How to Spend 24 Hours in St. Michaels, Maryland
Maryland’s Eastern Shore is home to Ocean City and Atlantic beaches of Maryland and Delaware, but there are also several smaller towns along the Chesapeake Bay worth visiting. Just an hour-and-a-half from both Baltimore and D.C., and right across the Bay Bridge, St. Michaels is perfect for a weekend getaway. Here is how to spend 24 hours in this historic town by the bay.
Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.
Grab a gluten-free treat
Bakery, American, $
When you arrive in town, grab a sweet treat at Gluten Free Bakery Girl. This little shop was started by pastry chef Tricia King, and locals love the delicious breads, buns, and cakes that are all gluten-free. You can also get dairy-free and vegan creations.
Shop
Do a half-day or full-day bike rental from TriCycle and explore the area. The roads are very flat and most motorists are used to seeing cyclists. If you want a challenge (and a ride that takes about three hours), pedal all the way down to Black Walnut Point, or just bike around the backroads to enjoy the scenery.
Check out the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Museum
In the afternoon, be sure to visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Celebrating Maryland’s relationship with the water, the museum has boat-building demonstrations, exhibits on the legacy of watermen and fishermen on the bay, a whole building dedicated to the once-thriving and now-recovering oyster industry, and more.
St. Michaels Winery
Wine Bar, Wine Seller, American, $
The tasting room at the St. Michaels Winery is open year-round, so be sure to stop by to taste some wine made right in town. The winery offers samples starting at 11 a.m. each day, with a variety of whites and reds to choose from. They pride themselves on using Maryland-grown grapes for many varieties of their classic wines, while also having fun, summer wines that are perfect for a picnic.
Eastern Shore Brewing
Bar, American, $
If wine isn’t your thing, or you just want to sample more of what St. Michaels has to offer, check out Eastern Shore Brewing down the street. The beers are brewed on-site, so you know you’re getting the freshest beer in town, and the tasting room offers both pints of beer and sampler flights. The space inside is cozy and the perfect place to relax after a busy day.
Sail the Chesapeake on a Patriot Cruise
Museum
Before heading home, take a boat cruise on the Chespeake. During the summer months, Patriot Cruises offers narrated historical cruises every day, and Island Music Cocktail Cruises on Saturdays. Tour the water on a replica of a 1930s steamer—the type of boat that crossed the bay to take tourists to bay-side resorts—and learn about the history of the region. The boat has refreshments and air-conditioning.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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