St. Michaels Public Library: Chesapeake plus

We arrived in St. Michaels, Maryland about 2 days ago after an easy and pleasant sail from Annapolis. From the bustle of the big city, we have now escaped back into somewhat rural life in a tiny town with cute shops, few pubs, a smattering of restaurants and many, many boats. Things of note in St. Michaels: 1. This is where the movie "The Wedding Crashers" was filmed. There is an expansive, elegant estate on the North side of town called "The Inn at Perry Cabin". Upon the evening of our arrival, we heard a great duet in the style of Jim and Ray. We took our dinghy to where the music was coming from, and happened upon what appeared to be a meeting of insurance executives. It was a cocktail hour on the lawn of this same resort, so instead of crashing a wedding we crashed a "meeting". In any case, the music was great and the setting unbelievable. 2. The Public Library is the very same one in which James Michener did most of his research for the novel "Chesapeake". He and his wife were living near St. Michaels while he wrote the book, and he set up a trust fund afterward to endow the Talbot Library. This library is participating in a Bay-wide event to celebrate Michener's 100th birthday and tonight is hosting a discussion group in the same manner as Peter White's "Tortilla Curtain" event. Luckily, we have both just read this book and intend to participate! 3. The Maritime museum spreads over 18 acres with numerous buildings including a working light house and ship restoration workshops. It would take all day to discover all the interactive exhibits and learn all that the museum has to offer. The establishment of St. Michaels dates to the mid 1600's, and by 1700 the town became a major shipbuilding center concentrating on fast commercial sailing vessels. Three ships are presently here: the Lady Maryland which is a traditional Bay-style "Pungo Schooner" and two active Skipjacks, the Sigsbee and the H.M. Krentz from Annapolis. The town is no longer a ship-building center, however it is certainly a haven for boaters - both sail and power. Last night we witnessed a multi-class sailing regatta which took place here at the entrance to the harbor under a sky changing from brilliant orange to muted purples and finally to silvery moonlight. It is a sailor's dream here with a great, quiet anchorage, convenient and culturally active town, and great tennis courts at the High School. We plan to stay through the weekend as we have found a non-smoking sports bar with football specials (we were laughed at wildly when we inquired if there were a non-smoking sports bar in Annapolis). We will post up some pictures for your viewing pleasure and debrief re: the "Chesapeake" book discussion.