North East, Maryland, is located 45 mi/70 km northeast of Baltimore, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. Once a bustling fishing center, North East 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.
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).
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