This museum offers a single room with exhibitions, as well as a video upfront. There is a small…read morecharge to visit, and a gift shop and restrooms as well. I found the content odd; notably they have a bizarre take on religion as a governing institution on the island, and the video is a schmaltzy take on island life. I wasn't expecting to reach this conclusion, but I found the only obvious comparison-the museum on Tangier Island-to be less biased and more informative. Still, for a small charge, and as an opportunity to catch up on filling a water bottle and hitting the restroom, it makes sense to check in here on a first visit to the island.

Bottom Line: A can't miss stop on Smith Island that illustrates the rich culture and heritage of…read morethe island. I love the culture and heritage of the Chesapeake Bay region and Smith Island is the crown jewel. Sure, I was excited about visiting Smith Island for crab cakes and layer cakes but I was equally excited to check out this gem in the village of Ewell. The Smith Island Cultural Center & Museum is a lovely building with big windows that welcome daylight and a wrap-around porch. Once inside the building admission is a thrifty $3 per person. There is a brief movie, exhibits, a gift shop and restrooms. I've watched a ton of movies on the island on PBS and YouTube but I still really enjoyed the film. The movie they show is quite dated, maybe filmed in the 1980s, but I found it perfectly fitting. Not only has not much changed since then but it was nice to get a different perspective than what is provided in the mainstream media outlets. Like a lot of small museums in the Chesapeake Bay region the exhibits cover the lives of watermen. I have so much admiration for that career which I suspect is really more of a lifestyle. I have been crabbing and picking crabs with my father since I was a young kid. Both my father and sister have a commercial crabbing license so I have been out on the water many early mornings embracing the unknown of the harvest and bracing for the hard work that is required. This museum made me appreciate those who work tirelessly to bring us the bounty of the bay even more. Before visiting the museum I knew that Smith Island was eroding but it was borderline-shocking to see the electronic map that shows how much land has been lost since 1877. The population is shrinking too and the current population is under 200 full time residents. I enjoyed the Smith Island at a Glance exhibit too. Did you know they didn't have street names or numbers until 1991 and that there are 200 cars on the island buried in the marsh? Fascinating! I came to the island with a lot of admiration for Smith Island and its residents but I left with even more thanks to this cultural center and museum!

I love this charming gift shop! Always something new and the perfect place to find that special…read moregift!

We discovered this cute shop on our way to the Northern Neck, and have returned many times…read more Beautiful seasonal displays, unique gifts and home decor, plus the staff is so friendly. Definitely worth a special trip!

I hit the jackpot! This gift shop/home goods store has everything!! The sales are off the chain!…read more All my purchases were 30%~60% off. My shopping bag was filled with pillows, flags, jewelry, cups, greeting cards, purses, and novelties. I scored big time! The sales people were so cordial, I was in search for mermaid items and they helped me find a bunch! Very well organized by section. Lots of sports paraphernalia. And they even have a freebie tree if you spend over $25! This is best gift shop around and worth the trip! If you're ever in Montross, don't miss it!!

From the owner: Carrot Cottage Inc is a locally own and operated gift ship located in the Montross area. We are a…read more5000 square feet of great shopping fun! We have Jim Shore, CROCS,Monogram items,Tervis Tumblers, Willow Tree, Maggie B,Switch Flops, Bauble Lulu beads, and much much more!

This has to be one of the weirdest stores I've ever seen, but for a suitable souvenir of our…read moreSouthern Maryland trip, it sure fit the bill. There are three signs out front: "Harmon House Shoppes"; "Grandmother's Store"; and "Inner Equinox". I don't know what you might gather from three signs, but as I walked up the steps of the old house in which this shop is located I figured Harmon House Shoppes was a collective, and that Grandmother's Store and Inner Equinox were both inside. I was right, but these shops aren't separate. All the merch is together. This means that the chowder mugs, "Feeling Crabby" travel cups, crystal fan pulls, salt water taffy, and plush monkeys captured by "Grandmother's Store" are shelved right alongside the jasmine massage oils, meditation CDs, tarot cards, evil eye bracelets, and incense sticks captured by "Inner Equinox". This also means I was able to pick up a cheesy Chesapeake Bay snowglobe and delicate blown glass Christmas ornament because I like to collect both on trips, and husband was able to pick up a white sage smudge stick because he likes to burn things.

I almost passed by this little place! Thank goodness for the word "crystals" on the sign, made me…read moreturn right back around to check it out. There's a little bit of everything inside. Think of it as a new age metaphysical shop crossed with a quaint gift shop and you've got the Harmon House. The woman at the front desk, I did not get her name, is so sweet! She let us know about all of the classes and services they offer in addition to all of their neat gifts. Some of the things she mentioned were massages, reiki, and readings. I left with a gorgeous abalone shell ($11.99, such a steal!), a handmade magnet to remember my trip, and a few tumble stones. I couldn't be happier!

This is a cute boutique on one of the main roads. It was a cute shop with some more unusual items…read more However, if you still need your pony related gifts or your beach themed items, you are in luck. I liked the art hanging on the walls, the very industrial/steam punk styled messenger bags. If you are willing to part with $69.00, one of them could be yours. There were some fun mermaid prints, horse prints on dictionary pages, and patent application prints...the one for the gun and type writer almost went home with me. My MIL came out with some cute jewelry and my SIL got a horse themed glass cutting board for her horse loving friend. Check this cool shop out!

