

Party on the Bay Lady. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Enjoy a three-hour cruise with seafood buffet and music aboard the Baltimore cruise ship. Sponsored by Harbor Cruises, MIX-106.5 FM and Budweiser. Inner Harbor. [phone]. Admission.

Wye field day. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 20. Learn about farming and the bay, wagon tours of agricultural research, meet the experts, crab feast and bluegrass music. Queenstown. [phone].

Jackson Boat Show. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 20-23. In-water boat show and sales. Refreshments. Hances Point/Shelter Cove Marina, North East. [phone].

Purnell Museum's waterfront concert. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Open air concert beside the scenic Pocomoke River featuring old-time favorites. Sturgis Park, Snow Hill. [phone].

North Beach Bayfest. Noon -6 p.m. Aug. 22. Fresh steamed crabs, ethnic foods, crab races, watermelon-eating contest, music, arts and crafts, antiques. Free shuttle service. North Beach. [phone].

Bay Day at Rock Hall. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 22. Seafood, environmental games, children's activities, jousting competition, music. Go by boat or car. Sponsored by WPOC 93.1 FM Radio. Rock Hall. [phone].

Maryland State Fair. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 22-31. Livestock and agricultural demonstrations, seafood, rides, entertainment and racing. Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium. [phone]. Admission.

The role of native plants in the landscape. 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Aug. 27. An all-day symposium for the amateur and professional gardener on the variety of uses of the Chesapeake Bay region's native plants in gardens and landscapes. Irvine Natural Science Center, Baltimore. Registration required. [phone]. Fee.

Port Deposit Heritage Day. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 29. Boat trips on the Susquehanna, used book sale, food, house and garden tours and Civil War re-enactment. Main Street, Port Deposit. [phone].

Volunteer Day at the State Fair. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 30. Learn about volunteer opportunities to help the Chesapeake Bay, including Maryland's Chesapeake Cleanup Campaign and Senior Conservation Corps. Join tree plantings, stream cleanups, marsh grass plantings and more. Timonium. [phone]. Admission.