 ANNAPOLIS
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Wow, what a GREAT PLACE!
Our only past exposure to Annapolis was when we came to a boat show years ago.
We were in such a rush and it was so busy and crowded we didn’t really grasp
what this town has to offer. It’s wild with activity! Now that we’re in the
upper reaches of the Chesapeake, we find that we need to plan ahead for slip
reservations. We don’t know whether it’s end of the season rush or just that
there are so many more pleasure boaters here. So, Larry called ahead to get a
slip and nothing was available! Larry was on the phone for over an hour
trying to find a place. We called our friends on “Ocean Bea” for
recommendations and they said we could anchor in front of the Naval Academy if
we can’t find anything. Larry finally got some positive response back from a
place called Petrini’s Boat Yard which was said to be nearby Annapolis downtown
and they said they would make some space for us.
Entering the harbor of
Annapolis is spectacular from a distance. You are immediately struck by the
copper dome and roofs of the Naval Academy and the beautiful Capitol building on
the top of the hill. We had met a nice couple in Solomon’s Island on a trawler
named “Betty Jean”. They recommended getting into Annapolis Harbor just before
11:00 AM and we may just luck out and get a space, as that’s check out time on
the public dock in what they call “Ego Alley”. Larry planned our arrival to
coincide with check out time and as we got Annapolis in view, he hailed the
public dock on the radio. It was our lucky day as there was a space opening and
they said they’d save it for us!
We meandered our way past
all the marinas and moored boats and saw the small slip of the channel that they
so appropriately nick name “Ego Alley”. It was busy with boats coming in and
out, just cruising, and we slowly proceeded in hoping that this was the right
place.
 It looked narrow and we didn’t know what the turning situation would be
once we got in there. We called the dock master again to make sure we were
going in the right place and they said “yes capt’n”. We then saw the dock
helpers in their bright blue T-shirts waving to us. Also, the little “pump-out”
boat waved at us and said to follow him in. Everyone was so helpful and
friendly. We followed them all the way in to the inner channel and docked her
against the long concrete wall. We couldn’t believe it! We were right in the
center of Annapolis! We looked around and it was bustling with activity. We
had coffee shops, restaurants, ice cream stores all within a few steps away.
We stayed a week there,
much longer than we anticipated, but because we had such a great time. The dock
staff were friendly and extremely helpful with any information we needed.
 The whole week, it was
bustling with activity. It seems like the town never sleeps. They all seem to
congregate at the dock too. They stop and listen to musicians, and watch boats,
and eat ice cream cones. It goes on late into the evening every night. We
didn’t really have to do much to be entertained as we just sat on the boat and
watched the parade of boats come down the channel and make the narrow turn. It
was a real challenge to come down in a big boat and make the turn by the skin of
their teeth.
We got our bikes down and
rode all over town and got plenty of exercise. There’s so much to see and do
here. It was a fun break.
We enjoyed our week stay
at the docks. The dock people were more than accommodating helping with
whatever we needed, maps, and info and friendly recommendation.
Unfortunately the last night that we were there, someone pulled a prank on us
and untied our dock lines. The water in the channel was so calm that the boat
didn’t move and we didn’t notice it until we came back from our walk with Ziggy.
By then the boat had drifted out a few feet and we were able to pull her back
with the one line they weren’t able to un hook. We’re not sure who did it or
when but it was unnerving as the channel gets very busy and it certainly
would’ve created a scene. Nevertheless, we got the boat back safely and soon it
was time to go anyway so we didn’t dwell on it.
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While we were in Annapolis, we decided to rent a car and
drive across the W.P. Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge which connects the eastern and
western shores in the Chesapeake. We wanted to see some of the towns on the
Eastern Shore that we wouldn’t be able to see with our boat. You would think
that you could rent a car at each little town but you can’t, so whatever you
can’t see by bicycle, we decided to drive.
CHESTERTOWN
Our first stop was Chestertown. We crossed the “bay
bridge” on Route 50 and headed north through Queenstown, Centreville and Church
Hill. We were amazed at the farm lands, miles and miles of corn and soybeans.
It’s beautiful and lush. We crossed the Chester River Bridge over Chester River
and found ourselves in the beautiful village of Chestertown. It’s located in
Kent County on the Upper Bay side way up the Chester River. This is sometimes
called Chesapeake Country.
Chestertown is probably more known by its hometown college,
Washington College. So immediately, the town has the feel of a small college
town. Chestertown was founded in 1706 and merchants that made their fortunes
in trade during the following years built some magnificent mansions in
Chestertown on Water Street which is the street the lines the river. In the
center of town there is major renovation going on. It was as if someone came in
and bought a whole city block and is bringing it back to its original splendor.
