One of the things we enjoy about cruising is visiting some of the small towns onshore. When I was a kid, one of my favorite places that we visited on our family's sailboat was Oxford, MD. I've been able to return here over the years with David and our children and the "Granddaughter Cruise" with my dad and Erin and my nieces. Some of the other towns we have visited have evolved into tourist destinations and now have huge waterfront estates everywhere. But little Oxford has retained it's charm over all of these decades.
There are lumpy brick sidewalks where you can stroll under the shady canopies of old trees. The homes are typically smaller, but all are well tended with lush blooming gardens. You can feel the history here with some houses dating back to the late 1600's and 1700's. Oxford is one of Maryland's oldest towns and was a colonial port of entry.
My favorite part is the shady park. It's situated on the waterfront and always seems to have a breeze blowing in off the Choptank River. There are swings right at the edge so you feel almost like you are swinging out over the water. A small beach, fun slides and a wooden train complete it. There used to be a seesaw, but that is gone (as in all US parks these days).
The Oxford Bellevue Ferry is still operating, transporting a few cars, bicycles and people at a time for the 3/4 mile trip across the Tred Avon River. It is believed to be the oldest privately owned ferry service in the country, dating back to the late 1600's.
David and I consider ourselves to be ice cream connoisseurs and it is our mission to sample as much ice cream as possible during our Chesapeake Bay cruise. The best ice cream to date was found at the Scottish Highland Creamery in Oxford. We went twice just to make sure. We were told it is ranked in the top five ice cream shops in the country! The coconut ginger I had yesterday was exquisite!
It has turned hot and humid so yesterday we escaped into the air conditioned waterfront restaurant Capsize and had a delightful LONG lunch with my parents who we are cruising with again. I had the best crab cake there that I have had on this trip.
All in all, a wonderful visit back to an old friend!
(PS I am posting this from my phone so please excuse any weird formatting!)
