Sunday, June 9: Enjoying a Lazy Sunday in Oxford

Date:                           June 9, 2013

Day on the Cruise:      55

From:                          Oxford, MD                                                            

To:                              Oxford, MD

Statute Miles:              0.0

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:       1,410.4 SM

On Board:                  Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut, Pam and Clarke

My cousin Pam and her husband Clarke drove down from Wilmington, DE to visit with us today. We met at noon at the Robert Morris Inn here in Oxford and enjoyed lunch, complete with delicious Bloody Mary's. The atmosphere is very old and traditional in this Inn that sits on the Tred Avon River and dates back to the early 1700's. It was the home of Robert Morris Sr. who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his son Robert Morris Jr. who orchestrated the financing for the Revolutionary War. We ate in the Tavern, but walked through the downstairs area of the Inn which is still active. Heavy, dark stained woodwork and low ceilings, along with uneven wood floors are features that we observed.

The Old Robert Morris Inn in Oxford

The Robert Morris Inn on the banks of the Tred Avon River in Oxford

It is not hard to imagine life in this small town during Colonial times. Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland and is one of two original ports of entry in the state or former Province of Maryland. The town was founded in the 1680's. Before the Revolutionary War, Oxford was an important British seaport where crops including tobacco were exported back to England. After the War, Oxford diminished in importance and has settled into a boating center for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. There is still agriculture in the area with lots of farms around the town.

Sailing the parts of the Chesapeake that we have, it is hard to imagine how the original explorers and settlers found these locations to start colonies,settlements, and towns. Other than being at the confluence of the Chop Tank and Tred Avon Rivers, I wonder what attracted people to this spot, which is like so many other similar spots that we have observed in the Bay. It must have been a real adventure sailing these waters without depth sounders and GPS,etc. I guess lead lines and rudimentary maps or charts made on the fly were the order of the day. Exploring the shorelines must have been done by long boat rowed by sailors from the sailing ship, which was probably anchored in deeper waters, only to follow the rowing craft once water of sufficient depth was verified. Back in the day, you could spend a lifetime exploring this huge Bay and it's tributaries, and probably never see all that there was to it!

After we ate lunch at the Inn, the four of us came back to "Blue Moon" and visited some more. We enjoyed the air conditioning on the boat on what became a hot, humid afternoon.

Cousins Chuck and Pam

Susan and Pam

Clarke and Pam

On the dock in Oxford

There was lots of activity at the marina for a Sunday. Many Sunday boaters took their boats out for the afternoon. There were cars in the parking lot from not only Maryland, but Delaware and New Jersey, so my guess is that many out of area folks keep their boats here and use them on the weekends.

Lounging on the front deck

We passed a sandy beach on the way to the Inn. This beach is called the Strand, and many families were enjoying the day swimming in the Tred Avon River. There were also a lot of kayaks being used. Folks were having fun.

A beach next to the marina on the Tred Avon River in Oxford, MD

Ferry Terminal in Oxford. Ferry goes across the Tred Avon River.

Tomorrow we stay here in Oxford and we hope to bike around the town. Thunderstorms are in the forecast, so we may be dodging raindrops, but nothing like we saw the other day in Solomon's, I hope.


Thanks for Reading!