Day #312 - St. Michaels, MD
June 8th, 2009We left beautiful Oxford this morning at 8:00. Our stay here was very relaxing and enjoyable.
We are headed to St. Michaels. As you can see from the photo, it is a short distance as the crow flies. However, by boat by the time you go out, up and around you have traveled 40 miles.
We spotted an interesting way to move a barge when you don’t have a tug…push it with a skiff.
St. Michaels is a quaint waterfront village on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is situated on a peninsula between Tilghman Island, Easton and Oxford It is a popular stop for many boaters as it is only a relatively short distance from Washington DC, Annapolis and Baltimore. James Michener lived here while researching and writing “Chesapeake.” As we get closer large homes begin to line the shore.
A little history fact is that St. Michaels was known as “The Town That Fooled The British.” “In the dark morning hours of August 10, 1813, a number of British barges had planned an attack on the town and a fort on the harbor side. The residents of tiny St. Michaels, forewarned, hoisted lanterns to the masts of ships and in the tops of the trees, tricking the British by causing the cannons to overshoot the town. This first “blackout” was effective and only one house was struck. Now known as ‘The Cannonball House’ a cannon ball penetrated the roof and rolled down the staircase as Mrs. Merchant carried her infant daughter downstairs. The house still exists as a private residence.” Below is how it looks today.
After the War of 1812, St. Michaels declined as an ocean-going shipbuilding center and after a brief depression in the 1820’s, began to rise as a seafood processing and packing center. Oysters and blue crabs were the principal trade. Today it is tourism.
We are staying at St. Michaels Marina and it is located right in the charming downtown.
Off for a bike ride and exploring. Today is a perfect day for it. Actually it is a perfect day for just about anything. It is 85, sunny and warm, hardly a cloud in the sky. Life is good!
