at the very tip of southern maryland, down where the potomac empties into the bay, point lookout lighthouse stands. this spit of land was the site of an infamous civil war prison, where 4,000 confederate soldiers perished

and whose remains were interred here. more than 30 lighthouses still stand in the chesapeake. some retired as relics of a past age. others still shine forth as important aids to navigation.

perhaps most emblematic of them all, undoubtedly the most photographed, thomas point lighthouse warns ships of a sandbar extending out from shore near the sailing mecca of annapolis. brave thomas point light somehow survived the assault of 23 foot waves crashing upon it from tropical storm agnes in 1972.

eminently navigable, the bay has always been a superhighway; freighters, steamers, tugs, and tows. water is a way of commerce and means of transport.

the chesapeake bay skipjack, iconic in form, symbol of the bay's boat building heritage. skipjack nathan of dorchester is an exquisite example of the form. built as a light, inexpensive craft for oyster dredging the shallows, hundreds of skipjacks once thrived here.

true to form, skipjack nathan cuts through the choptank river almost without effort. the schooner sultana is an exact replica of colonial merchant vessels that once patrolled the north american coast, but now serves as a classroom on the water.

annapolis, celebrated as the sailing capital of america. state capital of maryland. general washington resigned his command of the continental army here, when annapolis was the temporary capital of the united states. high on a hill, the maryland state house is the oldest legislative building in continuous use in the nation.

waterfront streets are steeped in colonial history. safe harbor and launch point for recreational vessels of all kinds. proud home of the united states naval academy. here, aboard sailboats, in the classroom, and on athletic fields, in "four years by the bay," the midshipmen ideals of duty, honor and loyalty take shape.

completed in 1952, the first of towering twin spans of the chesapeake bay bridge, enabled easy migration to the eastern shore. so, we "getaway" to places quaint, picturesque, like historic st. michaels, on the miles river. the chesapeake bay maritime museum, and hooper straight lighthouse, mark land where once there were seafood packing houses, docks, and workboats.

it's a place where a seafaring past meets the sailors... and pleasure boaters of the present. the back bays of st. michaels, sculpted with protected coves, and easy water access, are fashionable getaway spots. highway 50, and the choptank river fishing pier, lead the way into cambridge, one of the oldest cities in maryland.

like any other waterfront town, life in cambridge is measured not by how much, or how fast, but the tides, the wind, and the waves. the sun retreats to the western horizon, casting long shadows over the nanticoke.

a river system of serene splendor. individual, curvaceous, meandering. for a long time, the nanticoke remained undeveloped, its shorelines thick with forest, its waters one of the most productive for fishermen and pound netters.

a place that inspires hope that chesapeake country will always look just as it does today. >> rhea: we have just seen some of the most stunning and dramatic hd images ever captured of the chesapeake bay. we've experienced her famous

landmarks and natural wonders that still look as glorious and untouched as they did a thousand years ago. this production used the latest in state of the art high definition recording gear to capture these beautiful images. and i don't know about you but i think watching it was truly and exhilarating experience, and we truly hope that you enjoyed watching it as much as we did. we also hope that you're going to take the time in this very last intermission to call in and support not just this special, but all the shows you watch and enjoy on public television. and you know we have some really wonderful thank you gifts when you support us at certain levels. here's more about tm. >> announcersoaring over the watery coves, gliding through theasand seng wonders from a spectacular vantage point. ll in to support chesapeake bay by aian'lsay than you with some t gift

a pled l in both discs include the bonus feature the skipjacks, a look back at life on the water aboard an oystering boat with its legendary crews. please call now and help keep journeys over america like chesapeake bay by air and more fantastic programs on public television. >> donald: you know, i just love this show. it's almost - every shot is like a painting, it's been artistically brushed. and you know we're so used to watching program where they have strong characters and these journeys that people go through, and here it is you end up with a television

program like th where each shot is a character. it's so beautiful. i'll tell you, i got mesmerized by it. i kept thinking, okay, i'm just going to watch a little bit of this, and i found myself - i couldn't stop watching because its so stunning. and it does, it reminds you of what an extraordinarily beautiful place the chesapeake bay is. having grown up near the chesapeake bay all of my life i can tell you how beautiful it is. when you are down on the ground, you know, with its lovely people and these lovely historic building, but yet to be up above it in this program tells a completely different story, and i'm so glad that so many of you are responding to this program. our operators are really busy, and that just shows you that if you produce a program that resonates well with the audience, you will come, and that's what you're doing, and i'm so happy. and if you already pledged your support to this public television station, thank you. and if you don't get thanked enough, please, we do appreciate the fact that you are enjoying this program and that you are calling and telling your program director in your station that you love it.

that's what we want to hear. it's music to our ears. it's not the big music concerts that sometimes you see on public television, but this is another way of public television reaching out to you the viewers, and thank you so much for responding. you know, public television occasionally needs the help of you, our viewers, to allow us to produce and broadcast breathtaking specials like this one on the chesapeake bay. please call us right now and help keep this great institution strong in the months and the years ahead. if you pledge $60, if you contribute $60 to this public television station, we will say thank you with the chesapeake bay by air dvd. this is the program you just watched. it also contains a bonus documentary called the skipjacks, which is a look at great fishing vessels that are known as the mack trucks of the chesapeake. this is a documentary that will give you a different prospective of the bay that you will not want to miss. if you pledge $75, and you're the type of person like me

