skinjob23

My girlfriend and I are planning on doing a tour of the Eastern Shore of Maryland over Memorial Day weekend. We are getting dropped off at Kent Island, just across the Bay Bridge and riding to St. Michael's and then to Cambridge where we will get a hotel for the night. Next stop is Ocean City where we are staying for a night. Then we plan to ride around Assateague Island, staying the night in Snow Hill. Finally, we are doing a short ride to Salisbury where we will rent a car and ride back to D.C.

So, anyone have any tips or recommendations for the trip? Routes to take? Sites?

staehpj1

Oxford is a nice little town to pass through or to stop for lunch at the little store. There is a park across the street to eat in. Riding the ferry at Oxford is kind of nice too. You might use parts of this loop:
https://www.bikewashington.org/routes/oxford/index.htm

donheff

I just took that ride last Thursday. Here is a thread that includes pictures along the route and some shots from the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge which is near Cambridge. Here is a shot on the Oxford ferry:
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-holiday76

We'll be coming down that way, headed south to Crisfield to take the ferry over to Tangiers Island, then onto Virginia and eventually Tennessee. We're leaving May 24th from West Chester Pa.

Anyhow, we've done this ride before. It's obviously flat. I dont really remember which roads we took because we dont make clear plans, we just ride, but I do remember the roads being really nice with wide shoulders and well taken care of surfaces. I'd think as long as you stay off of the highway you should be fine where you go.
Either way, enjoy your trip and if you see a couple of fully loaded recumbents go by that's probably my father and I

acupuncture Doc

I lived in the DC area for a few years back in the day.

A fun thing to do is hit a local bars along the bay when all the watermen get in off the boats for the day. Those guys are a lot of fun to have a beer with.

Earlier in the season seemed to be a little better than later for crabs. Better taste I was told by the locals. As for towns, I think the other posts got it.

foamy

You'll have fun for sure. There are no hills to speak of so if you want to make time, you can. Starting from Kent Island, stay on the side roads. Do not ride on Rt. 50. On Memorial Day weekend, traffic will be murder. I would not recommend it in any event. On your way down, there is one short stretch past Wye Mills where you are going to have to ride it, but it's only a few hundred yards. You'll cross Rt. 50 a couple of times to stay on the back roads—it's not a problem. If you were leaving sooner, I'd put you up as I live in a town ten miles from (and much nicer than) Cambridge. As it is, I'll be gone on the TA by then. stahpj1 and –holiday76 have given you some good advice. St. Mike's and Oxford are where I sail out of and hang out. St. Mike's is touristy, but very nice and Oxford is quaint and sleepy and a place I would live in if I could afford it.

If you'd like, PM me with a mailing address and I'll send you a map with the best route (scenery, roads and mileage) to Ocean City and for getting out of K.I., as well as suggestions for the best roads, restaurants, stops, etc. It'd be a pleasure. This is the Land of Pleasant Living. I'm sure you're going to enjoy it.

neilfein

You could always head up to Lewes, DE and hop on the ferry to Cape May, NJ.

JeffC

I was in the area a few years ago and stayed at a nice B&B called 1876 House in Oxford that I'd recommend. There is a also a restaurant/inn that supposedly has the best crabcakes on the eastern shore, cannot recall the name but if you ask I'm sure the locals would know. IIRC the road to Oxford was very quiet with little car traffic and the town itself does not even have a stoplight.

The Travel Section of the Sunday 4/20 Washington Post had an article about biking through the Blackwater NWR and how it was the best way to see the birds. The article also had places to stay, places to eat etc. For some reason it is not on line but if you have a local library that has the print version it's probably worth checking out.

NoRacer

I did a mini-tour of the Eastern Shore last July 4th using this route:

https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...d-via-Delaware


I carried about 20 pounds of stuff (clothing, tennis shoes, spares, food) in a backpack the whole way, fighting hills along the Susquehanna River and a headwind for most of the southbound journey on the DELMARVA peninsula. The wind was bad enough that I discovered the fireworks display in Ocean City was postponed until the 5th, so I stayed at Bethany Beach on the night of the 4th riding into Ocean City on the 5th.

After getting settled into a motel in OC, I hung out at the Boardwalk until the fireworks display. I viewed the display from the Park & Ride just outside of OC on Route 50.



I rode down to Assateague on the 6th.

On the 7th, I stayed at the beach for the day and on Sunday the 8th, I rode back to Essex, MD.

Here's a slideshow of pictures of the entire journey:

https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...view=slideshow

nun

All I can say is that East MD is perfect cycle touring country, nice and flat and lots of places to see.
The whole DE peninsula is a forgotten piece of the USA, nobody goes there as 95 cuts across the top of it
and there's no real destination places except Lewes and Ocean City. I love the Eastern Shore and DE coast and I envy you your tour. I think I'll do something similar taking the train to Wilmington and riding down through Newark and Glasgow. Once you get south of Salisbury its frighteningly quiet, its almost
like going back in time a couple of hundred years.......

skinjob23

Thanks for all the tips. I am psyched for the trip. Already picked up a Delmarva Bicycling Trail map that should come in handy.

skinjob23

Can anyone recommend the best route from Cambridge to Ocean City?