by Jack

The perfect weekend getaway.
Often the effort and expense of these short trips can leave you wondering whether you would have been just as happy with a walk to the local watering hole followed by some Netflixation. Going somewhere new, centering on weather dependent activities, pushing the envelope on time, all bring in some risk to the trip, admittedly with no small reward if everything clicks, but often inviting frustration and disappointment. So it follows going somewhere tried and true, with numerous different activities, just far enough away to be considered a trip, is about as risk free as it gets.

I give you: The Hyatt, Cambridge, Maryland.

A Resort. On the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. A theoretical, and sometimes possible 90 minutes from Washington DC. Or an even more convienent 60 minutes from BWI airport.

One weekend here should determine if this is your kind of place, by the third or fourth stay you may begin to entertain the concept that these are your personal pastoral digs. A refuge from the ruckus and miasmas of the urban sphere, ready at a moment’s notice, a place to refresh and reflect (get your 19th century on).

Located on 400 acres of beautifully kept grounds bordering the confluence of the Choptank River and the Chesapeake Bay, the resort offers a scenic 18 hole golf course, four restaurants, three pools including one indoors with a big screen kids movie every night, an awesome spa, mini golf, water sports, game room, fire pit overlooking the water, and an awesome staff.

The rooms are always clean and well appointed with one of the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve ever slept in. We always opt for the waterview which is worth the extra $20-$30 a night. The ground floor rooms actually have enough space for two chairs and a table outside the sliding doors while the upper level floors offer a ledge sized balcony only big enough to stand on. There are some upper floor rooms with full size balconies but they are either suites or Club Room units and significantly more expensive.

All the facilities are modern and well maintained. The pools are large and clean with plenty of seating. One outdoor pool is adults only and the other has a slide for the kids. There is a beach volleyball court, frisbee golf and mini golf nearby. The indoor pool is a rugrats delight, with aqua basketball, myriad inflatables (fee) and the Dive In Movie. The workout room offers cardio and weightlifting machines as well free-weights and yoga mats. Right across the hall is a game room with ping-pong, foosball, air hockey and video games. Only the video games cost money.

The food quality at the onsite restaurants is consistently high and while they are not cheap they’re not as expensive as other resorts we’ve visited. Premium cocktails and wines will drive up your bill rather quickly so keep that in mind. Our favorite restaurant is the Blue Point Provision, a short walk along the water from the main building. They specialize in seafood and have an inviting casual atmosphere, the staff have always been warm and friendly. During the warmer months grab a seat on the patio and enjoy sunset over the bay with a glass of wine and a dozen oysters…nice.

If you do decide to venture off the property Cambridge is an historic town with a scenic waterfront and interesting restaurants and shops and a good jumping off point for exploring the Eastern Shore. But I can’t really go into detail about that because I only drove through in a moment of guilt in the way home from a perfect relaxing stay at my favorite hotel in Maryland.