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Twosday XXIV: Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Published on April 28, 2015 By Emily. Updated on April 28, 2015

We’re freshly back from 5 days on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where we spent our spring break.  After a spot for a wedding in NJ, we spent 2 nights in Ocean City and 3 nights in Easton.  We did a lot of driving and exploring in an area I had no experience with.  I could write a lot about the trip, as we really packed it full of activities, but I’ll try to keep it short.

ocean city md in april

Things that are wonderful about Ocean City, Maryland in April
1. It’s incredibly quiet. Brian and I enjoyed a lovely run on the boardwalk without dodging other people, walked on the sand without swerving around beach umbrellas and didn’t have to fight traffic on the roads.
2. Most businesses are open. We were able to go to delicious restaurants (with no wait for a table!) and got an amazing deal on a boardwalk hotel.

fried oysters from Fabers

Awesome things I ate at Fager’s Island Restaurant and Bar, which came up in my research of Ocean City places worth going to
1. Friend oysters – I expected strips, but the oysters that arrived were huge. And delicious.
2. Old Bay seasoned hot wings – I cannot say enough good things about these. I am a huge fan of Old Bay and these wings were crispy and spicy and I’d order them again in a heart beat.

Reasons I loved the Holiday Inn Express in Easton
1. The hotel manager greeted us upon check in and asked us what our plans for our stay were. When we began to answer, he grabbed a map, sat us down at a table and basically planned our itinerary for the next 3 days. In some circumstances, that might be annoying, but our plans were incredibly loose at that point and I appreciated the local insight.
2. The very same manager, as part of the same conversation, also provided us with a complimentary bottle of wine. Yes, please.

bucktown store

2 of the many historic sites I made Brian drive out of the way to see
1. The Bucktown Store, site of Harriet Tubman’s initial act of defiance.
2. The Annie Oakley house, which is now a private house, but we drove by it and I took a picture because I’m like that.

assateague horses

Parks visited with the goal of seeing animals
1. Assateague Island, where we explored the trails and roads for the better part of a morning in search of wild horses. Brian had never heard of Assateague or Chincoteague prior to planning this trip, so, for the sake of continuing to prove a point, share in the comments if you’ve heard of the areas and if you’re familiar with Marguerite Henry’s books.
2. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which features many types of birds including bald eagles, herons and ospreys.  Definitely worth bringing your binoculars.

Foods I consumed more than once
1. Crab cakes, of course. I mean, I was in Maryland, after all. All of them were different, all of them were good.  My need for seafood has been satisfied.
2. Birch beer. Typically, I avoid both high fructose corn syrup and food dyes, but I’m all about making exceptions. Birch beer, especially from a soda fountain (as opposed to a bottle) isn’t easy to find around here and, as someone who grew up in New Jersey, I had to get my fill.

dogfishhead tasting room

Breweries enjoyed
1. Shortly before our trip, Brian’s brother reminded him that Dogfish Head was probably on our way. Sure enough, Milton, Delaware was an easy stop en route to Ocean City. Generally, I don’t consider myself a big Dogfish Head fan, but now that I’ve tried some of their non-IPA brews, I’m a convert. Our free tour was over an hour and definitely worth a stop.
2. Eastern Shore Brewing in Saint Michaels, which we literally discovered by walking by it. We stopped in, sampled 5 beers which were all pretty good and purchased a pint glass (Brian is amassing quite a collection).

Awesome family time that we built into this trip
1. Meeting up with my cousin, who I haven’t seen in years, during our visit to Annapolis. What I imagined might be a slightly awkward evening ended up being super enjoyable. He’d brought a friend and the 4 of us enjoyed sushi, dessert and a couple hours of wandering around the city. It was really lovely.
2. Back in Massachusetts, I attended my sister’s baby shower on Sunday.  We had a lot of fun and it was nice to meet some of her friends and get ready for the baby to be!

us naval academy

Activities I’d highly recommend, should you find yourself on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
1. Touring the US Naval Academy in Annapolis was one of the few items on our plans for Annapolis, and it was great. Civilians have a decent amount of access to the campus without a tour, but it is so much better with the tour. Our guide was really knowledgeable and I know far more now than I did a week ago.
2. Driving around aimlessly. We spent a lot of this trip in the car — there are so many small towns and scenic oceanside drives to experience. In addition to our hotel manager, a woman at the Cambridge Visitors Center gave some great advice about drives to take.

