Rediscovering America_ Exploring the Small Towns of Virginia & Maryland - Bill Burnham [111]
The Old Brick Inn has 12 rooms in an 1816 inn with fireplaces and an outdoor pool. (401 S. Talbot Street, tel. 401-745-3323, www.oldbrickinn.com, $$$)
Barrett’s Bed & Breakfast has a tea room serving tea, espresso, scones, and homemade pastries, daily 2-5 pm. (204 N. Talbot Street, tel. 410-745-3322, www.barrettbb.com, $$$$)
Five Gables Inn & Spa has porches, fireplaces, an indoor pool, steam room and sauna. (209 N. Talbot Street, 877-466-0100, www.fivegables.com, $$$$)
Dr. Dodson House Bed & Breakfast is a 1799 brick house where complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails are served in the parlor. (200 Cherry Street, tel. 410-745-3691, www.drdodsonhouse.com, $$$)
The Victoriana Inn has harbor views and fireplaces, and is right next to the Maritime Museum. (205 Cherry Street, tel. 888-316-1282, www.victorianainn.com, $$$$)
The Parsonage Inn is an eight-room brick Victorian with brass beds, fireplaces and dining. (210 N. Talbot Street, tel. 410-745-5519 or 800-394-5519, www.Parsonage-Inn.com, $$)
The Snuggery Guest House is a 1665 home with original logs exposed, recently renovated, just steps to the harbor. (203 Cherry Street, tel. 410-745-2800)
The newly restored 1908 Victorian George Brooks House B&B is on seven acres where guests can enjoy an outdoor pool and hot tub, formal gardens and bicycles. (Rolles Range Road and Route 33, tel. 410-745-0999, www.georgebrookshouse.com, $$$)
Pet-friendly: The Inn At Perry Cabin is one of the world’s best country house hotels, and they actually welcome pets! Fine dining and a health facility are offered in this 1812 white Colonial mansion. There are 35 guest rooms and six suites, many with canopy beds, fireplaces and outdoor sitting areas overlooking the Miles River. (308 Watkins Lane, tel. 800-722-2949, www.perrycabin.com, $$$$)
Pet-friendly: Kemp House Inn is an 1807 Georgian where General Robert E. Lee once stayed. Pets are welcome in the cottage. (412 S. Talbot Street, tel. 410-745-2243, www.kemphouseinn.com, $$)
Information
St. Michaels Business Association, tel. 800-808-7622, www.stmichaelsmd.org.
Talbot County Office of Tourism, 11 N. Washington Street, tel. 410-770-8000, www.tourtalbot.org.
TRIVIA: Novelist James Michener lived in St. Michaels while researching and writing Chesapeake.
Event
The Antique & Classic Boat Festival in mid-June brings more than 100 exceptional craft for the judged show at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. (tel. 410-745-2916)
Christmas in St. Michaels is a magical time, with a tour of decorated homes, a parade, and old-fashioned holiday traditions. (tel. 410-745-0745, www.stmichaelsmd.org/christmas)
Tilghman Island
Around Town
For a glimpse of what St. Michaels used to be like, head south on Route 33 to Tilghman Island, a relaxed and truly authentic fishing village where most of the inhabitants still make their living from the Chesapeake Bay.
What makes Tilghman an island is a scant few dozen feet of water spanned by Knapps Narrow Bridge, a counter-balanced drawbridge that sets so low, chances of seeing it operate more than once during a visit are pretty good. It only takes a few minutes for the larger sailboats to pass by, and since there really isn’t any reason to be in a hurry on the island, it proves a pleasant distraction.
Shopping on Tilghman isn’t quite on par with St. Michaels, which is a nice change. There are a handful of quaint antiques and gift shops. An outfitter rents kayaks, while landlubbers can explore old cemeteries or the 57-acre wildlife preserve where bald eagles nest. There’s a country store, the Island Market, and the Book Bank, a nautical-themed bookstore in the former bank building.
The island’s biggest claim to fame is something worth seeking out. Down Gibsontown Road on Dogwood Harbor is the home of the last commercial fishing