Is St. Michael's worth it?
Nov 10th, 2005, 07:11 AM
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Is St. Michael's worth it?
My husband and I will be spending a few days in Washington DC at the end of March. We have been there before and would like to see some new areas. Is is worth taking a day trip to St. Michaels, MD? I've heard it's beautiful. Also, would late March be too cold to take a boat tour?
Nov 10th, 2005, 08:08 AM
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Hi Peggy01, If it's too cold, I also suggest a day trip to Easton. Many galleries, nice restaurants. St. Michael's and Oxford are lovely (and you'll find waterside/view restaurants in both places) but being cold on the water is no fun! Other Fodorites with specific suggestions???
Dec 11th, 2005, 05:19 PM
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in case you are still checking this thread...
i live in st. michaels. it is a solid 90 min drive from DC. personally, i love the little town and it would be a nice day trip, if you don't mind 3 hrs of driving in one day.
as others said, easton and oxford are nearby. easton is on the "mainland" about 75 min from dc. st. michaels and oxford are 10-15 min out on peninsulas in different directions. easton and st. michaels have great shops and museums. oxford has very few shops which will probably won't be open in march. all 3 are charming, historic towns to stroll through.
the end of march is still kind of sketchy weather-wise. it could be beautiful, it could be cold and windy (and the wind whips here in the winter). last year, we had a cold spring so hopefully it won't be again this year.
we put our boat in the water in early april last year. we literally were the only people on the water and it was chilly but not uncomfortable. you'd really have to play the boat ride by ear and wait to see what kind of weather you have. to appreciate the area, you really should see it by boat though.
tourist activity starts to pick up again in late march/early april. the stores that do close for significant periods in the winter usually don't reopen until april 1.
there are great restaurants in all 3 towns. st. michaels best restaurant--208 talbot--just closed its doors a few weeks ago. a very sad day for us locals. i can recommend places to eat if you would like.
i live in st. michaels. it is a solid 90 min drive from DC. personally, i love the little town and it would be a nice day trip, if you don't mind 3 hrs of driving in one day.
as others said, easton and oxford are nearby. easton is on the "mainland" about 75 min from dc. st. michaels and oxford are 10-15 min out on peninsulas in different directions. easton and st. michaels have great shops and museums. oxford has very few shops which will probably won't be open in march. all 3 are charming, historic towns to stroll through.
the end of march is still kind of sketchy weather-wise. it could be beautiful, it could be cold and windy (and the wind whips here in the winter). last year, we had a cold spring so hopefully it won't be again this year.
we put our boat in the water in early april last year. we literally were the only people on the water and it was chilly but not uncomfortable. you'd really have to play the boat ride by ear and wait to see what kind of weather you have. to appreciate the area, you really should see it by boat though.
tourist activity starts to pick up again in late march/early april. the stores that do close for significant periods in the winter usually don't reopen until april 1.
there are great restaurants in all 3 towns. st. michaels best restaurant--208 talbot--just closed its doors a few weeks ago. a very sad day for us locals. i can recommend places to eat if you would like.
Jan 7th, 2006, 04:56 PM
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lolfn: Haven't checked this thread in a while. Thank you so much for the great information. I would love so more tips on restaurants. We really would like to see the area by boat. Will have to wait and see if the weather is agreeable, though.. Can you suggest any boat tours?
Jan 7th, 2006, 07:29 PM
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I like that part of MD too, but as previous posters have said, it will be cold. Personally I wouldn't go that far from D.C. in March. I'd go to Annapolis instead - just 50 min. from D.C. at most, if you are staying in D.C. or Northern VA.
Jan 9th, 2006, 09:24 AM
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St. Michaels, Oxford and Easton are worth the trip from DC. You can take the ferry from Belleview to Oxford (from St. Michaels) for your boat ride. St. Michaels is very touristy. Oxford is quaint. Easton is a working town.
Don't overlook Annapolis on your way to or from.
Don't overlook Annapolis on your way to or from.
Jan 10th, 2006, 10:00 AM
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restaurants in st. michaels:
the bistro-only open for dinner thu to mon. french bistro atmosphere with excellent regional food. their mussels appetizer is to die for. they also have a raw bar.
the inn at perry cabin pub-this is a great place to go when it is chilly out. they serve a limited menu which is fairly reasonable (their main dining room is very expensive). e.g., a good portion of fish and chips is $15. they have normal tables and chairs and also big comfy chairs, a fireplace and a little outdoor courtyard. if it is really nice, you can get a drink and go sit on the lawn overlooking the water, its beautiful (the movie wedding crashers filmed there).
town dock-good lunch place on the harbor. they also have decent early bird dinner specials midweek. their dinner entrees are in the mid-$20 range and, for that money, the food at the bistro is much, much better. but the lunch is a good deal and it is a nice atmosphere.
