VISIT TALBOT COUNTY AND ENJOY THE "HAMPTONS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY".


"DON’T BE A STRANGER”

It is really true – sometimes you miss the forest for the trees. So here is a guide for savvy tourists and natives to some of the many fun things Talbot County has to offer.

Nature lovers often just look out their windows to spot heron and osprey, geese, deer, foxes, and other creatures that city-dwellers never see. Just a drive or bike ride down the road usually gets you away from the haunt of human habitation. To commune even more closely with nature, visit the Jean duPont Audubon Sanctuary near Bozman. This is a former fox hunting ground of the duPont family and has 8 miles of shoreline and 950 acres of forests, meadows, and wetlands. Pickering Creek is another Audubon Center near Easton, with 400 acres of forests and wetlands, offering shelter to foxes, deer, and river otters. Also visit The Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, located at 21606 Chicken Point Road, on Tilghman Island. Through this Environmental Center we can learn about the care and stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay. The center offers ecology cruises and hands-on learning experiences for local residents and visitors alike.The Talbot County Bird Club has regular Sunday morning field trips to birding hot spots. Or rent a kayak and meander in the marshes on a private adventure with a few friends.

Bicyclists love Talbot County. Not only are the roads designed with either a dedicated bike lane or shoulders wide enough to act as one, but the scenery is lovely, and the terrain is flat….a bikers Nirvana! If cross-country biking is more than you’re ready for, try the Easton Rails-to-Trails path that runs from Idlewild Park to North Easton Park.

Easton is consistently voted one of the nation’s top arts communities, and it is easy to see why. The town is filled with charming architecture and interesting streetscapes, while the surrounding area inspires artists of every sort. Where else could the world’s premier waterfowl show be held but Easton?

But don’t wait until the annual Waterfowl Festival in November to enjoy the work of the region’s artists. Take part in the First Friday Gallery Walk held from 5 to 9 pm the first Friday of each month. Easton’s galleries are respected for the quality of their collections and their knowledgeable, enthusiastic owners. Don’t forget the Academy Art Museum , the anchor for the visual arts on the Eastern shore. Located in Easton, the Museum houses a permanent collection of 19th and 20th Century works on paper by European and American artists. After your stroll, enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants that feature local artwork as part of their décor. St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman Island are also recognized for their galleries and or restaurants spotlighting local and regional artists.

If performing, rather than visual arts attract you, the play is the thing at several locations. The Tred Avon Players, at the Oxford Community Center, produce a year round schedule of all manner of performances and audiences are entertained again and again at the Historic Avalon Theatre in downtown Easton.

Is there a person who hasn’t read James Michener’s Chesapeake? It’s fun trying to decide just where on the Choptank River was the town of Patamoke, and wander the streets of St. Michaels to absorb the history that Michener related. A definite stop is the tavern at Oxford’s Robert Morris Inn.This is where Michener drafted the outline for his book. Try the crab cakes, which he declared the best he ever ate.

Michener, whose residence was in St. Michaels, spent a lot of time at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. There is probably no other place holding as much information about the Chesapeake Bay and those who depend on it for their lives and livelihoods. Even if you’ve spent your entire life here, wandering through the nine display buildings scattered across eighteen acres of Miles River waterfront reminds you of what life was like for those who preceded us and how much we have to pass on to the next generation.

As one of the oldest settled areas on the Bay, Talbot County has a lot of historical sites. The Historical Society of Talbot County in Easton is a good place to start your discovery of the region’s history. Three buildings make up the heart of the Society. The James Neall House and Joseph’s Cottage are examples of the houses and lifestyle of the late 1700’s and early 1800s, while the ”Ending of Controversie” is a reconstruction of the c.1680 home of Quaker Wenlock Christianson. The Society’s Federal-style gardens are nationally recognized for their authenticity and beauty.

While the windstorm in June 2002 finally felled the Great Wye Oak at Wye Mills, one may still visit the Gristmill and outbuildings at the site. The mill grinds grain, as it’s done since the 1680s, on the first and third Saturday of each month. It’s another connection with our past.

For more information about our history and all the other great things there are to see and do in Talbot County, please contact:

The Talbot County Office of Tourism

410-770-8000(phone) / 410-770-8057(fax)
Debbi Dodson, Executive Director -
ddodson@talbgov.org(e-mail)

The Talbot County Visitors Center
11 South Harrison Street
Easton, Maryland 21601

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