Vandiver bed and breakfast in Havre de Grace, Maryland

The Vandiver Inn, Havre de Grace, MD - photo by Chris Barsam

Looking for summer vacation ideas or a quick weekend getaway? Look no further than Havre de Grace, Maryland, and its many fine bed and breakfast inns. 

I spent a wonderful weekend at the Vandiver Inn www.vandiverinn.com a few weeks ago. The Vandiver is the original B&B in the renaissance of this small city. I have fond memories of the place – I spent my wedding night there, my fifth anniversary, and most recently a Marriage Encounter weekend. Through the years the Vandiver has maintained a wonderfully high standard.  

The impressions from my most recent visit: Our host couple was young, enthusiastic, and gracious. The dinnertime beef tenderloin was spectacular - fork tender, juicy, rare, flavorful, melt-in-your mouth, just wonderful. The leftover roast beef sandwiches the next lunch were almost as good. I also remember a ham and cheese breakfast quiche that was notable for the bold flavor of the ham. While serving meals our hostess typically wore a bemused expression - like she enjoyed what she was doing – taking care of us. This made us feel more like invited guests, rather than paying customers. 

There were a couple of pictures in the mansion that caught my eye. One was an aerial view of Havre de Grace from around 1922 showing a train crossing what is now the Amtrak bridge over the Susquehanna, and traffic on the adjacent vehicular bridge. The vehicular bridge was demolished around 1940, and I have been looking at - or navigating around - the abandoned bridge pilings my whole life. There is also a photo of the intersection of Washington and Congress that shows a roundabout with a center garden. The roundabout is not real! The intersection was mocked up this way for the filming of Young Americans, a short-lived series on the WB network about the attendees of a Connecticut boarding school. I wish it were available on Netflix. 

The Spencer-Silver Mansion www.spencersilvermansion.com is across Union Avenue. My wife and I stayed there a dozen years ago, and I attended an excellent wedding reception there some time before that. Reports are it is still a great place to stay. 

Other well-reviewed B&Bs in town include La Cle Dor www.lacledorguesthouse.com, Currier House www.currier-bb.com, and The Old Chesapeake Hotel www.oldchesapeakehotel.com.

Why visit Havre de Grace? 

Many reasons. Check out the Decoy Museum www.decoymuseum.com (Havre de Grace is the self-proclaimed Duck Decoy Capital of the World), the Maritime Museum www.hdgmaritimemuseum.org,  the Susquehanna Museum at the Lockhouse www.lockhousemuseum.org, a great show at the Tidewater Players www.tidewaterplayers.com, a fabulous meal at the Laurrappin Grille www.laurrapin.com, an authentic crab feast at Price’s www.pricesseafood.com, and yummy ice cream and candies from Bomboy’s www.bomboyscandy.com.

Perhaps the best reason to visit Havre de Grace is to stroll the waterfront Promenade. Located between Concord Point www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp and Tydings Park www.harfordcountymd.gov/parks_rec/Parks.cfm, a slow stroll on the Promenade gives you a breathtaking view of the head of Chesapeake Bay. It is one of those experiences that makes you think, “So this is what all the fuss is about.”  It is absolutely stunning. 

And it is free.

For more info on Havre de Grace:                    www.hdgtourism.com/   www.havredegracemd.com