Related Posts

Twosday XXVIII: Fall Faves and More
Twosday X
Twosday XXI: Snow Day Edition
Twosday XIV
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Filed Under: life, travel Tagged With: Maryland, twosday

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Comments

  1. Lucy says

    April 29, 2015 at 9:24 am

    While I was never a horsey girl who read horsey books, I read a lot of books that referenced Misty of Chincoteague in one way or another – it seems like Misty was some sort of rite of passage for adolescent girls. Also – if you haven’t already, try Festina Peche, which is peachy and summery.

    • Emily says

      May 2, 2015 at 8:55 am

      I wasn’t a horsey book girl either, but I’m pretty sure I at least read that one. Brian had never heard of the islands, but any time we mentioned them to a female, those books came up. It was pretty hilarious.

      I am definitely tracking down that beer, which was not one of the ones I had the opportunity to sample.

  2. Mel says

    May 11, 2015 at 9:21 am

    What lovely photos. It looks like you had a lovely time.

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It was a cold and cloudy morning, but we made it t It was a cold and cloudy morning, but we made it to our second annual strawberry picking at @mountainviewfarm413, which included E's first tractor ride (she was very excited). We picked about 9 pounds of strawberries and I'm looking forward to eating them! 🍓
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Scenes from this morning in Adams, featuring @shir Scenes from this morning in Adams, featuring @shiredonuts, Poseidon Coffee, the Ashwillticook Rail Trail, St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Adams Free Library and beautiful flowers.
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I don't have clear words to express my feelings ab I don't have clear words to express my feelings about the state of the world lately. As a teacher and a mother, it has been extra difficult this week to be fully present in my roles without thinking about innocent lives that should have had longer on Earth. How what has happened in each of the many mass shootings this year can happen anywhere. If you are feeling sad and frustrated too, you are not alone.

I don't have answers, but I'm trying to take care of myself and my biological and school families. I'm saying "I love you" a lot to my children and my students. I'm closely following and sharing the work of @everytown while contacting my state and federal representatives and the president. I'm going for walks and getting fresh air and trying not to overload on news. I'm sharing good resources in my stories as I see them.
UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @aloh UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @alohr3!

 @thelazygenius' second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, is finally here and I'm so excited! I don't purchase many books, but I pre-ordered this last July because I knew it would be right up my alley and then I pre-ordered a second copy because I knew that I'd want to give one away.

Author Kendra Adachi has been one of my favorite voices in recent years. Her principles (shared through her first book, The Lazy Genius Podcast and her Instagram) have helped me focus my priorities and give myself more grace. 

This book is NOT a cookbook (it has just 2 recipes), it is a kitchen guide - to help you "have what you need, use what you have, and enjoy it like never before". It is beautiful (full color!) and thoughtful.

I'm very excited to send this book to one of you.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below with one of your greatest kitchen struggles. 
I'll draw a winner at 8 pm on Friday, May 6.
This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or The Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi.
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This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berk This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berkshire Teacher and Social Worker Appreciation Day free admission. After enjoying the student Art Invitational exhibit, the 4 of us took in several of the other galleries. Mass MoCA always impresses and it was delightful to be able to be out in the world with my kids.
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Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, in its new location on Main Street in North Adams. The shop is incredible - the displays are great and the plants are delightful. There's a refill station with bottles and jars for soaps, detergents and other products, a terrarium bar, and an abundance of sustainable and beautiful products. I'm now in the process of pondering who I can purchase Plant Connector gifts for in the coming months.
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My January and early February menu plans for my @m My January and early February menu plans for my @mightyfoodfarm vegetables are finally up on the blog. See how we're making use of these beautiful items, as well as the items from the other pick up we made in the past month. 
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One of my favorite things to do is bake from scrat One of my favorite things to do is bake from scratch.
But, in the interest of full transparency, this pie was made with Pillsbury pie crusts and a $5 bag of Walmart Granny Smiths. I used the recipe on the pie crust box.
I am very excited to eat it.
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