Cambridge

Experience the landscapes that formed and forged Harriet Tubman, an American hero whose life was even greater than her legend. From the Bucktown Store where Tubman, still just a child, made her first public act of defiance, to the awe inspiring new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, follow the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway and witness her life and legacy as a bold conductor on the Underground Railroad, a spy who worked behind enemy lines during the Civil War, and as a ground breaking suffragette.

Let the day slip away with a River Stone Massage at the ultra-luxurious Sago Spa & Salon. Explore the Regency’s more than 400 waterfront acres including the full service marina, a protected heron rookery, and beautiful bike trails. And of course, hit the links at the River Marsh Golf Club, one of Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 10 Northen US Golf Resorts. 

The massive Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is a place of unparalleled beauty. Centerpiece of the Great Atlantic Flyway and home to more than 250 species of birds, the blue skies are thick with bald eagles beyond counting. Paddle meandering water trails through pristine wetlands. Hike and bike endless trails through unspoiled woods, expansive croplands, and idyllic Chesapeake tidal marshes. Covering more than 40 square miles, you could spend a lifetime exploring the Blackwater, and barely scratch its unforgettable surface.

Dorchester County rolls out the red carpet for endurance athletes (and spectators) participating in the 70.3-mile IRONMAN Eagleman and the 140.6-mile IRONMAN Maryland.

With its huge sail soaring more than 100 feet in the air and welcoming staff of destination experts, The Visitor Center at Sailwinds Park is the perfect place to take in the stunning river view and plan your Eastern Shore escape. The center is home to great exhibits on the area’s amazing history and, parents take note, the center’s huge waterfront, nautical themed playground is the perfect stop for cooped-up kids.

Cambridge is fast getting a foodie reputation as the place on the bay where tradition meets tomorrow. Surrounded by the bounty of the bay and some of the richest farm lands on the continent, local chefs are spoiled for choice when it comes to world-class ingredients. RAR Brewing Maryland’s home to the anglo “real ale” take on the micro-brew scene.

The longest running powerboat race in America, the Cambridge Classic is in May, is celebrating  its 109th year. Thrill as fire breathing boats hit more than 170 mph as they thunder roar across the Choptank River. And mark your calendar for Thunder on the Choptank in July, the premiere annual event of the Kent Narrow Racing Association pits steely eyed daredevils head to head in some of the hottest racing anywhere.

Dorchester County Center for the Arts is home for artists working in all media. Its purpose is to enrich Maryland’s Eastern Shore through engaging programming in the visual, literary, musical and performing arts.

More more than three centuries, the people of Cambridge’s have been building boats, sailing the bay, and working the water. Celebrate these quintessential Eastern Shore traditions at the Richardson Maritime Museum and the Ruark Boatworks, and set sail on the Nathan of Dorchester, one of Maryland’s beautiful and historic skipjacks, the last sailing fishing fleet in North America.

Home of one of the last remaining post windmills in the world, a colonial tenant farm, a one-room schoolhouse, and blacksmith shop. Open dusk to dawn daily for self-guided tours with guides on hand to answer questions and provide access to the country store and museum on the property from 1-4pm on Sundays.

The expansive mosaic mural on Race Street that depicts the history of Cambridge’s working people through the centuries is just one of the murals that are part of the growing Chesapeake Country Mural Trail in Dorchester County.  The murals highlight bits of Dorchester’s culture and history along the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway. 

Near Cambridge, the historic plantation house known as Handsell is built on the site of the Chicone Native American village. To honor the Eastern Woodland Native People of Delmarva, an authentic replica of a single family homestead was built using the materials and techniques available to people circa pre-1600. A waddle-fenced garden is planted each summer with plants authentic to a garden of the native people. The Handsell site can be viewed at any time during daylight hours, where six wayside exhibits tell the story of the house and the African-American and native people who once lived here.