Once a bustling fishing center, North East, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, now concentrates on landing tourists. Main Street is lined with shops offering antiques, gifts and fresh seafood. The Upper Bay Museum, housed in a former fishery building, has boats, sinkboxes, decoys, ice-cutting tools and other artifacts related to fishing and waterfowl hunting. Nearby is the colonial-era St. Mary Anne's Church and the Day Basket Factory, where white oak baskets are made by hand, exactly as they have been for more than 120 years.
For a great view, take Route 272 south to Elk Neck State Park and hike or bike to the Turkey Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1833. It sits on a 90-ft/25-m cliff overlooking the spot where five rivers flow into Chesapeake Bay. And just a few miles/kilometers northeast of North East is the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, a 5,615-acre/2,270-hectare park and equestrian center that features a restored covered bridge and wooded trails along Big Elk Creek. On Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, Fair Hill hosts steeplechase races (wagering allowed). 45 mi/70 km northeast of Baltimore.
