Why the Chesapeake Bay Is a Perfect Weekend Away
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- Courtesy Belmond
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, St. Michael's, MD
Imagine: A quick, quiet break without insufferable traffic or slew of thunderstorm-plagued airport delays to contend with in the most heavily congested corner of the country—the Northeast. It's entirely do-able. Hop a speedy Amtrak Acela train from New York, Philadelphia, or D.C., and make a bee-line for Baltimore's BWI station. You'll be poolside at the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond quicker than a cocktail-in-hand during any Friday night Happy Hour.
- Courtesy Belmond
"Five Star"
From BWI train station it's 30 minutes by pre-arranged car service to Pier 7 in Edgewater, just shy of Annapolis (a town we recently named one of the country's most beautiful). The Key West-styled Pier Oyster Bar & Grill is worth a visit for a nibble and sip before boarding the Inn's super-sleek, 55-foot Hinckley yacht, the "Five Star," at 3 p.m. every Friday afternoon. A 90-minute ride across Chesapeake Bay, clear of protected shelter, can be a memorable one with chop and spray enough to challenge even the most shipshape—Champagne and hors d'oeuvres are on hand below for those hunkered-down.
- Courtesy Belmond/Photo by Jason Varney
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, St. Michael's, MD
Soaked or not, an afternoon glide into historic St. Michael's harbor is a magical one—look out for the nineteenth-century, screw-pile Hooper Straight Lighthouse at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. A dockside welcome from the Inn's staff, and quick check-in to one of the resort's 78 rooms, is surely the coolest way to arrive anywhere. Families with children and/or pets should look to book a handful of Superior Garden View rooms with private, enclosed outdoor patios on the ground floor near the pool and Linden Spa. Others might prefer those with rooftop balconies, including the peaceful No. 82, Sanderling, located at the opposite end of this deceptively-large, 25-acre property fronting Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- Courtesy Belmond/Photo by Jason Varney
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, St. Michael's, MD
The Inn's original structure, a home overlooking the Miles River, was built in 1816 by Samuel Hambleton, a retired Navy veteran from the often-overlooked War of 1812, and as an homage to his commander, and friend, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and his accommodations on the U.S.S. Niagara, star of the Battle of Lake Erie. After a stressful few centuries of decommission, the ship is on display at Pennsylvania's Erie Maritime Museum. Exposed beams, plantation shutters, and highly-polished wooden floors run throughout the oldest parts of the Inn—with an elegant private dining room (including hidden doorway) that hosts, with resident vinicultural expert Chance Miller, a recreation of the famous Judgement of Paris— a blind wine-tasting in France in 1976 in which U.S.-grown vines clobbered French counterparts and upended all notion of Old-World superiority.
- Courtesy Belmond/Photo by Jason Varney
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, St. Michael's, MD
All rooms at the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond have been totally refurbished, and though they still retain a cheerful, nautical slant they've been imbued with a bold sophistication—oversized black-and-white photos and maps reflect St. Michaels' past, striking modern art reproductions hang on the walls, and beautifully-crafted wooden furniture fill spaces just enough to leave paths from fireplaces (in many rooms) to beds (in all) without clutter. There's no Victoriana here, save for one or two treasured swaths of floral wallpaper (the Inn was converted from a private residence to hotel by Sir Bernard Ashley, husband of famed textile-designer Laura Ashley, between 1989 and 1999).
- Inn at Perry Cabin
Maryland Blue Crabs
Chef Ken MacDonald, a colorful character hailing from Scotland, via Seattle, incorporates beloved Maryland Blue Crabs in chowder, cakes, and a decadent macaroni and cheese at the Inn's Stars restaurant. There's fresh oysters and Rockfish, paired with herbs and vegetables grown on-site and overseen by a farm manager dedicated to sourcing almost every ingredient on each menu from less-than-a-150-mile-radius of your table. The restaurant was just named as a winner of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America’s (DiRōNA) Award of Excellence. The resort's Purser's Pub, with charming courtyard, is open until midnight, seven days a week.
- Courtesy Belmond/Photo by Jason Varney
"Star Bright"
Hit the water, again, with gregarious Captain Jason Pinter, onboard one of the Inn's two elegant Alerion yachts—"Star Bright" or "Star Light." Departures are at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and sunset. Or, charter one of these incredibly fast, comfortable, and nearly-fully-automated boats for a private full- or half-day excursion, boxed lunches included. Closer to shore, guests can paddle board or kayak—watch out for jellyfish! Back on land, there's Bocce and croquet or take a quiet stroll through the property's centuries-old parterre English garden. For the more active, bike into town on a free set of wheels (the Inn's fleet includes tandems), five-minutes away. There will be tennis courts by next summer.
- Courtesy Belmond
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, St. Michael's, MD
Departures from the resort back to Pier 7 leave at 2:00 p.m. every Sunday. If your summer's calendar is already chock-a-block, keep in mind the St. Michaels’ Concours d’Elegance returns to town and the Inn on September 22-24 and will showcase an impressive cavalcade of historic automobiles and classic wooden speed boats. Note: Yes, 'Wedding Crashers' was filmed here in 2004 with Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Jane Seymour, but barely a blemish of gawking-attitude survives following Belmond's cleverly-crafted revival. Best to embrace a weekend away remembering another movie made in the area, one of 1928's top silent films: 'The First Kiss', starring Gary Cooper and Fay Wray. Don't tell anyone we told you so.
Skip the Bridge Friday-to-Sunday packages can be booked here.