Mount Harmon Plantation on the Sassafras River and Rock Hall.

While waiting for Dorian to settle on a track we had several days to decide where the next stop would be.  We had approximately three weeks before we needed to be in Annapolis, so we thought we would head south down the Eastern Shore for awhile before crossing over to the Western Shore and working our way back north.  Looking through our Waterway Guide, we quickly decided on a visit to the Mount Harmon Plantation, followed by Rock Hall.

Dorian passed giving us nothing but some clouds and moderate winds, so the next day we pointed our bow towards the Sassafras River.  It was a gorgeous day as we tacked our way out of the Bohemia River and several miles down the Chesapeake before the wind died.  Firing up Big Red, we motored up the Sassafras before dropping the anchor in a nice spot near Mount Harmon.

According to their website, Mount Harmon is “one of the region’s finest examples of an 18th century Tidewater plantation.”  Covering over 200 acres, the plantation was created in 1651 as a land grant from Lord Baltimore to Godfrey Harmon.  It was a successful tobacco plantation and shipping center from 1760-1810 until it eventually fell into disrepair before being restored in the 1960s and filled with 18th century antiques.

There was a dock where we were able to tie up the dinghy, and from there it was a short walk to the house.  We had a very interesting tour and then spent several hours wandering the grounds.  Besides the house there is also a colonial kitchen, tobacco barn, smoke house, formal boxwood garden, prize house, and nature trails.

Interior pictures weren’t allowed, but I found a few on the internet:

 

The next day we were off to Rock Hall.  No wind gave us a motorfest, but at least we had the current in our favor.  While we liked the Chesapeake last year, we’ve discovered that we are having a lot more fun this year.  Our increased confidence means that we are sailing much closer to the shore which gives us the opportunity to really appreciate the beauty of the area.

Rock Hall is a small town of about 1,300 people with an active fishing fleet.  Friendly locals chatted away with us at the Harbor Shack and we enjoyed poking around in the shops, visiting the Waterman’s Museum and the Rock Hall Museum, and topping off our groceries at Bayside Foods, the local grocery store.  Fresh Start Food and Garden was also an unexpected find having only opened a few months earlier, and they sold great local produce and fantastic baked goods.

We spent a few more days in Rock Hall than we had originally planned while we waited for some decent wind to move on.  Fortunately it was a lovely stop, and we will definitely return in the future.