Companion Travels: Oxford & St. Michael's, Maryland

Ron wearing his favorite shoes

Ron's favorite shoes

No it's not Bonnie & Clyde

Figurehead from Freedom Schooner

Monday July 7th we left Dun Cove Anchorage and headed for Oxford. We arrived at Hinkley Yacht Services late morning, located on Town Creek off of the Tred Avon River. Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland dating back to 1683 and served as one of the two ports of entry for the entire Maryland province. Oxford is a town of many small quaint homes, with lots of flowers and white picket fences. In it's earlier years it enjoyed the prominence of an international shipping port surrounded by tobacco plantations. Years later canning & shipping of oysters became the predominant business. Today it is still a waterman's town enjoying the resurgence of tourism.

Yesterday we took the marina loaner bikes, road on the ferry from Oxford to Bellevue, and then rode the bikes into St. Michael's. (16 mile round trip) St. Michael's is a charming seaside resort town reflecting its colonial past with many homes from the 1700 to late 1800's. You can find one or two Bed & Breakfast's on each block.

A bit of interesting history - During the War of 1812, St. Michaels gained its name as "the town that fooled the British". The residents of St. Michaels, having been forewarned that British barges were positioned on the waters to attack with cannon fire, hoisted lanterns into the trees above the city. This first successful "blackout" fooled the British into overshooting the town's houses and shipyards. Only one house, forever since known as Cannonball House, was struck.

You can't be in Maryland and not eat crab - blue crab, crab cakes, crab dip, soft shell crab...
The Crab Claw Restaurant in St. Michael's has the best crab sandwiches!

Before leaving Oxford we visited the Cutts & Case Shipyard, designers and builders of some of the most spectacular modern wooden yachts.