We always check the marina out first and were surprised
to see much of it under construction due to the damage last year by hurricane
Isabel. They aren’t wasting anytime building a new marina center which looks
like its going to be a great destination when it’s completed. We walked the
dock and admired the Sultana, which is a replica of the 200 year
old schooner that was built in 1767 and later used by the British Royal Navy to
patrol the Chesapeake. There were a few other examples of watermen boats on
display also.
The downtown though small is quaint and charming and has
several little eateries and quaint shops. Right in the center of town is the
White Swan Tavern which has been restored to its 1800’s appearance.
We didn’t stay long as we wanted to head south to see more towns.
WYE MILLS
We headed back down the way we came heading for the town of
Easton. We decided to take a short side route to see Wye Mills.
It’s just off the main highway and well worth the detour. We stopped at the
little gristmill alongside the small country road. It’s famous for having
supplied flour to George Washington’s troops during the war. We got a nice
explanation of the mill by a local lady who was very friendly and very chatty.
She gave us recommendations for other interesting stops to make along the way.
They still grind their own flour, corn meal, and buckwheat and we bought a bag
of fresh cornmeal. It’s supposed to have a different taste which is picked up
from the stone grinder. We’ll see when I make some cornmeal bread.
At her recommendation, we stopped at the nearby country
store and bought some hard round biscuits which she said are made down the rode
and they are unique to this area. I also couldn’t resist buying a freshly baked
apple covered in homemade pastry with syrup on top. It was the best Larry and I
ever ate. The little round biscuits were hard and dry and had a small little
cross design on the outside made with little pin holes on each biscuit. They
were surprisingly good and we munched on them later in the day.
There’s supposed to be a big antique auction nearby called
“Crumpton”. It’s equivalent to Brimfield in
Massachusetts. Unfortunately it wasn’t on the day we were traveling through.
It’s an institution in this area and very famous with acres of objects from
antiques to second hand items. The lady from Wye Mills said part of the fun of
seeing it is seeing and eating at the wonderful food stalls run by a local Amish
community. The auction is every Wednesday so maybe another visit.
EATON
Eaton is located south of Wyle Mills and almost directly
east of St. Michael’s in Talbot County. Again another wonderful town full of
charm and well-preserved buildings from the Colonial period. Though we didn’t
have time to see the whole town, it looked as if it had many fine antique
stores, shops and eateries.
I guess its historical claim to fame was in the colonial
days. Some of its rebellious citizens gathered in the local and beautiful
Talbot County Courthouse to write the Talbot Resolves, a
forerunner to the Declaration of Independence. The Talbot County Courthouse,
though it dates back to 1712, it is still in active use to this day.
 We had lunch at the Tidewater Inn in the
center of town on their patio. They didn’t mind that Ziggy sat under the
table. After lunch, I wanted to visit the Historical Society of Talbot
County, housed in an old Federal style brick building. It was an
interesting view of the local history. I was also very interested to see the
first Quaker church. It is said to be the oldest religious structure in the
United States and amazingly is still in active use today. The docent at the
Historical Society gave us directions to the Quaker church. We were to drive a
half mile out of town and when we saw some ivy covered pillars we were to make a
right down the narrow dirt road, “and don’t worry about going down there, as
it’s always open, they don’t lock the doors”. We found the Old Third Haven
Meeting House and she was right. It was unmarked and looked like we were
going down someone’s driveway but we were glad we persisted. When we got to the
end of the long drive we saw a small simple white clapboard building. We opened
the door and walked inside to still see the old and original wooden pews in
their unique Quaker layout. It was set in a meadow surrounded by tall trees and
simple small square stones mark the graves of its founders. Not too many feet
nearby is the “new” meeting hall. We talked to some carpenters who were doing
to work on it and they said the “new” hall was built in the 1800’s. They said
they use the new one in winter and the old one in summer. He said the new one
has heaters for winter. He said these Quakers are a hardy bunch and back in the
old days they used the original meeting house in winter with no heaters.
EAST NEW MARKET
We decided to take an off shoot from the main highway to
see East New Market which is supposed to be a town frozen in time. We were
disappointed in the town because there was no town really to speak of. It jus
looked like a cross roads where two country roads met, no stores or cafes. On
the way to East New Market we did pass by a directional sign that said
“Suicide Bridge Restaurant”. We couldn’t resist the strange sign and
retraced our track to go back and see it. We wandered the country roads for a
few miles before we came to the restaurant and famous bridge. Apparently this
little picturesque bridge called Suicide Bridge has a grisly history.
It’s only 10-15 feet high crossing a tributary off the Choptank River. It is
said to have a history of suicides over the years. The first victim was the
local postmaster, then a nearby farmer, and another was never determined whether
it was a suicide or foul play. The bridge was rebuilt in 1968 and in less than
6 months another suicide occurred. Then a man who was born and raised with in a
half mile who had moved away for several years, came back and shot himself on
the bridge. Things are looking up recently though as a woman jumped off in
winter. A neighbor, who lives right next to the creek, heard her and pulled her
out. He now owns the Suicide Restaurant.
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