Saint Michael's to Dividing Creek off Wye Island near Easton, Maryland

 We got an early start on Saturday morning to head towards Tilgham's Island and through Knapps Narrow drawbridge. We headed out to the Chesapeake Bay as we rounded Popular Island where they are filling in the island with dredge material from the ship's channel. We headed up the East Wye River and anchored in Dividing Creek. Wye Island is a Nature Preserve with hiking trails and kayak launching ramps and group camping. We headed up the creek in the dinghy looking for the dinghy dock and only found a small bulkhead near the group camping with a muddy bank. We pulled up there and followed the road to the Schoolhouse Trail. It is a beautiful old-growth forest and the wide paths have been mowed. We met the kayaking campers who told us that there is a better launch at the next creek at Grainery Creek so we will head there tomorrow.

Heading through Knapps Narrow drawbridge

Heading out of Tilgman's Island

The retaining walls for dredge fill at Poplar Island

Private lighthouse heading up East Wye River

Our muddy dinghy landing

Primitive group campsite

Toads were plentiful on the paths

Bluebird houses were placed along the fields

Winter wheat, corn and soybeans were planted

Nice trailhead maps

Amazing tall old trees

Shady hiking paths and few bugs

Cat tails along the marshy creek banks

Colorful trumpet vine

Gorgeous anchoring spot for birdwatching

It rained overnight and we were lazy on Sunday until late afternoon when we dinghied over to Granary Creek to the kayak launch at the picnic area. W ran into some kayakers just packing up. We headed down the road to the tip of the island to the Old Ferry Landing and Beach. We ended up hiking 8.3 miles so we were exhausted by the time we got back to the boat. Most of the hike was in the shade and all the folks we saw were in the water on a muddy beach with more boat traffic than on our side of the island.

First we thought eagles but more likely buzzards

Great blue herons along most banks

The cozy cottage across the river with a vineyard

The trail to the old ferry landing was like a tunnel

Twisted trees and vines

Steps down beside the kayak launch where we landed our dinghy

On Monday, it was breezy and we went back to the same kayak launch and walked the road to the equestrian lodge and then followed the Dividing Creek Trail around the fields finally seeing a deer in the woods and a fox crossing the road. The wild raspberries and blackberries were just getting ripe along the paths. We stopped to explore the youth campsite on the cove. We had one small different sailboat anchor up the creek each night. One sailing catamaran came in and left quickly complaining of the wasps which there were a few but not a nuisance. 

Boby Owl Cove to San Domingo Creek, Saint Michael's, Maryland

 It rained overnight and after we pulled anchor and were eating breakfast underway, it started sprinkling again. We passed a few crab boats pulling lines as we went out to Broad Creek and around up San Domingo Creek. There was one sailboat already anchored where we had picked out and we had seen her before. There were only three other boats anchored along the creek that dead-ended at the town dock. We walked around the historic district and the marinas and then hiked out to the hardware store and grocery store. We hiked along the paved Nature Trail back to the dinghy dock and dropped off our grocery bags of farm fresh corn on the cob, and pitty-pat squash and zucchini. We ended up at the back patio of Ana's Pizza Place for a spicy Hawaiian pizza with pineapple, Canadian bacon, and jalapeno peppers and it was delicious. We made it back to the boat before the rain started. It is continuing to drizzle.

A liveaboard anchored near the dock

With his storage unit

and floating garden

The Nature Trail heads over a bridge and away from the waterfront park

Bright garden of a house on the corner

Down at the docks

On the grounds of the Chesapeake Maritime Museum

Look how high the water is to the top of the dock

The pizza place had a retractable roof that they opened when the sun came out 

Good wine sentiment

A waterfall from the beer taps

Banners that are also posters for sale by Art League

Front door decorations

Amazing liquor selection

We agree!

Cambridge to Boby Owl Cove off Broad Creek near Saint Michael's, Maryland

 We left the dock at Cambridge Yacht Basin with overcast skies but no white caps out on the Choptank River. We cruised back down the Choptank River past Trappe and Oxford and headed up Broad Creek. Since we got a 3.5-mile hike into breakfast, we decided to head to a quiet anchorage at Boby Owl Cove for the night. We are close to San Domingo Creek and the "back door" to Saint Michael's.

Glenn chasing the ducks off the dock

The current Choptank Light

Duck blind off our port side at Boby Owl Cove

Mansion and sailboat moored off our starboard side

Trappe to the Cambridge Yacht Basin Marina in Cambridge, Maryland

 We were surprised by the rain yesterday afternoon that lasted into the evening. We checked the weather forecast and the winds were picking up Tuesday afternoon so we decided to head up the Choptank River on Tuesday morning to Cambridge Yacht Basin a day earlier than planned. It was overcast and beginning to get windy when we pulled into the fuel dock. The dockmaster said yesterday they had two boats scheduled to come in and by morning it was up to 16. We got diesel and a pump-out and then tied up to a t-head dock in front of a huge steel boat that should be a good wind block. We followed the map from the marina goodie canvas bag and headed to RAR Brewery. We had the best cheap burger of the trip and sampled their local brews. We walked past the one tourist waterfront restaurant, Schooners, and past the charter skipjack and the local crabmeat store at the docks. We met the postman at the bathhouse so we got our package that came in two days. We turned on the air conditioner as we might as well enjoy the power while being at the dock,

Marker at La Trappe Creek

Choptank River Lighthouse at marina waterfront park

Around town in historic Cambridge

RAR brewery taps

We had rain overnight and a gentle sprinkle with plenty of wind and a cool 66 degrees as we headed into town to the bakery for breakfast. We passed up all the great-looking sweet bakery items and I enjoyed the avocado toast on homemade ciabatta bread. The rain started up and we scampered back to the boat. There was a break in the rain around noon so we hauled our laundry to the captain's lounge and laundry in the bathhouse. We had the place to ourselves other than the wet folks coming in to use the restrooms. One huge sailboat battled her way into a slip with lots of dockhands to help.  We are lucky to be at the t-head as we are not rocking and rolling like the other boats. The marina is behind a breakwater but the 18-knot winds are getting through the entranceway. After two loads of laundry we are snug back on the boat making pizza dough in the breadmaker and a loaf of bread to follow.

The wind has the water level up and breaking over the seawall next door

 A surprise coffee mug when I drank down and saw the words "This is my happy place"

We woke up to a cool, gray day as we took the walking tour of Cambridge map with us back to the Bakery for breakfast. We wandered around town checking out the Harriet Tubman Museum and then walked back to the waterfront and over the drawbridge to the boat yard and the Maritime Museum. It turns out most museums are open only Thursdays through Saturday. We decided the weather did not look any better tomorrow so we would head out today after we toured the Choptank Lighthouse.

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

The oldest house

Old cemetary

Post office

Historic buildings now law offices and restaurants

Scientific symbols for caffeine

Definitely a port town

Looking out from the drawbridge

Several skipjack boats in the yard

The park along the waterfront 

Looking across to lighthouse at the marina

The entrance to the marina looking from dockmaster's office

Lightkeeper's stopwatch and cooking pots

Fresnel lens from the lighthouse

Waterfront scene