crab claw-typical crab house, right on the harbor. if it is chilly, they'll probably only be seating upstairs inside. if nice, you can sit on the harborside deck.
in easton:
masons- great lunch place, really good sandwiches and soup and reasonably priced (for lunch).
out of the fire- another good lunch place.
in oxford:
pier st restaurant/the masthead- they seem to go by both names. great setting right on the water. decent lunch food.
robert morris inn-james michener said they had the best crabcakes (but i disagree). not a bad choice if it is chilly out since it has a cozy, old inn feel.
as for boat tours, i'd recommend the patriot out of st. michaels (leaves from near the crab claw) is a fairly big boat where you can sit inside or on the second floor covered deck. so it is a great choice if it cold. they cruise up the miles river with narration on what you are seeing. www.patriotcruises.com
you can check out www.stmichaels.org and look under museums and attractions for other services. i'm just not sure when others start operating for the season. if the forecast looks like it will be nice, a skipjack cruise is wonderful.
the st. michaels website is also good for checking out the different shops and checking out when restaurants open.
please post if you have any other questions.
the bistro-only open for dinner thu to mon. french bistro atmosphere with excellent regional food. their mussels appetizer is to die for. they also have a raw bar.
the inn at perry cabin pub-this is a great place to go when it is chilly out. they serve a limited menu which is fairly reasonable (their main dining room is very expensive). e.g., a good portion of fish and chips is $15. they have normal tables and chairs and also big comfy chairs, a fireplace and a little outdoor courtyard. if it is really nice, you can get a drink and go sit on the lawn overlooking the water, its beautiful (the movie wedding crashers filmed there).
town dock-good lunch place on the harbor. they also have decent early bird dinner specials midweek. their dinner entrees are in the mid-$20 range and, for that money, the food at the bistro is much, much better. but the lunch is a good deal and it is a nice atmosphere.
crab claw-typical crab house, right on the harbor. if it is chilly, they'll probably only be seating upstairs inside. if nice, you can sit on the harborside deck.
in easton:
masons- great lunch place, really good sandwiches and soup and reasonably priced (for lunch).
out of the fire- another good lunch place.
in oxford:
pier st restaurant/the masthead- they seem to go by both names. great setting right on the water. decent lunch food.
robert morris inn-james michener said they had the best crabcakes (but i disagree). not a bad choice if it is chilly out since it has a cozy, old inn feel.
as for boat tours, i'd recommend the patriot out of st. michaels (leaves from near the crab claw) is a fairly big boat where you can sit inside or on the second floor covered deck. so it is a great choice if it cold. they cruise up the miles river with narration on what you are seeing. www.patriotcruises.com
you can check out www.stmichaels.org and look under museums and attractions for other services. i'm just not sure when others start operating for the season. if the forecast looks like it will be nice, a skipjack cruise is wonderful.
the st. michaels website is also good for checking out the different shops and checking out when restaurants open.
please post if you have any other questions.
Jan 14th, 2006, 09:40 PM
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That certainly gives us a lot of choices for restaurants. I think we will go to the Inn at Perry Cabin. I've seen so many postings on it. I also think we will stay the first night in either Baltimore or Annapolis. We were wondering if Gettysburg would be a good day trip from Baltimore. I'm guessing that it's about 1 1/2 hours or less from Baltimore (???) We enjoy history, and of course will vistit the battlefields and memorials. What kind of a "downtown" area does Gettysburg have, including restaurants, etc? How much time do you need to really see Gettysburg?
Jan 15th, 2006, 10:09 AM
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Hi again Peggy01,
There's enough in Baltimore to keep you for an entire day imho. But if you want
Gettysburg, it is sweet. Maybe spend your first day there if your direction is possible. Lot's of shops and war memorabilia in a compact downtown. Museum where Lincoln spent night before giving his Address right there also. Haven't taken the actual battlefield tour but it looks "large". Several nice restaurants-will need other Fodorites to name them though. Wonderful college.
There's enough in Baltimore to keep you for an entire day imho. But if you want
Gettysburg, it is sweet. Maybe spend your first day there if your direction is possible. Lot's of shops and war memorabilia in a compact downtown. Museum where Lincoln spent night before giving his Address right there also. Haven't taken the actual battlefield tour but it looks "large". Several nice restaurants-will need other Fodorites to name them though. Wonderful college.
Jan 19th, 2006, 04:53 PM
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Wow, you will be all over the map if you start in DC and go to Baltimore and then Gettysburg, and then St. Michaels. Yikes. How much time do you have?
