Adventures of the Yacht White Pepper: Chestertown, Maryland

White Pepper started up the Chester River almost on a lark just wanting to see what was happening in the wide empty space opposite Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. Also we had had one enthusiastic endorsement from friend, Drena of Journey. We bypassed the very popular Rock Hall, MD which guards the northern mouth of the Chester River and Kent Narrows which watches over the southern part of the entrance. Cruising up the river White Pepper passed numerous obviously prosperous farms. There were many duck blinds. We saw few residences and almost no crab pots which is remarkable for the Chesapeake.

During the passage White Pepper did not see another cruising yacht and only a few local runabouts. The river must have been much busier 300 years ago when Chestertown was the port of entry for the upper Eastern Shore and much of Delaware. Chestertown was a bustling seaport by 1690 and well into the 18^th century. When we arrived at Chestertown after about 30 nautical mile trip we chose to anchor in the river. There was only one other visiting yacht anchored nearby. The next morning Jan and I dingy-ed into the Chestertown Marina. It is frankly semi dilapidated. However, the dock master, JR, is so friendly and accommodating that the decay is easy to overlook. He informed us that the city has purchased the marina and is applying for grants to refurbish it.

The town itself was a delight and well worth the trip. Chestertown has managed to preserve all of the charms of the 18^th century while added a few tasty treats for today. Whole blocks of houses date back to the 18^th century. Regrettably the old wharves are long gone. It is a college town being home to Washington College, founded in 1790, and now a part of the Univ. of Maryland system.

While we were visiting we attended a great farmers market. There was local produce in abundance. We even saw wares from a local mushroom farm.

In town we explored a musty old book shop, the kind that has no longer exists in urban settings. These wonderful places have fallen by the wayside due to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. We ate lunch and bought bread daily at the Ever Grain Bread Company. However, the highlight of one lovely Saturday afternoon was an hour or so spent at the Chestertown Wine and Cheese shop sampling cheeses and drinking rose wine.

On Sunday morning White Pepper visited the ancient Episcopal Church, St Paul's. It has been a church since the 15^th century. In 1790 the church held the first meeting of the newly reorganized American Episcopal Church. The current building was built in the 1860s. At the coffee hour afterwards we were thoroughly charmed by the gracious locals.

So it was with reluctance that White Pepper hauled up the anchor and headed down river that Sunday afternoon. We anchored back at the head of the Chester River off of Queenstown Creek. We were clobbered that evening by one of the infamous Chesapeake Bay thunder storms, but no damage came from the episode.