expeditions; if this
interests you, check out
Harrison’s Chesapeake
House (p215).54 p215
The Drive » Take MD-33 back
to US 50E and go south for 15
miles to reach Cambridge.6 Cambridge
First settled in 1684,
Cambridge is one of
the oldest towns in the
country. Situated on
the Choptank River, it
has historically been a
farming town.
Cambridge’s city
center has lots of historic
buildings fashioned in
Federal Style; it may
not be quite as picture
perfect as Easton, but
the town’s populace is
less transplant-heavy and
more authentically of the
Shore, and it’s diverse
to boot (almost 50-50split between white and
African American).
Have a wander around
the local galleries at
the Dorchester Center
for the Arts (321 High
Street) and check out the
farmers market at Long
Wharf Park (High St &
Water St), which runs on
Thursdays from 3pm to
6pm from mid-May to
October.The Drive » Take Race St
to MD-16W/Church Creek Rd
and follow it for 5 miles to
MD-335. Follow Route 335 for
about 4 miles and turn east on
Key Wallace Drive. The visitor
center is about 1 mile from the
intersection on the right.7 Blackwater
National Wildlife
Refuge
The Atlantic Flyway is
the main route birds take
between northern and
southern migratory trips,
and in an effort to give
our fine-feathered friends
a bit of a rest stop, the
Blackwater National
Wildlife Refuge (%410-228-2677; http://www.fws.gov/
blackwater; 2145 Key Wallace
Dr; per vehicle $3; hsunrise-
sunset) was established.
The Blackwater is
technically in the state
of Maryland, yet by all
appearances it could have
fallen from the cutting
room floor of Jurassic
Park. This enormous
expanse of marsh and pine
forest contains a third
of Maryland’s wetland
habitat. Thousands upon
thousands of birds call
the refuge home, or at
least stop there during
their long migratory
routes. Driving or cycling
around the paved 4-mile
wildlife drive is perhaps
the seminal wildlife
experience on the Eastern
Shore. A few small walking
trails and an observation
tour can be accessed via
the drive.
Harriet Tubman, ‘the
Moses of her people’
who led thousands of
black slaves to freedom,
was born on nearby
Greenbrier Rd. At the
time of writing, work had
begun (set to be finished
by 2015) on a national
monument (www.nps.gov/
hatu; 2145 Key Wallace Dr)
dedicated to Tubman
and the Underground
Railroad, the pipeline
that sent escaped slaves
north.The Drive » Get back on
MD-16 and take it 11 miles north
to US 50. Get on 50 east and
drive 23 miles, then turn right on
Rockawalkin Rd and connect to
MD-340 southbound (Nanticoke
Rd). Take this for 3 miles,TRIP HIGHLIGHTBEST. SEASONING. EVER.
You see it everywhere down here: Old Bay seasoning,
the deep red, pleasantly hot and unmistakably
estuarine spice of Maryland. It’s made from
celery salt, mustard, black and red pepper and
other secret ingredients, and Marylanders put it
on corn, french fries, potato chips and, of course,
crabs. A large container of the stuff is the perfect
Maryland souvenir, but beware of wiping your face
after partaking of the spice: Old Bay in the eyes is
incredibly painful.WASHINGTON.DC,.MARYLAND.&.DELAWARE.TRIPS.17
(^) MARITIME MARYLAND