Best Things to Do in this area

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located 12 miles south of Cambridge, Maryland, and was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory birds. The Refuge includes more than 28,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and loblolly pine forests, managed freshwater wetlands, and croplands. It serves as an important resting and feeding area for migrating and wintering waterfowl, and is one of the chief wintering areas for Canada geese using the Atlantic Flyway. Visitor Center plus walking and car paths through the wetlands.

Come by boat or car to enjoy learning about the history of the Chesapeake Bay. Over 13 major exhibits plus the working boatshed where a replica of the "Dove" is being constructed using 400 year old construction techniques. The "Dove" brought the first permanent settlers to Maryland in 1632 and established St. Mary's City just off the Potomac River. Be sure to climb to the top of the historic 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse for the best view of St. Michaels’ harbor and the Miles River!

Let Captain John Marrah and his able crew show you some of the magnificent homes along the Miles River during a 65 or 75 minute cruise up the Miles River toward Easton. The Patriot is docked next to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum - you can walk over from the Parsonage Inn or park in the maritime museum parking lot. See the innkeeper for tickets and to reserve limited seating due to the pandemic. Most days, the Patriot departs at 12:30 or 2:30pm. Top open-air deck and the bow area near the "wheelhouse" is the place to be on a nice sunny day!

Easton, Maryland, "the 8th Best Small Town in America" is an arts and cultural center with individuals who love living in a small town that offers the best of many worlds: casual and gourmet dining; shopping for all budgets from collectibles to fine antiques; art galleries; and a historic Town Center with Colonial and Victorian architecture. A "must see" is the beautiful brick Georgian Talbot County Court House (circa 1794) where the controversial "Talbot Boys" Confederate Statue is on the left side with the much newer Frederick Douglass Statue on the right side .

Located in Easton, Maryland, features an 18-hole Championship Talbot County golf course as well as 9-hole Executive course ready to test your golfing skills. In addition to our 27 holes of golf, we also offer complete learning areas to hone your game. These areas include an extremely large putting green, a newly designed chipping green complex, and a driving range with both grass and mat hitting areas. The Hog Neck Golf Course was rated the “Finest Golf on Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore” by Maryland Life Magazine’s Readers Poll in 2012!

Home of the famous Robert Morris Inn, circa 1710,. Now the oldest Colonial tavern still serving food and beverages to weary travelers. The tavern section of the hotel is a "living museum" as it is largely unchanged by various owners over the years - more authentic than the buildings in Williamsburg. The "strand" along the waterfront next to the ferry landing is a lovely walk down a tree lined street (used in the movie "The Wedding Crashers"), and the historic area is very walkable at 5 blocks long and two blocks deep. Also, site of the Scottish Highland Creamery which repeatedly wins "Best Ice Cream on the Eastern Shore".

Hoopers Island is a chain of three islands in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. Upper Hoopers Island, Middle Hoopers Island and Lower Hoopers Island are surrounded by water with the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Honga River on the other side. This remote set of islands has several small fishing villages is very picturesque. Hoopers Island is one of the oldest settled areas in Maryland. Home of Phillip's Seafood and "Old Salty's" seafood restaurant. A "miniature version" of the Florida keys.

The famous Oxford/Bellevue Ferry operates from April to November and provides convenient access from St. Michaels to the town of Oxford on the Tred Avon River. A lovely crossing on a nice day on one of the most beautiful rivers in the Mid-Atlantic area. This is a very historic town from Colonial times - it boast the Robert Morris Inn which dates from 1710! This is the oldest colonial tavern still open and serving food and beverages tp weary travelers. The tavern is original - never remodeled - a piece of living colonial American history! The price for using the ferry is very reasonable - even more so if you walk aboard and leave your car in the parking lot on the Bellevue side. This historic part of the town is about 5 blocks by two blocks deep - very walkable.

Donated in 1984 by the George Olds and Margaret Strahl Olds families, Pickering Creek's history is steeped in connecting people with nature. Pickering Creek has a number of small garden areas that feature, primarily native plants which flourish with regular TLC. Dorchester County is home to internationally recognized salt marsh habitat that provides essential stopover, feeding, and nesting areas for birds like Bald Eagles, Rails, and Saltmarsh Sparrows.

"Rebecca T. Ruark" was built in 1886 in Taylor's Island Maryland. She is the oldest skipjack on the bay and has been working the Chesapeake bay bringing oysters to market every season since. In 1995, Captain Wade H. Murphy decided to start taking guests out for a 2 hour sail on Rebecca. There is also the "Herman Krentz" Skipjack out of the maritime museum. Check with the innkeeper for current status.

Want ICE CREAM? Rated as the BEST ice cream in this area by Eastern Shore Magazine readers for the last ten years . . worth the ride from St. Michaels and the ferry crossing for some of the best ice cream . . many of our guests find an excuse to good back if they are here for a few days. Some really great recipes - creative and your taste buds will say YES . . along with good old standards. There are serval places to find really good ice cream in St. Michaels - but this family owned ice cream shop sets the standard for superb ice cream.

Designed after the classic New England Crosby Cat designed boats, the Selina II was built in 1926 at Sweets Shipyard in Greenport, NY. At 41 feet 6 inches overall length, she is the largest of the surviving vintage catboats. Her 16-foot beam makes her incredibly roomy and stable, the ultimate in sailing comfort. She is gaff-rigged, with a 48-foot mast and a 35-foot boom. On a normal sailing day, we carry about 1000 square feet of canvas, and our guests are treated to an authentic, old-fashioned sailing experience. Passengers can opt to participate and help raise the sail, or simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

St. Michaels is a picturesque harbor on Maryland's Eastern Shore and was named as one of the Top 10 Best Small Coastal Towns in America by USA Today. The St. Michaels area is perfect for outdoor activities including sailing on historic Skipjacks, kayaking, golfing and bicycling. St. Michaels is also known for exceptional restaurants, from quaint romantic bistros to waterfront restaurants, serving fresh seafood including the best tasting crab cakes!

Brewed right on premises by brewmaster Zach Milash, an Eastern Shore native, using only the finest ingredients from around the globe. We pride ourselves on quality not quantity and striving for the perfect pint. With a rotating selection of beers there is always something for everyone. Children and dogs are welcome. Beer available to go too!

Samples, glasses, and bottles. We have it all.​ No Reservations Required. Wine tastings are conducted daily starting at 11 a.m. With 18 wines in our cellar, we have something for every pallet. Glasses of wine are available each and every day. We also will have sangria or mulled wine occasionally, depending on the weather and our whims. After a wine tasting, be sure to grab a few bottles of your favorites. Take them with you, or leave them with us while you explore town.

Tilghman Island is more representative of the "way life was on the Eastern Shore" before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was built in the 1950's and spawned tourism that dramatically changed towns like St. Michael in the 1980's. Dogwood Harbor on your left about 1/2 mile onto the island is home to several aging Skipjack's - the boats that were built for dredging for oysters and once numbered about 1,000 over a hundred years ago. The Knapp's Narrows canal was built about 300 years ago so that square-rigged ships could set sail after leaving Oxford for the journey to Baltimore.