| Just west of US-50, or seven miles south of St Michaels via country
lanes and a ferry, the leafy waterfront hamlet of OXFORD seems to have
slumbered peacefully since colonial days. Along with Annapolis, this was
one of the two ports of entry for all of colonial Maryland, a role
remembered by the reconstructed one-room Customs House next to the ferry
landing on the north side of town. After Independence, Oxford was all
but forgotten; its full-time population is under a thousand and there's
hardly any tourist trade. Wandering the quiet streets, however, or
lolling on the lawns of the long riverfront promenade can be quite
relaxing and enjoyable. A trip on the small ferry across the Tred Avon
River, which made its maiden voyage in 1683 and has been in continuous
service since 1836, makes for a nice excursion en route to or from St
Michaels (every 20min; June-Aug Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-9pm; Sept
to mid-Dec & March-June Mon-Fri 7am-sunset, Sat & Sun 9am-sunset; $5.50
per car, $1.25 per passenger; tel 410/745-9023).
Schooner's Llanding (tel 410/226-0160) is a friendly, inexpensive
seafood restaurant with a large deck right on the main harbor, at the
end of Tilghman Street; at the Pier Street Marina & Restaurant (tel
410/226-5411), further south, you can sample fresh crabs in a
spectacular waterfront setting. The ancient Robert Morris Inn , on
Morris Street at The Strand (tel 410/226-5111, ; $100-130), named for
the Oxford man who personally financed the Continental Army during the
Revolutionary War, serves James Michener's favorite crabcakes. In the
larger but less interesting town of EASTON on US-50, the ancient
Bishop's House B&B , 214 Goldsborough St (tel 410/820-7290 or
1-800/223-7290, ; $100-130), offers a comfortable alternative to the
highway motels.
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Vacation Rentals in Oxford |
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from $143.00
USD