Nice store, good selection of items. Reasonable prices. Would certainly recommend stopping in.read more

Hon, y'all need to find your way to this little shop full of Maryland clothes, crafts, candies,…read morecandles, and home accents! What a terrific historic building reused in a creative and entertaining way. There is art, small furniture, new and repurposed decor, and unique tchotchkes to bring to your own cozy home or gift to someone else's. Worth the jaunt across the bridges from wherever you are. Pairs well with the sister antique building across the street, with rustic and whimsical art, antiques, and collectibles. A terrific find!

The old country store is a wonderful place to find the artwork of local artists as well as antiques…read moreand collectibles. Located near the heart of Great Mills Maryland it's only about 45 minutes from DC. It features the art of renowned local talent like Mary Lou Troutman as well as Donnie Poe who was a master of making signs with reclaimed wood. The staff are all knowledgeable and friendly and prices are reasonable. If you're interested in local realistic art, which is typified by nautical scenes and life on the Chesapeake, you will be pleased with the store.

Mostly a gift shop with Yetis, beach decor, river themed gifts, clothes, etc. The only "antiques"…read moreI saw were a few cabinets, pie safes, and tables. If you're looking for antiques and this place pops up, keep moving. But if you're into ducks, bright frames and mirrors, candles, and the like, this is the spot!

i wish i could have something nice to say about Colonial Collectibles but i don't. The employees…read moreare extremely disrespectful and their service is not okay. Unfortunately i met the owner of Colonial Collectibles and she is an extremely rude person! This small business is very unprofessional/incompetent. Colonial Collectibles also over prices EVERYTHING, for example i saw a few Kendra Scott rings priced at $80.00 when Kendra Scott sells the same exact rings for a cheaper price. The experience i had here was terrible and it's a place i will not be shopping at again.

Bottom Line: An eclectic mix of new and vintage home decor, gifts and trinkets…read more The Island Cottage has the cutest display outside and I couldn't resist dropping in to check it out. The store offers a variety of new merchandise and vintage items. It's kind of a treasure trove of eclectic stuff and a fun place wander around looking for something to remind you of quaint Chincoteague.

This is a wonderful shop with vintage items as well as new pieces made by locals. I found so many…read moreunique items including Misty memoriabilia that no one else has. The store is this cozy collection of rooms and the owner is a wonderful gentleman. You definitely need to check this place out.

Margaret's Gifts has reopened! He has it as a gift/thrift…read moreshop now. No cigarettes anymore.

We're driving down Route 13 toward Jersey, and I see signs for various gift shops that sell ham,…read morebacon, cigarettes AND fireworks. No way. My boyfriend grudgingly stops here, but stays in the car. I, on the other hand, gleefully jump out and head on in. To my delight, there are three couples walking around the gift shop. One couple starts perusing the huge selection of fireworks. The other two couples hovered over the bags of cured bacon sold by the pound (pre-packaged). Intrigued, I too, hover on over to hear what the nice store lady had to say. Seems like this bacon is a big hit in the area. Two couples each walked out with 5-6 bags of it. The other couple and I purchase one (mine was 1.15 lbs for around $10). Looking forward to tossing some of it with pasta, and enjoying it with eggs for breakfast. Oh, and I got a 20 fl. oz. bottle of diet coke for a buck. Woohoo!! Note: this ain't no fancy gift shop. This is just a fun road side joint selling items from bacon to fireworks (to belly lint brushes). Enjoy!

This state park is well staffed and maintained. Many free activities are offered and cover lots of…read moretopics, including age-appropriate, environmental programs for kids -- that's nice. Jane's Island seems to be known primarily for the camping possibilities. The camping sites, both for tents and cabins, are pretty full during the season. Has a loyal following. Reserve early. Also, fishing is all the rage here. I saw many people fishing from the banks of the water and from kayaks, etc. However, biking possibilities are only average. Hiking is about the same. Crisfield gets a fair number of storms, had a bunch during our visit, and it can affect the grounds, but the area dries out pretty quickly.

I was last here back when I was a camper, but now we are old and prefer "glamping". We booked way…read moreahead for a full-service cabin for 4 people and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Cabin #1 had a full kitchen, dining room and bathroom. Upstairs was a small loft with a room with 2 twin beds, reachable by stairs (note other full service cabins have ladders, not stairs to the upstairs area). Downstairs had a bedroom with a full bed, and another bedroom with 2 twin beds. It came with a screened in porch that was wheelchair accessible. The kitchen came stocked with everything you needed, pots and pans, a microwave, toaster and coffee maker. There was a gas fireplace, but they had turned off the heat for the season. We shared a little dock overlooking the water with the cabin next door, but we had our own charcoal grill and a fire pit. We were so happy with the cabin - nothing fancy, but since two of the days we were there had torrential rain and tornado like winds, we were happy to be safe and sound and dry with electricity to boot! It is also pet friendly.