St Michaels Maryland Things To Do
St. Michael’s is a quiet little town located in a strip of land alongside the Miles River. The location is only 2 hours from Baltimore City, and is filled with local businesses, wineries, and a few museums, making for the perfect day trip. The town is heavily associated with the Chesapeake Bay and Talbot St (the main strip) has a very beachy vibe to it (the flowerbeds are potted with clam shells)!
I recommend getting an early start to the day here so that you have the perfect excuse to feed your caffeine addiction with some of the delicious brews at Rise Up Coffee, and then head out to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for an interactive history lesson on the Chesapeake Bay, boating, and fishing industry.
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
St Michaels Maryland Things To Do #1
The entrance to the parking lot for this museum is located just off of Talbot Street. Once you park, just follow the signs and the brick sidewalk to the facility. The museum exhibitions are all within walking distance from eachother once you’ve entered the museum, but note: the paths from exhibit to exhibit are outside, so if it rains (like I so had the luxury of experiencing) make sure you come amply prepared! There is a lot to learn here, and if you’re a bit nerdy like myself, you will really enjoy some of the history behind the Chesapeake Bay; learning about things from boat building, duck decoy making, methods of crabbing and oystering, and so much more!
I have to say, my favorite exhibit here was definitely the Boat Building Workshop. We got to view an ongoing class of 4-5 individuals who were making their own kayak paddles. I stopped to talk to the instructor briefly and discovered that these classes are offered year round and attract an age range of 10 and up. The classes include workshops from paddle making up to building actual boats! Super cool for the outdoorsy handyman! Bonus: There is a little cat named Edna who hangs out here and LOVES people. The Hooper Strait lighthouse (pictured above) is very pretty as well and you can even tour the inside all the way up to the light at the top!
With all the walking that you do at the museum, you will definitely work up an appetite, so after you’ve completed the tour, head out on the town for some great seafood and shopping!
Olivins Fine Olive Oil & Vinegars
St Michaels Maryland Things To Do #2
Among the many unique shops and restaurants of St. Michaels, this small local business with specializing in tasty multi-flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Olivins offers a full tasting room 7 days a week with coffee and brownies for dessert! The owner, Bill Acosta was incredibly helpful and left no questions unanswered during our visit. There are over 25 different flavored extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars and Bill helped us pair flavors that complimented eachother very well. The prices are very reasonable and if you don’t want to buy a large bottle there are also mini sizes for only $6.00 USD (I walked with dill inflused EVOO because…pickles are life). Olivins offers online ordering for any flavor olive oil you desire; so if you don’t feel like taking a bottle home with you that day, you can always order from the comfort of your own home!
The pomegranate balsamic and italian herb extra virgin olive oil was my favorite pairing here.
Carpenter Street Saloon
St Michaels Maryland Things To Do #3
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Carpenter Street Saloon. The atmosphere was similar to that of a traditional american pub with a semi-southern feel. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating and the service was great. Per our waitress, the most popular dishes here are the California Turkey BLT and the Reuben. I went with the California BLT and was not disappointed at all. The food presentation was perfect, and tasted even better!
Cool story about this restaurant: There are dollar bills stapled to the ceiling and the walls. When I asked our waitress why, she told us that individuals from all over will doodle on a dollar bill for them to hang. At the end of the year, the dollars are donated to the firehouse. The fire house then auctions off the dollars to the people of Talbot County in order to raise money for the firehouse. What a beautiful gesture!
There’s me!
Eastern Shore Brewing Company
St Michaels Maryland Things To Do #4
Our next stop of the day was the Eastern Shore Brewing Company Brewery! The location is at the very beginning of downtown St. Michael’s and is located right next door to the St. Michael’s Winery (of course we went there too). The taproom has several company brewed beers available for tastings (small glass shown in picture above) for $3, flights, as well as full sized beers as well. The beers that were available during my visit are shown below, although I imagine these change with the seasons.
I opted for the Blue Heron. Porters are perfect for rainy, chilly, weather. I was not disappointed in the slightest bit. My friend Sam went for a lighter approach and chose the Back Creek. The porter was smooth and the coffee bean after taste wasn’t too faint or too strong. The Back Creek was very crisp and light. Very refreshing! There is a small section of the building in which you can step into to view the brew tanks and some of the oak barrels. You can hang out for as long as you’d like in this room free of charge! The taproom has plenty of high top tables, a whole shelf of board games (perfect to sit and play while you booze on a rainy day!!!) and a darts board. Huge plus for me (and any other fur human fanatics), the tap room is 100% dog friendly. Stay here and try all of the delicious draft beers, OR head next door to the winery for $10 tastings. Some of my favorites were the Maryland Merlot and the Chocolate Zin especially (bought a bottle, guilty).
We spent a little more time doing some shopping before heading back to the car. I definitely recommend hitting some of the antique stores, Knotty Living, and The Preppy Redneck. All have such a unique vibe and the store owners are so sweet and friendly.
Tilghman’s Island
St Michaels Maryland Things To Do #5
Before you leave St. Michaels, take the time to drive out to Tilghman’s Island. The views are unbelievable and it’s such a peaceful environment you won’t want to leave. We made this our last destination of the day; the cherry on top per se. To get here, just follow Talbot Street until you can’t drive any further. Trust me, you won’t miss it. Here is one of my favorite shots from the jetty.
So there you have it! We spent 6 hours total here. This is such a perfect spot for a quiet day trip, a couples weekend getaway, or somewhere to take the parents. There are a number of breakfast and beds nearby and plenty of places to eat. I didn’t get a chance to explore the night life, but I imagine that there is a very homely feel to it.
Get out out there and see for yourself!
Looking for more things to do in Maryland? Check out my Maryland travel page here!
Until next time y’all,
C ❤️
