May 30 - June 2, 2009 - St. Michaels, MD

Saturday May 30, 2009 -- Solomons Islands to St. Michaels

We started the engine at 6:40am for the 6 hour cruise up the Chesapeake to the lovely port of St. Michaels, MD. The bay was calm and it was an easy cruise through familiar territory.
As we approached St. Michaels we were talking to a passing boat on our VHF marine radio when we heard a someone calling "Pathfinder this is Rosetta". We realized it was Pepper and Geoff whom we had met and cruised with in 2007 as we headed down the ICW. It turned out they were on their boat heading back to their home and had recognized us talking on the radio. We quickly made plans to meet up with them in St. Michaels.

Early on the morning of August 10, 1813, a number of British barges sailed up the Miles River intending to shell the town and its harbor fort. The citizens of St. Michaels, having been warned in advance of the planned attack, had evacuated most of the women, children, livestock and valuable possessions to an area outside of town known as 'Onion Hill'. Brigadier General Perry Benson, commanding officer of the Talbot County militia, ordered lanterns placed in treetops just outside of the town and all other lights in the town extinguished, thereby creating the first military blackout on record. When the British marines aimed their cannon fire to the lights, they overshot the town. Only one dwelling was hit, a brick house near the harbor now known as "The Cannonball House." This successful defense caused St. Michaels to be thereafter known as "The Town That Fooled The British." 

As we entered St. Michaels harbor we saw Pepper & Geoff waving from the distinctive lighthouse at the harbor entrance.

These traditional light houses have been preserved and open for historic tours.

We had a nice slip in the marina making it easy to get off Pathfinder to explore the town but still giving us a great view of the harbor from our "back porch"

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We really enjoyed spending time with our friends Pepper and Geoff Holmes from MV Rossetta. 


We had a quick lunch and agreed to get together after Mass for a tour of the area in their car and dinner together.

We explored the town a bit and got pizza at Ava Pizza-- what a great spot sitting at the large picture window and watching the people walk by. 

Then we went back to sit on our upper deck and watch the boats enter and leave the harbor.


After Sunday Mass we returned the Pathfinder with the Sunday newspapers for a light lunch and sat on our upper deck enjoying the boat traffic.

St. Michaels is a beautiful little town and we spent several relaxing days wandering around the town admiring the home like these...

But we were due in Annapolis as our son Jim and his wife Julie were going to drive down and meet us there for a few days... so time to get ready to depart knowing we'll be back on a future cruise to explore more of this part of the Chesapeake.