This is a great spot to catch amazing views, to watch the sunrise or sunset. It often has a great…read morebreeze, and there's a bit of shade with nice benches to eat lunch. Great ice cream shop nearby a must stop place in Crisfield.

Awesome Music, not a lot of people ( Yet ), good Food, reasonable prices and peaceful very nice…read moreweather

Bottom Line. Reliable and friendly transportation to Ewell on Smith Island…read more The brackish water of the Chesapeake Bay runs through my veins and I love the heritage and culture of the region. I've traveled the Eastern Shore and the Western Shore and I've now finally made it to the in between of Smith Island, in part thanks to Smith Island Cruises. My husband and I took the ferry from Crisfield to the village of Ewell on Smith Island. The ferry is a two-deck passenger ferry that probably holds around 100 people but on Labor Day weekend I think there were only about 30 aboard. Passengers are welcome to bring their luggage aboard including coolers. You can bring bikes too but there is a charge. Smith Island is dry so if you're hoping to have a drinky drink then discretely bring your own. The ferry trip is advertised to take about 45 minutes but depending on conditions, such as wind, it could take longer. During the cruise the captain pointed out some landmarks and provided a little history which was a nice touch. Overall the trip was scenic and I'm glad I had my birdnoculars in tow. The ferry is no frills. It offers a safe passage, friendly service and two bathrooms. Online ordering of tickets is easy. You can also reserve a golf cart and Smith Island cake at the same time. If departing from Crisfield then you pick up your tickets (wristband) at the Captain Tyler Motel before hand and then they'll direct you to free parking near the B pier at the marina. It was a very simple and organized process. Once on Smith Island we got a delicious lunch at the Bayside Inn and then went to the nearby Cultural center where we enjoyed the exhibits and got a walking tour map for the town. For our short 2.5 hours on the town we found waking, versus gold cart riding or biking, to be adequate. Shout out to the employee on board in the first mate/hospitality role - he was friendly and welcoming.

Took this trip from Point Lookout Captain Jack was the best!…read moreHe gave a great tour as he narrated the trip to Smith Island and gave some education along the way. We Ebenezer had a little quiz on the way back on facts that we were given on the way over. Very entertaining . The mate was really good too... he passed out sliced watermelon on the way back. We were kind of hot and a little tired and that was so nice! The boat does have bathrooms. The online tickets are very easy.

Some of the best travel memories aren't planned. They're the ones you stumble into completely by…read moreaccident. While spending Fourth of July weekend on a solo adventure in St. Michaels, I decided to drive over to Oxford after hearing it was worth exploring. I found a parking spot, got out of my car and started taking in the waterfront. That's when I realized I had parked directly beside the Oxford terminal of the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry. I hadn't researched the ferry. Honestly...I didn't even know it existed. As I stood there trying to figure out what exactly I was looking at, I noticed a sign advertising a special fireworks cruise that very evening. The ferry would head out onto the water so passengers could watch Oxford's Fourth of July fireworks from the river. The price? Twelve whole dollars. I just stood there staring at the sign thinking..."Wait...THIS is a thing?!" There was only one problem. The ferry was leaving in about two hours. And I didn't have a ticket. And there was no one around. I immediately pulled out my phone to buy a ticket, but online sales had already closed, which made complete sense. I figured I'd missed my chance. While I was standing there wondering what to do next, a gentleman happened to walk by. I asked if he knew anything about the ferry and whether there was any chance I could still get a ticket. As it turns out...he was the captain. Because apparently that's just how my adventures go! He smiled, told me there would probably still be room for walk-on passengers and suggested I come back closer to departure time. Challenge accepted! I set an alarm, spent the next couple of hours wandering around Oxford and made absolutely sure I was back at the terminal when he told me to return. Sure enough...they welcomed me aboard! I happily paid for my ticket and climbed onto the ferry with one thought running through my head. "I cannot believe this is actually happening." What followed was one of the coolest travel experiences I've ever had! Watching fireworks explode over the water from the deck of a ferry was something I didn't even know belonged on my bucket list until I experienced it. The reflections dancing across the river...The darkness surrounding the boat... The fireworks exploding so close that you could actually feel the booms in your chest...It was absolutely magical! I honestly don't know if I spent more time watching the fireworks or grinning from ear to ear. What made the experience even more memorable, though, wasn't just the fireworks. It was the people. The crew didn't have to find room for one random traveler who showed up without a reservation two hours before departure. But they did. Every person I interacted with was welcoming, kind and genuinely happy to help make my evening happen. I don't know if they realized it at the time, but they created one of my favorite memories from my entire Fourth of July weekend. PRO TIP: If you're visiting Oxford, look at the ferry schedule before you arrive. Whether you're taking your vehicle across to Bellevue, walking on as a passenger or getting lucky enough to catch one of their special event cruises, don't make the same mistake I did and discover it by accident. Although...maybe a little bit of serendipity is part of the magic. The next time I'm back in Oxford, riding the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry will already be on my itinerary. Next time, though...I'll actually know it's there!

