Along the Shore

Between Bay and ocean lies a landscape blessed with small-town charms and filled with unforgettable moments.

 

Day 1

The region Marylanders refer to as the "Lower Shore" is home to a unique community of watermen and farmers living between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean - the "land between the waters." A great place to start your tour is in Cambridge, where the Historic High Street Walking Tour passes immaculate 18th- and 19th-century homes that rise between tall trees bordering this brick-lined street. At the end of High Street, climb aboard the skipjack Nathan of Dorchester and see the town from the water. Back on land, the area's history will come alive at the Brannock Maritime Museum, the Dorchester Heritage Museum and the Richardson Maritime Museum. Just outside town is the Spocott Windmill, the only grinding post windmill still used to grind grain in Maryland.

 

Day 2

The city of Salisbury, at the heart of this peninsula, presents a picturesque collection of colonial homes and inns along the Wicomico River. Visit the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art and discover the region's rich traditions of decorative carving. Head to the free Salisbury Zoo and see animals from all over the western hemisphere, including alligator, bison and jaguar. Tour the city's historic homes and mansions that line the Wicomico, then sample some of Maryland's world-renowned seafood at a Salisbury restaurant.

 

Day 3
After a leisurely breakfast, head for nearby Crisfield, a port town that has barely changed since the 1800s. From there, you can arrange to cruise to Smith Island, where the natives speak an ancient-sounding English much like that of the area's original settlers.

Then make your way into Maryland's only seaside county, Worcester. Stop in Snow Hill to see the Furnace Town Historic Site , featuring the 19th-century Nassawango Iron Furnace, or head to see the renowned historic architecture of the town, which was founded in 1642.

Your Lower Shore adventure next leads to the Assateague Island State Park and National Seashore with its famous wild ponies roaming the beaches. As the afternoon fades, head for one of the region's most popular resort destinations, Ocean City . Its expansive sand and historic boardwalk are perfect for long, slow walks. Kids of all ages will be thrilled to a ride on the restored, 109-year-old, hand-carved carousel - only one of ten of its type still in operation in the United States. Grab some ice cream and find a spot to settle in and relax with the sounds of ocean waves lapping at the shore.