SMALL TOWNS: RELAXING AND REWARDING Beyond the waterfront views and natural wonders, one of the greatest parts about the Eastern Shore is just how much is packed into each town. Salisbury is a college town abuzz with restaurants, specialty shops, and the finest small zoo in the country. Put your ear to the ground in Salisbury and you’re likely to hear something exciting. Is that the crack of the bat of some of baseball’s future stars taking the field for the Delmarva Shorebirds, Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, or is it an even rarer bird strutting around the Salisbury Zoo? If you listen closely, you might even hear a craftsman chipping away at an artful wildfowl carving at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. Another gem of the Eastern Shore is Berlin. This is the kind of town where beloved annual events involve, of all things, Bathtub Races. Berlin’s funky downtown is home to restaurants, shops, and an official Arts & Entertainment District. The town was even voted “Coolest Small Town in America” by Budget Travel, in part because it effortlessly blends quaint history with a modern, artistic edge, and all just a few minutes from the ocean. While we’re bragging, the town of St. Michaels was named one of USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Small Coastal Towns.” The town is pretty much everything the Eastern Shore does best. What started as a hotbed for early American shipbuilding is now best suited to build memories that will last a lifetime with its cozy shops and incredible dining. Head to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to learn everything there is to know about the body of water that brings the state to life—or set sail on a boat tour to see it for yourself. Just up the road, Easton packs plenty to do down its brick streets. Stay at the historic Tidewater Inn downtown and use it as your hub to spend a day exploring one-of-a-kind shops that will call and cater to every one of your interests. And don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes, because the Avalon Theater will be rocking later that night with the best local and international music acts. Denton, once a key port on the Choptank River, trades in a different sort of commerce now. Located on Artsway at 4th is the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore, the Caroline County Council of Arts Gallery, and artists-in-residence. Learn about the area’s agricultural heritage at the Museum of Rural Life, part of the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, then indulge in local fruits of the land at Harry’s on the Green, the Market Street Public House, or Shore Gourmet located in the Caroline Schoolhouse. Don’t depart without a box of Savor Maryland goodies. Photos: (clockwise from top left) Sailboat near St. Michaels (Yvonne Navalaney), St. Michaels harbor (Tamas), Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum) Sunrise in Easton @mikesalomonphotography 102 / VISITMARYLAND.ORG
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2021 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 102
