Fri May 14: Oxford to St Michaels anchorage and Sat May 15 Hanging in St Michaels

 In which we are enjoy St Michaels, and then everyone else does too ...

Pulling up the (ridiculously muddy) anchor, we headed back out the Choptank River, turned north and had the seas to ourselves all the way to St. Michaels.  While we were the only pleasure craft on the water, we saw multiple fishing boats out with side-dredgers pulling up bottom muck to take out oysters. We both kind of wish we hadn’t seen Seaspiracy on Netflix as it has made us think twice about eating seafood (both wild and farmed).  We still eat it, mind you...

St. Michaels is another small town on the Eastern side of MD, but it has done some great marketing, or something, and is a busy little place full of restaurants and fancy boutique stores.   Based on the size of the pleasure boats in the marina, they have successfully brought in the $$$.  The wharf area is well done, with one of the better maritime museums and wonderful brick walkways.

Friday the anchorage was quiet and we were almost alone, with only two other boats at anchor.  On Saturday we got our first glimpse of what the summer boating season will be like as the anchorage quickly filled up, and by mid-afternoon there were at least 25 other boats anchored around the area.  A crowded anchorage makes for some hair raising moments as big boats slowly thread their way through all the anchored boats looking for some space to drop anchor.

I expect so many people are thrilled to be able to day-sail and explore again.  Not only is winter over, but so is Covid shut-down.  There was even a big wedding happening, with no distancing and LOUD/terrible music.  It was so fun, tho, to see a 'normal' celebration that we didn't mind the noise! Since we have been sailing out of season since we got the boat (and there has been a pandemic), we are used to quiet and it was a bit startling to see crowds; but it is good to see the tourist towns once again with tourists spending $$.  I guess people are ready to get:

LOL - nautical humor....  It never gets old.

 

On Friday we walked down the Main Street to marvel at the beautiful old colonial style buildings (some from the 1600’s if you can believe the signs) heading towards our lunch destination.  

 

Not sure this counts a 'colonial' but it caught our eye.

Cutie-pea house - I'd live here!

We thought we would try the “Mexican” restaurant but is was only Mexican in that the food was served on a tortilla and they had margaritas.  Otherwise it was more of a seafood/Mexican fusion and the food was awesome.  Some of the most creative tacos we have ever eaten.   It was so good Rick took a pic of the menu so that he can try to recreate some of it on the boat.

We followed lunch with a walk along a nature trail on the edge of town, staying carefully away from the grass to avoid the ticks that we had been warned about!  I have a horror of ticks that stems from my tragic upbringing so I treated all grass as tho it were a cobra ready to strike.  Every now and then Rick would give a little shriek, just to see how fast I would jump away from any nearby foliage.  HiLARious... 

Lovely - but probably CRAWLING WITH TICKS.  I used the zoom lens just in case.

We continued to admire the town as we walked the streets, with Rick carefully leading the way so as to avoid anything involving fudge, ice cream, salt-water taffy, kettle corn, ... He clearly STILL doesn't get my driving force - perfectly captured on this license plate:

 

Stopping in the only little 'grocery' store gave us a clear idea of the clientele they must serve: French cookies, exotic cheeses, more expensive wine then produce - you get the idea.  Rick decided he could make his own fancy smoked salmon.  Based on his success with using his smoker at home, he converted the boat grill into a smoker.  It was delicious - that's my hunter/provider! 

 

Sat morning we stopped to get post cards and stamps, and then made a bee-line for Crepes-by-the-Bay so I could blow my entire sugar ration for May on one meal:

 

Maple crepe with egg, bacon and whipped butter and cream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Afterward Rick rolled me, like Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Choc Factory, to the requisite resort Christmas shop.

We stopped to admire the little lending library, an EXACT replica of the screw-pile lighthouse at the wharf:

And suddenly it was Looper Midnight (7:30pm) and time for bed.