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Ports of Call and Restaurants

Oxford Maryland - Oxford is a small town located on the Tred Avon River. The Tred Avon is about three to four miles inside the Choptank River on the north side. I only saw one restaurant that was actually located on the water. I prefer to be able to tie up in front of the restaurant since my boat has very limited storage where I can lock up my electronics and fishing equipment if I have to walk several blocks into town to eat. My second requirement for dinning on the water is that any docking fees should be very inexpensive or better yet free! My third requirement is the seafood they serve must be at least as good as I can prepare myself.

We ate a waterfront establishment called Schooner’s Landing. I was impressed that someone from the restaurant met us on the dock, told us what slips we could use and then helped us tie up the boat. If your boat is larger than 30 feet, I only saw one slip that could accommodate you while dinning. The restaurant offered dinning at water front tables, each with an umbrella on the deck, or tables inside. There was also a bar located outside on the deck. The menu consisted mostly of sandwiches with all the side trimmings. We had the crab cakes which were excellent. I had the Maryland style crab soup, while my wife had seafood gumbo. The gumbo was thick and creamy, and served in a unique bowl. They had taken a large roll, cut the top off, hollowed out the roll and poured in the gumbo. The top of the roll was then used for a "lid". We found the prices reasonable and the food, and service excellent.

St. Michael’s, Maryland - St. Michael's is located on the Miles River. The Miles River is located on the Eastern Bay, which is off of the Chesapeake. I saw at least two restaurants located directly on the water. We happened to have chosen to eat at one called the "Crab Claw". Crab Claw Restaurant

This one met my requirement of free docking while dinning. They had 5-6 slips along the side that would accommodate boats in the 18-22 foot category and docking along the front of the restaurant for boats up to 50 feet or more. I asked our waitress if docking was a problem on the weekends, and she said "not normally because of the amount of space along the front of the restaurant".
The food here was typical seafood fare, including steamed crabs, clams, and even lobster. Since we were there for lunch we decided on the backfin crab cake sandwich. It came with cole slaw and fries, and was very good. The tables were picnic tables with an umbrella for shade. I liked the food, the service, and the docking for the boat. An added advantage of visiting St. Michael’s is that located right next door to the Crab Claw restaurant is the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum.

You should allow time to visit the museum and especially the screw pile design lighthouse, located on the museum property.

Crisfield, Maryland - We ate dinner one evening and and lunch the next day at a restaurant called The Captain’s Galley. As usual we opted for seafood. The food here was excellent and the portions were larger that we expected. The service was great and they do take charge cards. They have free docking for up to two hours while eating, and can accommodate several boats, up to 50 foot in length. This restaurant is located on the port side as you enter the harbor at Crisfield, right next to the city dock. We ate here on a Saturday afternoon and had no problem getting a dock space.

Chestertown, Maryland Over the 4th of July weekend in 2004 I took another couple and cruised to Chestertown. The Chester River is one of the most beautiful rivers I have seen. There are very few houses and not too many boats. It snakes back and forth through the eastern shore farmland for about 20 miles from the entrance at Kent Island to Chestertown and in most placed is less then a mile wide. Since the river is not too wide the water remains very calm making for a very pleasant cruise. I recommend following your GPS as some of the bouys are a good distance apart. The depth of the river is 30 feet in most places as long as you stay in the channel. According to my GPS the depth rises to 3-4 feet if you get out of the main channel. We spent the night at the Chestertown Marina. It had all the basic necessities including water, fuel, electric, a ship’s stores, and showers. We ate dinner at a restaurant about 3 blocks from the marina called the Blue Heron. It is a small restaurant but the food and service was excellent. Some patrons wore a sport shirt and tie while other dressed in shirts and shorts as we did.

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This page was last updated on 7/18/04.

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