ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND - THE GORGEOUS LATE AFTERNOON SUN

Walking around St. Michaels on a late afternoon Winter's day was as beautiful as ever;  being one of my favorite small towns on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  It was a perfect day and as the sun dropped in the sky, everything suddenly blazed with vivid color.  I left the main street of shops and restaurants and almost ran down to the water to capture the last glorious rays lighting up the lighthouse and lovely wooden buildings of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  It was breathtaking.

BEAUTIFUL SLEEPY, PEACEFUL, OXFORD, MD

Oxford is one of my favorite day trips from Annapolis - an hour away on the Eastern Shore, across the Bay Bridge.  A picture-postcard waterbound village with 700 residents, it has a leafy main street with a small convenience store, delicious sandwiches they make to order, ice creams, and not much else other than boatbuilding, yachting, many gorgeous historic colonial homes and colorful, inspiring gardens.

A lovely little beach on the Tred Avon River, at the end of the main street, most times I visit there is not another soul in sight.

This is about all there is to the beach looking towards the town side.  

A place where I pick up oyster shells (I'm making a mirror), sea glass and other treasure

If I was a lone duck, this is where I would hang out.

The Robert Morris Inn, built prior to 1710 sits brightly at the end of the main street of Oxford, across the street from the water and the Ferry which takes cars and passengers across the water to Bellevue, MD - short cut to St. Michaels, and a quick and fun ride over.

Back patio of the Robert Morris Inn

Looking back up the main street of Oxford

In all her buttercup glory, standing proudly since the early 1700's and once a private residence the Robert Morris Inn 

One of many lovely private colonial homes

A peaceful spot at the end of one of the side streets

A place to sit and reflect on the beauty of the area

Tavern entrance alongside the Robert Morris Inn

Oxford seems to pride itself on beautiful gardens - a white Crape Myrtle (Pride of India) gives a little privacy to the front porch

I'm sure they don't mind me snooping around admiring the summer blooms and blossoms - Crape Myrtle trees (Pride of India), in white and pink were stunning this year as always

Another lovely area on the main street with herbs and perennials and the crushed oyster shell pathway you see a lot of on the Chesapeake Bay

Love the wall murals that decorate otherwise blank expanses of buildings.

FLYING OVER ANNAPOLIS, MD

I DON'T TRAVEL WITHOUT MY CAMERA AND LOVE TAKING PHOTOS OUT OF A PLANE WINDOW - I TOOK THESE A FEW WEEKS AGO FLYING OVER MY HOMETOWN OF LOVELY HISTORIC LITTLE ANNAPOLIS, MD - TO BWI (BALTIMORE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL) AIRPORT NEARBY.

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY - KENT ISLAND ON THE LEFT ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE - A 4-MILE CROSSING FROM THE WESTERN SHORE TO THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND.

LOOKING ACROSS CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM BROADNECK PENINSULA, WHITEHALL CREEK SNAKING UP THE MIDDLE.  I LIVE ALMOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO - WHERE??????  LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN A TREE HOUSE.

BROADNECK PENINSULA WITH WHITEHALL CREEK ON THE LEFT OFF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, AND THE START OF MILL CREEK ON THE RIGHT.  HUGE CONTAINER SHIPS COMING UP THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO THE PORT OF BALTIMORE.  

THE SEVERN RIVER FLOWS INTO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, TWO BRIDGES CROSSING FROM THE BROADNECK PENINSULA, AND THAT'S ANNAPOLIS DOWNTOWN AND TOWN CENTRE ALONG THAT PIECE OF LAND.  IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE ALL THE HOMES NESTLED AMONGST THESE TREES!!

THE SEVERN RIVER, THE BRIDGE ON THE LEFT IS THE NAVY BRIDGE WHICH LEADS TO THE US NAVAL ACADEMY ON THE FAR SIDE, ON THE WATER AND OUR LOVELY LITTLE HISTORIC "CITY" HIDING SOMEWHERE OUT THERE.

WATER, WATER AND TREES EVERYWHERE.  WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.