Paddleboards are a perfect way to explore the waterways. Photo by Dee Litten Whited
Even the rental signs are picturesque.
Michaels. “You can drive to St. Michaels, park at your hotel and walk or bike the town safely. We also have the Carpenter Street Shuttle for slightly out-of-town guests staying in nearby villages.” CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM From the Honeymoon Bridge, I could see the lighthouse and followed it to the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) and its busy store. With a waterfront, park-like setting with numerous outdoor and indoor exhibitions, you’ll want to get the two-day general admission. “I believe the bridge got its name because of the movie The First Kiss filmed here in 1928,” says Kate Fones, president of St. Michaels Museum. “I am sure that the movie photos show the bridge.” Plan to also visit the St. Michaels Museum. Tourists and residents alike enjoy the museum for the vivid interpretation of St. Michaels’ culture and history, including the historic artifacts and the stories of the people preserved as oral histories, and a continuing calendar of dynamic programs and activities. Children learn to value and appreciate St. Michaels’ history because of the museum’s participatory programs and activities both in the classroom and on-site.
But back at the CBMM—as a lighthouse aficionado, I wasn’t about to miss visiting the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse, now standing on Navy Point in the ChesapeakeBayMaritimeMuseum(CBMM). I climbedatop the historic lighthouse for terrific views of the harbor, St. Michaels, and the Miles River. It was originally built to light the way for boats passing through the shallow dangerous shoals of Hooper Straight. As a “screwpile” lighthouse, it is built on special iron pilings that were tipped with a screw that could be turned into the muddy bottom for a depth of 10 feet or more. There’s a lot more to see than the lighthouse, although it’s a favorite. Take in beautiful, changing exhibitions in the Steamboat Building; learn about the heritage of oystering and waterfowling at the Waterman’s Wharf. Take a boat ride or rent one of the museum’s small crafts. Learn more about boating and building boats, or enroll in one of the numerous educational and shipyard programs. Along the way, be sure to meet the CBMM’s “Chief Mousing Officer” and salty shipyard kitty Edna Sprit. The CBMM was chosen to construct the reproduction of the 17th-century trading ship, the Maryland Dove , that accompanied the first European settlers to what is now Maryland—a real coup. Construction began in June
ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2019
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