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the blog

the blog2021-02-28T21:13:36-05:00

Here at Dorchester County Tourism, we know about so many special gems, hidden places, and fun events that we decided to share some of these with you on this blog. Enjoy!

Top 10 Things to Do For Free in Dorchester County

You don’t need to spend a bundle to enjoy the beauty, history, and fun that Dorchester County has to offer on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We’ve rounded up the Top 10 things to do here that don’t require you to open your wallet at all!

Black history and heritage in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Travel back in time in Dorchester County this February – or any time of year – to meet the pioneers, patriots, and freedom fighters who changed the course of history. The birthplace of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman, and home of civil rights icon Gloria Richardson, Dorchester’s cultural tapestry has been inspired by generations of Black leaders, enslaved people, and ordinary citizens.

Dorchester County 2022 Highlights

How quickly we forget! It's fun to look back and see what happened in the past year. The Harriet Tubman Bicentennial brought international attention. More than 20 new tourism-related businesses opened....

Your Summer Bucket List, Dorchester County-style!

Summertime spells freedom and fun! It's time to work on that summer bucket list and head out on adventures that will thrill you, enlighten you, and create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. In a visit to Dorchester County, Maryland, you can do all of this and more.

50 Years of the Harriet Tubman Museum: The Start of Something Big

The Harriet Tubman Organization – founder of the Harriet Tubman Museum – marks its 50th anniversary in 2022! Lots of organizations regard themselves as grassroots affairs, but few embody the term quite so well as the Harriet Tubman Organization, which operates a little storefront museum in the heart of downtown Cambridge, Maryland. What follows is an excerpt from the book “Tubman Travels: 32 Underground Railroad Adventures on Delmarva."

50 Years of the Spocott Windmill: How It All Began

This is a guest blog about the origins of the Spocott Windmill, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2022. This is an excerpt from a new book “'Call Me Cousin George:' A Personal Look at the Life of Sen. George L. Radcliffe” written by his grandson George M. Radcliffe, who is now chief caretaker of Spocott Windmill and Village. All are invited to Spocott’s 50th anniversary event on April 23, 2022.  

The joys of Dorchester County in the springtime

Finally! The weather is warming up and you're itching to get and be active! Dorchester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore offers some great ways to do that this spring – with plenty of beautiful wide open spaces and waterviews.

Explore Black history and heritage in Dorchester County, Maryland

Travel back in time in Dorchester County this February – or any time of year – to meet the pioneers, patriots, and freedom fighters who changed the course of history. The birthplace of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman, and home of civil rights icon Gloria Richardson, Dorchester’s cultural tapestry has been inspired by generations of Black leaders, enslaved people, and ordinary citizens.

What your textbooks didn’t tell you about Harriet Tubman

If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that after the last few years, we need to find reasons to celebrate! Look no further than Dorchester County, Maryland, where Harriet Tubman will be celebrated and commemorated all year long. 2022 is the 200th anniversary of the famous abolitionist’s birth...

2021 Dorchester Holiday Guide

Whether you’re decking the halls, getting crafty, or checking in with Santa … there’s something extra special about the holidays in the Heart of Chesapeake Country!

Complete Your Summer Bucket List in Dorchester County

Summertime spells freedom and fun, and with that comes endless possibilities. If you’re taking a summer vacation this year, create a summer bucket list, and be sure to fill it up with adventures that are going to thrill you, enlighten you, and create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. In just one visit to Dorchester County, Maryland, you can do all of this and more, to complete the summer vacation of your dreams, and check every item off of that summer bucket list.

Where Water Meets Wonder

It’s not every day you can dock your boat at a marina and within less than a mile onshore find yourself enchanted, immersed in a historical hub that lures you in with a story around every corner, while quaint businesses boom with time-honored Eastern Shore hospitality, creativity, and savory gifts from the Chesapeake Bay. It does happen every day, however, in Dorchester County, Maryland – an authentically unique boater’s paradise.

The Way of the Watermen

The watermen of Dorchester County don’t just harvest fresh seafood, they are the heartbeat of the people, their culture and way of life pulsing from one generation to the next, molding and shaping the county into a living, breathing testament to the preservation of the good things in life....

Summer 2021 guide to getting on the water

Everything you need to know: Public launches, Cambridge Yacht Basin, private marinas, kayak and SUP tours ready to welcome summer 2021 visitors. Boating and paddling can be a great way to get outdoors while still practicing social distancing. (click headline for more)

Put some spring in your step!

Finally! The weather is warming up and you're itching to get and be active! Dorchester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore offers some great ways to do that this spring – with plenty of wide open spaces.

Reconnect and Recharge

I’ve always wanted to see a bald eagle up close, but I never imagined it would happen like it did. It was a warm, breezy day, and Jason and I were kayaking through Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, Maryland.

20 good things from 2020

Sure, we're all saying good riddance to 2020, but it wasn't all bad. Here are 20 positive things about the year here in Dorchester County, from our point of view as Dorchester County Tourism, showing how we persevered, gave back, and carried on....

Dorchester Trails & Waters

Around Dorchester, it’s hard to tell where land ends and water begins. In this low-lying county, the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay meet freshwater flowing from no fewer than seven river systems and countless creeks. The water ranges from salty to fresh, resulting in a great variety of habitat for waterfowl, furbearers, crabs, and fish. The changing seasons add even more diversity and interest for cyclists, hikers, paddlers, birders, anglers, hunters, and those who tour by car....

