Getting There

The best way to get to Easton is by car, via U.S. Route 50 from all directions. Follow the signs on Route 50 near Easton to get to St. Michaels, Tilghman, and Oxford. All are reachable by boat as well, with plenty of dock space.

Easton Airport, on U.S. Route 50 (tel. 410/770-8055), serves local planes and runs a charter with three- and eight-passenger planes. Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222 or 410/822-3333; www.greyhound.com) offers bus service to the Fast Stop Convenience Store, 9543 Ocean Gateway (Rte. 50), across from the airport.

Visitor Information

Contact the Talbot County Visitors Center, 11 S. Harrison St., Easton (tel. 410/770-8000; www.tourtalbot.org). The Tidewater Times, a good pocket magazine with maps, is available in many shops.

Getting Around

You're going to have to drive to reach Talbot's quaint towns, though boats are a great option for St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman Island. Maryland Route 33 from Easton will take you to St. Michaels and Tilghman; Maryland Route 333 goes to Oxford.

The shortest (in miles, not time) and most scenic route from Oxford to St. Michaels is via the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry (tel. 410/745-9023; www.oxfordferry.com), across the Tred Avon River. Established in 1683, this is the country's oldest privately operated ferry. The 3/4-mile trip takes 7 minutes. You can catch the nine-vehicle ferry from Bellevue, off routes 33 and 329, 7 miles from St. Michaels, or from Oxford, off Route 333. From April through October, the ferry runs every 20 minutes, Monday through Friday from 7am to sunset, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to sunset. There's no service December through February. It runs Friday to Sunday only in November. Rates for a car and driver are $10 one-way and $16 round-trip; vehicle passengers pay $1 one-way; walk-on passengers $3; bicyclists $4; and motorcycles $6. Trailers and RVs can be accommodated, but call first. This tiny ferry offers a short, fun ride to a long country road leading to either St. Michaels or Easton.

To rent a car, call Enterprise, Route 50 and Dover Road (tel. 410/822-3260). For cab service, try Scotty's Taxi (tel. 410/822-1475).

Special Events

The Waterfowl Festival (tel. 410/822-4567; www.waterfowlfestival.org), held the second week in November, turns Easton into a celebration of ducks, geese, and other birds. The 3-day festival draws some 20,000 visitors. You don't have to like hunting to attend. Some 400 artists' works are displayed, and venues around town display Federal Duck Stamp paintings, duck decoys, and carvings so realistic you'll want to smooth those ruffled feathers. Admission is $10 for adults, free for children 12 and under, with free shuttle buses running from site to site. If you visit wildlife refuges around Maryland, you'll see where the proceeds of this event are used -- about $5 million has been raised over the years to protect and conserve wildlife habitats.

Oxford Day (www.oxfordday.org), held the last Saturday in April, is a fun local fest, with music, entertainment, and crab races.

Tilghman Day (www.tilghmanmd.com), held the third Saturday in October, celebrates boats, crabs, and oysters and benefits the local fire department.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.