Some of my guests asked me where I purchased the company’s sailboat, the Sonora del Viento. All I need to answer this question is; St. Michaels! Nestled between Broad Creek and Miles River at the Eastern Shore, this place is probably the most beautiful place I have been to in the upper Chesapeake Bay.
And this beauty is painted in this corner of the Earth in such a quiet, quaint way. And also in a highly maritime fashion. Although the town here mainly caters to tourism, don’t let that deter you. The waters surrounding this town are incredibly beautiful. And to cater to those who want to see this amazing scenes, there are many sailing cruises you can hop on. Two comes in mind; Sail Selina will take you on a cruise around local waters on an absolutely breathtaking wooden catboat. Captain Ed’s Skipjack H.M. Krentz will show you what it was like sailing a historical Skipjack, which were sailing vessels present and active in recent history, competing with motor vessels to dredge our local area’s bounty of the sea: oysters.
Speaking of history and oysters, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is the place where I initially discovered how rich the history of the Chesapeake Bay really is. I was like every other D.C. transient; living in the bubble of the city without knowing any of the incredibly rich history of the waterways just next door. Here, you can see what the Chesapeake Bay watermen were. You can also learn about the naval battles of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and let us not forget the war of 1812. You can visit a legitimate Chesapeake Bay lighthouse to catch a glimpse of the life of a lighthouse keeper.
This museum also hosts many events throughout the year, including an incredible Fourth of July fireworks festival. It is also home to the best known boat-donation program the Old Bay, which is where Sonora was purchased from!
In town, you can grab a ‘traditional’ Maryland crab feast at any of the crab restaurants. The ice cream stores are excellent as well. Take a stroll down Talbot Street and go bar hopping. Visit a gift store and buy a memento! I am generally not a fan of tourist stores, but I like this place so much that I actually bought a few gift items to remember this place by. All in all, this is a town that I feel that anyone in the DMV area should visit – to move out of the area without having been to St. Michaels would be a shame!
Don’t forget that Reflections DC offers overnight cruises on Sonora. This way, you could visit St. Michaels just like any other cruisers do! We also offer a very special July 4th Fireworks cruise to St. Michaels.