Friendship Forged on the Nanticoke

Speaking with Midge Ingersoll and Shirley Jackson is like spending a sunny spring morning enjoying a fresh-from-the-oven croissant while catching up with old friends … which is where we found ourselves recently when we sat down with these women of influence in Dorchester’s preservation community. Midge and Shirley share a warm friendship formed 13 years ago on the foundation of an historic home near Vienna.

Harriet Tubman Visitor Center’s Leaders

March 10 marks Harriet Tubman Day in Maryland. To commemorate her legacy – and the third anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad (UGRR) Visitor Center – we spoke with three women whose paths converged at the national monument and state park that bear her name. Read our interview and decide whether it was fate or destiny that brought this talented team of environmentalists, storytellers, and park leaders to Church Creek, Maryland. The "Tubman Team" interviews include Deanna Mitchell, superintendent, Harriet Tubman UGRR National Historical Park; and Dana Paterra, manager, and Angela Crenshaw, assistant manager, Harriet Tubman UGRR State Park.)

MD County Has Power to Change You

This slice of the Eastern Shore is an ideal destination for vacationers looking to try out “transformative travel.” For modern tourists, every vacation is an opportunity to grow. They’re seeking out travel experiences that transform their perspective or deepen their understanding of the world. Experts call this movement “transformative travel,” and it’s been hailed as a global trend by major tourism boards worldwide.

Black History in the Chesapeake

Travel back in time in Dorchester County Maryland this February to meet the pioneers, patriots and freedom fighters who changed the course of history...

Family-Friendly Fun in Chesapeake Country

To help parents and caretakers make the “lazy, hazy days of summer” extra special, the Dorchester County Tourism Office has developed a web page highlighting dozens of free and low cost family-friendly destinations and August events. (Click the headline above for more.)

How Dorchester Delivers a Dose of Health

a visit to Dorchester County offers more than just a fun outdoorsy weekend — research shows that spending time outside is good for your health. That’s likely why three-quarters of American adults reported in one survey that they’d like to spend more time outside and forge a closer connection to nature...

Beer, Bait & BBQ: Country store staples

Serving up steaming mugs of coffee alongside fishing tackle, egg sandwiches and laundry detergent, country stores once dotted America’s landscape – and were a fixture on Dorchester county crossroads. (To read more, click headline above.)

The View North at Tubman Visitor Center

Chris Elcock first visited the future site of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitors Center in July of 2008. He’d come across the bridge from Baltimore that day in order to help decide whether his firm, GWWO Architects, would throw its hat in the ring when it came time to design the facility...

Windmills on our minds

As we get ready to celebrate Earth Day at Spocott Windmill on April 23, we thought we'd take a moment to look back at the importance of windmills in Dorchester County... The first windmills were probably developed in China about 2,000 years ago, but the first drawing of a windmill was in Persia some 500 years later. Improved by millwrights in the Middle East and Europe, they eventually pivoted to catch the wind from all directions and had adjustable sails to control speed. Wind-powered machines met the needs of growing populations – grinding grain and spices, pumping water to drink or drain land – until wind gave way to steam and the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s.

Duck, duck, goose!

Waterfowl love Dorchester County! This stands to reason since the Chesapeake is located in the Atlantic Flyway, a kind of a north-south super highway for migrating birds. Among the thousands of avian species who spend time here, the most abundant are Canada geese, swans, and more than 20 different kinds of ducks. From the air, they are enticed by the expansive marshes and sparse population to take the exit ramp to Dorchester and a break from their flights. Some stay for a few days - eat, rest, and continue on their journeys. Others remain for months and enjoy the hospitality of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge before returning to their northern nesting places.

The new face of the $20: where her story began

If you’re heading to Dorchester County his weekend, the area around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge will be alive with activities. On Thursday, March 10, there will be a symposium to commemorate the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman at the Refuge Visitor Center. On Saturday, activities are planned along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway from Blackwater to Delaware. At the same time, the Refuge is hosting it 16th Annual Eagle Festival.

Muskrat champ, eel pot weaver, grandmother

For Rhonda Aaron, this time of year is all about muskrat. She's practicing her skills at skinning the furry rodents that live in our local marshes. She's experimenting with muskrat recipes. And she's gathering up her muskrat memorabilia—a stuffed muskrat here, an old photo there. It's all for the 71st annual National Outdoor Show, a one-of-a-kind event happening Feb. 26-27 that celebrates rural Dorchester County culture with a mix of muskrat skinning, trap setting, and goose calling contests, plus gun dogs, oyster races -- and tiaras.

Seven Sheep, a Cook and Karma

In February, people around Dorchester County proudly recall the role a local militia played in defending some local farmers on Taylors Island. The Battle of the Ice Mound was fought in the closing days of the War of 1812, after the British Parliament had signed the Treaty of Ghent ending hostilities but nine days before the US Senate approved the accord. It was the last fight of the War of 1812 on the Chesapeake, which the British had effectively blockaded for three years.

Dorchester County Tourism Logo
Dorchester County
Office of Tourism
2 Rose Hill Place
Cambridge, MD 21613
410-228-1000

This website is produced in part with funds from Maryland Tourism.

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