Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Wye Mills
Traffic often crowds Rte. 213 as it nears the turnoff for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which
links the Eastern Shore with Annapolis and Washington, D.C. After gliding by thickets of
pine interspersed with wetlands, the drive crosses Rte. 50 and joins up with narrow Rte.
662.
Driving south, you'll soon enter the crossroads of Wye Mills, where visitors can tour
the 18th-century Wye Mill that lent the town its name. The mill once supplied cornmeal to
George Washington's hungry troops at Valley Forge during the frigid winter of 1778.
4.
Wye Island Natural Resources Management
Area
As a side trip, drive west on Rte. 50 a few miles, then follow signs to the turnoff south to
Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area, in the tidal recesses of the Chesapeake
Bay between the Wye and the Wye East rivers. It is a prime spot to observe migratory wa-
terfowl and shore birds in their native habitats.
Returning to Rte. 662, the drive takes what seems to be an indecisive course, weaving
itswaybackandforthacrossRte.50—theMainStreetoftheEasternShore,withthetraffic
to prove it—on its way south to the town of Easton, which dates to Revolutionary times.
5.
Easton
Clapboard houses and white-picket fences line narrow, shady streets in Easton, gateway
to the Chesapeake Bay. For a scenic detour that offers a wind-in-the-hair view of the bay,
ramble down Rte. 333 to Oxford.
Once rivaling Annapolis among pre-Revolutionary ports, Oxford saw many tons of to-
bacco and grain (and, on a somber note, slaves and convicts) pass through its customs
house. A replica of the original building stands down by the Tred Avon River, where the
landing for the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry (nine-car limit) beckons to travelers. On the other
side, motor up to the picturesque village of St. Michaels, whose harbor on the Miles River
is crowded with sleek yachts. For a detailed view of the town's seagoing legacy, visit the
famed Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum; it features everything from an old lighthouse
and waterfowl decoys to historic bay boats.
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