Midway across Maryland, 20 miles southeast of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, turn off the freeway and head a half mile west to explore the well-preserved heart of Easton (pop. 11,708), where the stately Talbot County Courthouse overlooks a compact business district that could easily pass as an English country High Street. Besides the many 18th-century structures, including a federal-style townhouse at 25 S. Washington Street that’s been converted into the Talbot County historical society museum (closed Mon.), the most interesting place to stop is the white wood-frame Third Haven Meeting House, on the edge of town on South Washington Street, built in 1684 and still in use by a Quaker congregation.
The most impressive place to stay in Easton is the stately Tidewater Inn ($90 and up; 410/822-1300 or 800/237-8775), a recently restored landmark in the center of town at 101 E. Dover Street, which offers guests free carriage rides around town and the option of a 4:30 am breakfast—designed for early-rising duck-hunters. Easton also holds the comfortable Bishop’s House B&B ($80 and up; 410/820-7290), at 214 Goldsborough Street, and the usual range of motels and fast-food places along the US-50 frontage.