Baltimore is great. History is not their strong suit, but ethnic restaurants is. They do, however, have a few forts and certainly the Star Spangled Banner history! Also the Inner Harbor.
Annapolis is historic and on the way to St. Michaels. Also some very good restaurants.
If you're in DC, slip over to Old Towne Alexandria. History, food and shopping!
Baltimore is great. History is not their strong suit, but ethnic restaurants is. They do, however, have a few forts and certainly the Star Spangled Banner history! Also the Inner Harbor.
Annapolis is historic and on the way to St. Michaels. Also some very good restaurants.
If you're in DC, slip over to Old Towne Alexandria. History, food and shopping!
Jan 22nd, 2006, 08:41 AM
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Re Annapolis, I think the Md. Assembly is still in session in March-can add to parking woes in the small historic area, but Annapolis is wonderful also. Forgot to mention the Naval Academy tour-it's very interesting!
Jan 22nd, 2006, 06:34 PM
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We only have three full days in the area, so we won't be going to all the places mentioned. We're trying to narrow it down. We're flying into Baltimore, but I don't think we'll spend any time there this trip. We'll probably spend the first night and day in Annapolis and possibly St. Michaels. And then the next two days in DC. Hopefully the cherry trees will be starting to bloom. I would love to spend some time in Alexandria. We drove through last time we were in the area. Looks like a charming town. Don't know if we can squeeze it in this trip, though. After leaving the DC area, we will be heading for Williamsburg for a week.
Jan 25th, 2006, 04:41 PM
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If you stay in Annapolis, the places to eat are O'Leary's - excellent seafood. Carroll's Creek - excellent food and a view. Northwoods - no view, but very good food and a heck of a deal - appetizer, salad, dinner and dessert are in the price of $33 or 34. There is a Marriott downtown - was redone after Isabel, great for walking places. Out of town (7 minutes) are the usual Marriott Courtyard, Hampton Inn/Suites, Country Inn Suites, etc.
You can't go wrong with a visit to Annapolis. Don't worry about the legislature. Make a reservation wherever you want to eat, though...
You can't go wrong with a visit to Annapolis. Don't worry about the legislature. Make a reservation wherever you want to eat, though...
Jan 26th, 2006, 04:49 AM
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As others have suggested, I would expand on your trip. At St. Michael's, you can stroll the little shops and take in the Watermen's Museum. There are several places to eat lunch. I prefer Michael Rorke's Town Dock. However, the Belleview-Oxford Ferry is fifteen minutes away and the Robert Morris Inn at Oxford makes the most delicious crab cakes in the world. More authentic watermen towns are in striking distance. Tilghman Island is twenty miles east of St. Michael's. Harrison's Chesapeake Inn is on Tilghman. Forty minutes southwest of St. Michael's is Secretary. The Suicide Bridge Restaurant sits on the Choptank River just north of the town center. Forty-five minutes southwest of St. Michael's is the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, a swampy, bucolic area that is peaceful to drive. South from Blackwater are the swampy lands near Honga Island, home of many watermen with boats and crab traps sprawled along their front yards just off the Bay.
Jan 26th, 2006, 07:16 AM
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My impressions as an outsider, a Missourian in the area a year ago. After an Elderhostel at Ocean City, MD, we headed for Annapolis via Oxford, Cambridge, St. Michaels. Nice area for sure.
We did stay overnight at the Robert Morris, historic but pricey. Also lodging at Maryland Inn on circle Annapolis. Would recommend in the area Maritime Museum at St. Michaels, boat trip to Smith Island, Naval Academy and more in charming Annapolis. Oxford is a little town with not much to see and St. Michaels does have lots of shops if that's what you want. Eating: Ram's Head, McGarvey's in Annapolis fine, also Bayside Inn on Smith Island, dinner Crazy Janes in Easton and at Robt. Morris in Oxford OK.
ozarksbill
We did stay overnight at the Robert Morris, historic but pricey. Also lodging at Maryland Inn on circle Annapolis. Would recommend in the area Maritime Museum at St. Michaels, boat trip to Smith Island, Naval Academy and more in charming Annapolis. Oxford is a little town with not much to see and St. Michaels does have lots of shops if that's what you want. Eating: Ram's Head, McGarvey's in Annapolis fine, also Bayside Inn on Smith Island, dinner Crazy Janes in Easton and at Robt. Morris in Oxford OK.
ozarksbill
Jan 27th, 2006, 07:27 AM
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Re Ozarksbill's remarks-I live in Annapolis area and am so glad you enjoyed your visit. Yes, it is a nice area. The Smith Island trip is truly fascinating but a full day and good weather are absolute musts. Our boat hit a storm and we rocked and rolled across the Bay-people were "ralphing" all over the place! peggy01, you really must let everyone know what you end up doing!
