Respite on the Eastern Shore

The end of Summer found us longing to take a breath, be calmed by the sound of the ocean, and grounded by the great outdoors. It was important that we recharged the first few days of our vacation, as we were coming off the conclusion of very extensive and intense professional and personal challenges. We both agreed the Eastern Shore of our home state, Maryland, would be a great starting point. We had spent some time in St. Michaels and loved it - but too many other fellow travelers also love that spot so we opted for the even more secluded 3-mile Tilghman Island in the Chesapeake Bay ( Population ~800 people).

We were able to get a reservation for a bungalow at the Wylder Hotel https://wylderhotels.com/tilghman-island/

We really loved it here - the room provided contact free entry, masks were required in common areas, and we were able to maintain appropriate social distancing throughout our stay - all key to really allowing us to relax. The grounds offered waterfront access to the Chesapeake Bay, kayaks, canoes, an on-site restaurant and nightly fires. Friday night- the outside, distanced waterfront restaurant provided music by a classical guitarist ( Alex Barnett) - enjoyed his music and chatting with him!

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Check out the island vibe of glass tile mosaic on the front of the island's post office. We loved the work even more when we learned this lovely art piece was created through the efforts of 45 community volunteers! https://talbotspy.org/creating-community-art-by-mary-mccarthy/

We enjoyed driving around Tilghman - even (and especially) the cemetery! The cemetery caught our eye when we were checking out the Church and we were intrigued by the many trinkets/ messages/ symbols left by loved ones!

We happened upon an even smaller village ( Claiborne, MD - population ~150) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claiborne,_Maryland

There is a public landing there and if you look closely in the parking lot there are steps that lead to a little " hidden" beach that literally comes and goes with the tides! In addition to looking like the perfect spot for fishing, we decided it would offer a great spot to enjoy the sunset!

Sunset in Claiborne

We have had the good fortune to enjoy sunsets in many iconic sunset locations ( Key West, Santorini, Greece, our own back deck to name a few...) but our secluded sunset picnic on the public landing dock in Claiborne was one of the most spectacular!

EASTON, MARYLAND

After really unwinding on the Eastern Shore - we were heading to Ocean City, MD for a few days. The day was gorgeous for a little hike so we checked out the Pickering Creek Audubon Center. https://pickering.audubon.org/

We were able to get a nice hike in and enjoy this gorgeous property which we had all to ourselves! A great unexpected find along the way to our next destination!

Ocean City, Maryland

We thought 2020 would mark the year we were not able to get our annual OC fix. We love, love, love the OC beach. Luckily, we were able to get a socially distanced "fun in the sun" trip in during this Summer of COVID! It was different- but the sun still rose and set in spectacular fashion, the sound of the waves and the smell of the salt air were just the tonic we needed! Our condo had porches both on ocean front and bay side so we enjoyed the sunrises, sunsets and the good fortune of a full moon!

Assateague Island National Seashore

Assateague Island is super close to Ocean City, MD and provides a wilder- more spacious beach scene. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assateague_Island

We enjoyed spending time on a beach with lots of open space and no hotels/condos or stores in sight! The wild ponies that live on the island were very good sports with us tourists and the marshes were so pretty! I cannot recommend more strongly!