that wants every picture to be as pristine as it can be and you have a blu-ray player at home, then you'll want this one, $75, the chesapeake bay by air on blu-ray. it also includes the documentary on the skipjacks. and remember that no pledge is too large, no pledge is too small. please ask the phone operator about this station's basic membership rate. the most important thing is that you help keep quality programming on public television. please call us now at the number on your screen. rhea. >> rhea: thank you very much, donald. please, donald is right, take a moment right now to become a member, or maybe to renew your membership to this public television station. we hope that you can be as generous as you can and cast your vote for more informative and enriching programs like this very special look at the chesapeake bay. viewers who become members are one of our greatest resources. and it doesn't make any difference how much you give, what matters is your call

with a contribution of any amount. but, as you know, when you contribute at certain levels we have some very exciting thank you gifts. again, let me remind you that you can get chesapeake by air on dvd with a pledge of $60. and it has that bonus documentary about the skipjacks. or if you prefer to have it on blu-ray, you can make a pledge of $75 and we'll send you chesapeake by air on blu-ray, which also includes the bonus documentary. so please call us right now at the number on your screen and ask the operator about putting your contribution on a charge card. you know it's really remarkable that you can travel the chesapeake by air, that you've been able to travel so many places not only in this country, but in the world through your television station. i know that i visited placed i'll never get to visit in person. but next best is to be able to see it on your public television station because programs like this are done with such care and detail that you really feel that

you are there. please help support the one of a kind shows that public television brings to everybody in our community. we have operators just waiting to take your calls. they want to keep busy, we want them to be busy, and most of all, we want you to be a part of your public television station. it is you who is the public in public television. donald. >> donald: thanks, rhea. you know, it's so funny you have to ask yourself a question, where else can you see this kind of program? think about all the television you watch, you think about the other cable stations, you think about the networks and you say, would they air a program like this one? i think you know the answer. the answer is no. you can only find a program like this on your public television station. this is what public television is all about. if producers bring you programs that most placed just wouldn't dream about doing, and public television has been doing this for you for a very long time. and sometimes you've sat back

and you've watched great program and you've seen pledge breaks like this, and maybe you have said, "well, you know, the guy next door, that guy, joe, he'll pick up the phone, he'll call, and you may not have to do it. but this time we're asking you. you've loved this program, i know you have. so we're asking for your support. we're asking for you to go to the phone, pick up the phone and call one of our great operators and tell them you want to have a part of this program for your show. or you just want to become a member of this public television station. either is just fine. we just want to hear from you because it is member supported public television, and that's what it's about. you know this fantastic special has captured the unparalleled wild beauty and history of the chesapeake bay, and all from high above the earth with breathtaking aerial views. this is your last chance to support this program. your last chance. please, call the number on your screen and give this public television station the opportunity to bring you more wonderful specials

just like this one. your membership contributions make shows like this possible. please help us bring you many more like it in the months and the years ahead. we cannot do what we do without you. i know it sounds cliche, folks, but it is the truth. and if you pledge $60 we will say thank you with the chesapeake bay by air dvd. it contains a special documentary called the skipjacks, which you will just adore. and if you pledge $75, we will say thank you with chesapeake bay by air on blu-ray. and remember, no pledge is too large, no pledge is too small. ask the phone operator about this station's basic membership rate. we want you to please call us right now at the number on your screen. rhea. >> rhea: absolutely. do exactly what donald says, go to the phone right now. public television has been committed to being a non-commercial educational resource that brings you the best in - well, brings you the best in science, certainly in nature,

definitely in the arts, public affairs and children's programming. i believe that our shows are top notch, and i hope you agree with me. but truly, we cannot do it without your support. it is your investment in this public television station that's going to pay high dividends now and in the future. so please call us right now. the number is on your screen. it's really easy to do. you just go to the phone, you make that call, you talk to one of the operators, and when you finish, when you've made that pledge to this station, you're going to feel good. you're going to feel glad to be a part of your public television family. and you're also going to feel good because you know that you're one of the people that makes programs like this possible. these programs are brought by people just like you who in past pledge drives called in and made pledges. now it's your turn. we hope that you're going to do the right thing and make the best possible pledge that you can. we have different levels that we suggest, but certainly, you can pledge whatever level is right for you, we just are

suggesting, perhaps $60, so that you can get a copy of chesapeake bay by air on dvd. it's the program we just watched. and it also has that bonus documentary. or maybe you'd like to have it on blu-ray, and you can do that by making a pledge of $75 and get chesapeake by air on blu-ray. but whatever you do, please give us a call. a lot of people live in the area of the chesapeake bay and they are enjoying this program. maybe you don't live anywhere near the chesapeake bay, but are enthralled by its beauty. or maybe you know somebody who would enjoy having this as a gift. however you want to do it, just go to the phone and make a pledge, we'd like to hear from you. the phones are very busy and that makes us very, very happy. please, keep on calling. donald. >> donald: thanks, rhea. and we like to stay happy, i'll tell you. you know having lived in this area of the chesapeake bay, and having been a tv producer of programs like this, i can tell you the amount of work that goes into producing a program like this.

you think about all the footage you saw tonight, think about all the footage that they shot that they never used, that the producers painstakingly went through every shot just to make sure that it flowed with the next one. they created this beautiful music. they hired a great narrator. they wrote it. it's just a wonderful special, and they did it for you, they did it for public television. this is the last pledge opportunity for this special. please, folks, if you liked this special and you want to pledge $60, please call us and you will get, as a thank you gift, the chesapeake bay by air dvd. it contains a bonus documentary called the skipjacks. if you pledge $75, we will say thank you with chesapeake bay by air on blu-ray. what do we want you to do now? we want you to please call us now at the number on your screen and ask the operator about putting your contribution on a charge card. help support the one kind of program that public television brings to everyone in our community. we have operators waiting to take your call. whatever you do, pick up the phone and call us. thank you for watching

and supporting chesapeake bay by air on public television. >> announcer: this program was made possible in part

by the mpt new initiative fund founded by irene and edward h. kaplan.