In the center of the county on
the North East River is Charlestown.
Established in 1742, Charlestown
is the county’s oldest incorporated town. A walking tour (410-287-8793)
features the eighteenth century taverns and houses that keep this town much as
it was in colonial times.
North East
[
Fig. 16] This little town, with the flavor of Main Street
USA, sits at the head of the North East River, about 9 miles east of Havre de
Grace. Visitors stroll along the streets licking double-dip ice cream cones and
investigating shops filled with antiques and collectibles. Favored attractions
include
Cramer’s 5 & 10 and the
Day Basket Factory. At the 5
& 10, shelves are filled with penny candy and other items from the 1950s.
At the Day Basket Factory on the corner of Main Street and Irishtown Road, artisans make split-oak
baskets that have been traditional for more than a century. Also popular are
the antiques and collectibles of the
Shoppes of Londonshire.
Gilpin Falls Covered Bridge
[
Fig. 16(15)] About 5 miles north of North East, where North
East Creek intersects MD 272, is Gilpin
Falls Covered
Bridge. Built about 1860, the 119-foot restored
wooden structure has withstood the elements longer than any other covered
bridge in the state. The much-photographed bridge is visible and easily
accessible from MD 272.
Hiking at Elk
Neck State
Park
Short hiking trails named for the color of their blazes lead through Coastal
Plain marshes and hardwood forests, affording good opportunities to spot birds
and wildlife.
The 1.5-mile
Red Trail loops through a deciduous hardwood forest with
a canopy of oak, hickory, beech, maple, locust, and tulip poplar. Mountain
laurel and flowering dogwood bring the understory to life with their pink and
white blooms in spring. Patches of ferns, mosses, and wildflowers add to the
beauty. The trail is of moderate difficulty and connects the North East Beach entrance road off MD 272 with the chapel at the
Mauldin Mountain area.
The 1-mile
Green Trail is an easy hike between the visitor center and
the Bohemia
camping loop that goes through a hardwood forest and by a freshwater pond.
Spring peepers (
Hyla crucifer) shrilly announce their presence on spring
evenings, while a bullfrog (
Rana catesbeiana) adds its low thrum to a
summer night. Look for the tracks of a raccoon at water’s edge. The front feet
look much like tiny human hands.
The
Black Trail is a 2-mile hilly loop of moderate difficulty
featuring a hardwood forest, a marsh, and beaches of the Elk
River. Tracks of the web-footed, playful
river
otter may be located along water’s edge. The trail is accessible across
from site 12 in the Susquehanna campground or in the Wye camping area between
sites Wye-2 and Wye-3.
The 2-mile, easy
Blue Trail leads to a loop at Turkey Point
Lighthouse, with views of the bay and Elk River.
Overgrown fields give hikers the best opportunity to find wildflowers. The
trailhead is at the southern end of MD 272, where a chain blocks the road. The
parking area is on the left.
Turkey Point Lighthouse
[
Fig. 16(18)] Perched on a 100-foot bluff, the 35-foot tower
of the Turkey Point Lighthouse stands as high above the bay waters as any other
light. Built in 1833, this is one of the oldest lighthouses in continual
operation. The last keeper before automation was Fannie Salter, who lived at
the lighthouse from 1925 until her retirement in 1947. The U. S. Coast Guard
tore down the keeper’s house. Only the oil house and white tower with its
flashing light remain. The lighthouse appears in the Clint Eastwood movie
Absolute
Power. The lighthouse is not open to the public.
Near the center is the
Big Elk Creek Covered Bridge, one of just five
covered bridges in the state. The bridge was built in 1860 at a cost of just
$1,165, then heavily damaged in 1938 and again in 1950 when trucks broke
through the flooring. The cost of a 1992 reconstruction was $152,000—130 times
the original construction price 132 years earlier. The bridge received the
state’s Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Award in 1994.
A Fair Hill brochure, a trail map, and a calendar of events are available at
the visitor center.
- Directions: From
Elkton, go 8 miles north on MD 213. Go right on scenic MD 273. Fair Hill
NRMA is on both sides of the highway along MD 273. The race track is on
the right. The office is on the east side of MD 213 at the junction with
MD 273.
- Activities:
Steeplechase and flat races with pari-mutuel wagering, fox chasing on
horseback, hiking, freshwater fishing, mountain biking, camping for
organized youth groups, seasonal hunting by permit.
- Facilities: Equestrian
center with stables, turf race course, visitor center, nature center,
trails, trout stream, youth-group campground, tea barn, food concession,
picnic pavilion, activity building (new).
- Dates: The grounds are
open sunrise to sunset, year-round. Races are generally scheduled for
Memorial Day and in the fall. A three-month bow-hunting season runs from
Sept. 15 to Jan. 31 on a designated 650 acres. A managed deer hunt (with
shotgun) is held in Jan.
- Fees: There is a
parking fee and a rental fee for many buildings, including stables, a tea
barn, and a picnic pavilion.
- Closest town: Elkton
is 8 miles south.
- For more information:
Department of Natural Resources–Fair Hill, 376 Fair Hill Drive, Elkton,
MD 21921.
Phone (410) 398-1246
Chesapeake City
[
Fig. 16] Picturesque
Chesapeake City
on the C&D Canal has been featured in
Southern
Living magazine. The rooftops of the colorful homes are visible from the MD
213 bridge that crosses the canal, dividing the town in two. A side trip into
town reveals dozens of restored homes with beautiful gardens, antique and gift
shops, art galleries, four bed and breakfast inns, and five restaurants.
Many buildings and houses are steeped in history. Most are located on George Street and Bohemia Avenue,
which are on the southern side of the canal and the eastern side of MD 213. The
Bayard House Restaurant (circa 1780) at 11 Bohemia Avenue is one of the oldest
buildings in the city. Today, visitors can sample both traditional and
innovative Eastern Shore fare year-round at a
moderate price as they watch boats navigate the canal.
- For more information:
Historic district and walking tour, phone (410) 885-2795 or (410)
885-2997. Bayard House Restaurant, phone (410) 885-5040.
Restaurants of Cecil
County
The county’s location at the head of the Chesapeake Bay
is reflected in the many fine seafood restaurants here. A few are listed here.
Howard House Restaurant. 101
West Main Street, Elkton. Fine dining in a
historic building, circa 1846.
Moderate. Phone (410) 398-4646.
Bayard House Restaurant. 11
Bohemia Avenue, Chesapeake
City. Sample traditional Eastern Shore cooking
with a hint of the Southwest. The restaurant overlooks the Chesapeake &
Delaware Canal. Maryland crab cakes and Eastern Shore crab imperial are favorites. Serving lunch
and dinner daily.
Inexpensive to moderate. Phone (410) 885-5040.
Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina.
605 Second Street,
Chesapeake City. Enjoy lunch or dinner overlooking
the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Continental cuisine with Italian flare.
Accessible by boat
. Moderate. Phone (410) 885-2040.
Woody’s Crab House. 29
South Main Street, North East. One of Maryland’s top 10
restaurants for steamed crabs and crab cakes. Voted Best of the Bay in 1997 by
Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Features local
art, casual atmosphere. Open Mar. through Dec.
Moderate. Phone (410)
287-3541.
Fair Hill Inn. Fair Hill, Elkton. Lunch and dinner are served at this
old inn (circa 1714), which is on the National Register of Historic Homes.
Located at MD 273 and MD 213.
Moderate. Phone (410) 398-4187.
