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Wades Point Inn: Beauty on the BayBy Niambi Brown Davis
Wades Point Inn is only five miles from the center of St. Michaels, on land situated between the Chesapeake and Eastern Bays. The land was named for Zachary Wade, who received it as a grant in 1657. Ownership passed to Thomas Kemp, the designer and builder of the Baltimore Clipper ships and most notably, the Pride of Baltimore. Since 1984, the Feiler family has offered their own gracious hospitality to guests of the 120 acre property.
Then, on an April day when nature offered the Eastern Shore a preview of the summer to come, I sat in the same room. This time it was filled with early spring sun that shone through the lace curtains. The windows were open to the warmth and outside I could see Miss Penelope and JB (Jellybean), the Jack Russell terriers-in-residence, staking out their territory on the lawn. A rooster crowed from somewhere on the property. It’s no wonder that guests travel from as far away as Australia to enjoy the Inn’s serene beauty.
The same care extends to the 12 rooms of the Mildred T. Kemp Guest House, just a few steps away. All have a private balcony or waterside porch and some offer a kitchenette for visitors who prefer to whip up something for themselves. Even so, it would be hard to pass up a breakfast of homemade rolls and muffins, fresh fruit, granola and cheeses. This sumptuous fare is served in the Breakfast Room, a bright space furnished in white wicker over printed rugs and gleaming hardwood floors. A wall of windows faces the water, allowing guests to enjoy a panoramic view of the Bay with their morning meal.
For the ultimate in country living, Wades Point offers the Farmhouse, a three bedroom house that sleeps up to 13 people. But there’s more to farm living than the house itself. Eighty acres of the land are devoted to organic farming. Guests can join in egg-gathering and watch the goats being milked. And the farm is not just for show and tell – Wades Point’s produce and eggs are sold locally and in farmers’ markets throughout the area. There is plenty to do and see in St. Michaels, but with the exception of lunch and dinner, a perfect summer day could be spent with a book in the hammock slung between two shade trees, in one of the white Adirondack chairs spread across the lawn or down at the dock, watching swans glide by like waterborne ballerinas.
Contact Information Wades Point Inn Niambi Davis lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and can be reached at luminous52@aol.com or nbrowndavis@aol.com |
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Sailboats
bobbing under the Bay Bridge, long country roads that slice through farmland
and cornfields, small towns strung like shells on a leather cord – this and
more makes Maryland the land of pleasant living. To the good fortune of
those seeking it, a place of quiet waterfront beauty can be found at the end
of one of those Eastern Shore country roads at Wades Point Inn.
To
the true lover of summer weather, everything looks better on an 80 degree
day of full sun and low humidity. Although my first sight of Wades Point
took place on a cold gray day in February, its beauty was undeniable. I sat
in the reception area, a cozy room filled with plants and local art. In
front of a brick mantle, with the tantalizing smell of home cooking wafting
from the big kitchen next to me, I imagined a fall afternoon spent right
there with a book in front of a warm fire. 
The
Main House is a grand country home filled with art, antiques and
collectibles. For guests with elegant comfort in mind, the Coral, Blue and
Lookout rooms are perfect. They’re decorated beautifully with mantles,
upholstered chairs and beds dressed in lace-trimmed linens, giving each a
life and history of its own. 
Many
visitors are drawn to the Eastern Shore for casual, country-style
accommodations like those found in the sun-softened pastel Victorian Summer
Wing. The bright airy rooms are furnished in hand painted pieces done in
creamy white, cornflower blue and lemon sherbet yellow.
A
stay at Wades Point brings back memories of idyllic summers when the days
blended into one long sunlit blur. Those days the only concern was how long
it would take to hand crank the homemade ice cream, or where to set up the
croquet wickets. Whether you’re from just up the road or hundreds of miles
away, a stay at Wades Point is an immersion in beautiful tranquility.