Article from The Enterprise.

Getting excited about a new website may seem quaint nowadays, but for the folks at a regional tourism and preservation organization, it’s worth some buzz.

The staff and board of directors from the Southern Maryland Heritage Area last month announced the newly redesigned website for the organization — www.DestinationSouthernMaryland.com.

“We’re hoping to be a digital portal to Southern Maryland,” Lucille Walker, the group’s executive director, said this week.

The new website will act as a clearinghouse of resources to Southern Maryland residents and visitors, highlighting access to places in St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties, as well as focusing on the unique stories of this area.

“We tell the stories of people, place, culture,” Walker said. Destination Southern Maryland is a reflection of the great potential for heritage tourism, encouraging people to visit, invest, and enjoy the region.

There is also an interactive map to help navigate a variety of resources, such as museums and historical sites, wineries, breweries, distilleries, byways, trails and parks. And there are lists of campsites, lodgings, water rentals and marinas.

Walker said she would encourage residents to start their dives into the new website by clicking on the “Discover” link, which showcases stories including Ancient Creatures, First Peoples, Birthplace of Religious Freedom, African American Experience, War Comes to Southern Maryland and others.

Soon, she said, they hope to add an events tab to the page that will highlight the region’s arts and music shows as well as major festivals and other happenings.

Partner organizations for this website include all three counties’ governments, the Maryland Heritage Area Authority, the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland and the Rural Maryland Council, according to a release from Southern Maryland Heritage Area. Additional partnerships are listed throughout the site (such as the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission in “Deep Roots in Land and Sea”).

The website and related social media pages are created in conjunction with the team of Alchemi Design and will be updated on a regular basis, according to the release. The group’s Facebook page will highlight the daily workings of the Southern Maryland Heritage Area as well as feature different sites and events in the region.