WASHINGTON – The weather is getting chilly, but if you long for the warm days of summer, maybe a trip to a crab deck or tiki bar is in order.

Luckily, it’s prime oyster season and crab shacks and tiki bars along the Chesapake Bay are open for business.

Bill Wade and Susan Elnicki Wade spent months checking out more than a 150 of them — all on the water and many off the beaten path — making it easier to find the perfect crab spot on the Bay.

They’ve compiled that list into the hit-book and website “Crab Decks & Tiki Bars of the Chesapeake Bay.”

“What we like to encourage people to do is pick a neck. Pick a portion of the Bay where you haven’t been and then go explore it,” says Susan Wade.

The book is a get-out-of-town guide set up by region. It takes a look at food, atmosphere, history and ambience.

“We want people to know if they are travelling with dogs or kids, or they’re just wearing a pair of cutoff shorts, where would they feel most comfortable,” Wade says.

The atmosphere meter goes from a beer mug to a martini glass.

Diners will also get a peek into area history as they taste their way around the Bay.

“We’ve got history. We’ve got a little bit of geography, information about the food and about the place that you’re at,” Bill Wade says.

“The Bay is a wonderful place. It’s got a whole lot more to offer than folks see just driving Route 50. Some of these places are on the most breathtaking spots along the Bay.”

WTOP’s Debra Feinstein contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)