BLUF: Expensive but a historical gem that makes for a fun adventure…read more Despite the increasing prices ($24 for two of us in a car to go one way), I love the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry! I appreciate the history and culture of the Chesapeake Bay region and the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry is one of its treasures. The ferry only holds about 9 cars and the scenic trip across the Tred Avon River takes about 10 minutes. The views are always fabulous and the people working the ferry are always friendly. The ferry recently changed owners and on my most recent crossing my husband and I were warmly welcomed and ferried to Bellevue by an all women crew. The ferry only runs from spring to late fall. My husband and I typically take the ferry one of the last weekends its open in the year. We enjoy touring around St. Michael's and then taking the ferry over to Oxford where we load up our cooler with ice cream from Scottish Highland Creamery. This year we took the ferry from Oxford to Bellevue and we enjoyed making the crossing in reverse. In addition to cars, the ferry is very popular with cyclists. There may just be a few on the ferry or a whole Peloton. For those wanting to further support this historic gem, there is merch sold onboard. Admittedly, I find the ferry to be expensive but I look at it like doing my part to keep this part of Chesapeake Bay history alive. There is a discounted bulk rate for those who routinely make the crossing for practical reasons.

A small ferry that is a lot of fun to take across the river. The crossing is fairly quickly…read more Closed on Sunday and Monday and during inclement weather.

Another great little ride on this cool ferry! The captain is always pleasant! It was bust today!…read moreCars lined up on both sides so we had to wait a bit, but it was worth the wait! Love this mode of transportation!

My husband and I, had such an amazing time. It was a very cold afternoon, but that didn't stop the…read morevibes. The tickets, including our vehicle to board was a steal of a price . The process from check in, to parking on the ferry was simple. The ferry had ample seating inside . Note, if you want booth seats, you have to try to be the first ones in. The ferry was very warm, and cozy . On the ferry there is hot food , all type of drinks, and plenty of snacks to purchase. It's lots to see on the deck, although I did not stay outside to long as it was cold. I can't wait to return for the summer.

Keep in mind you can be stranded on either side with under an hours notice if the ferry goes out of…read moreservice which happened to us yesterday. 5 hours of having to drive home. Not a reliable or safe travel option. Apparently happens more than one would think, as they remove the posts indicating this from facebook the day after it happens. total nightmare for us yesterday.

We booked a 1-hour ride to Assateague Island and back to see the ponies, and it did not disappoint!…read moreBryce was our tour guide, and he was fun, funny, friendly, and knowledgeable. The ride was super relaxing and enjoyable, and I never felt worried or scared. I would highly recommend this tour, and I'd also recommend booking the earlier one (we did 11:30), because the 12:30 tour had a huge line. Will do this again for sure.

We booked a private tour from Ocean Coty to Assateague to see dolphins, the horses, and wildlife…read more Despite poor visibility thanks to Canadian wildfire smoke in the air we saw a lot of dolphin activity including a white dolphin and took lots of pictures and video. We saw the Assateague horses up close and then visited egrets, herons, osprey, and other wildlife. Matt was our captain and he was very knowledgeable and informative. His low key approach was wonderful as well. Highly recommend both the company and especially Matt. We hope to book him for fishing in a future visit as he is an expert angler as well.

We didn't book our sunset charter in time and it was raining off and on - we thought a good view of…read morethe sunset was not in the cards for us tonight. We opted instead to take the scenic Colonial Parkway drive and perhaps catch some views over the river. We lucked out and found a free ferry that crossed the river just as the sun was setting. The storm couldn't hold back the sunset no matter how hard it tried and the ferry offered us the best views. In the end we got our sunset cruise and it didn't cost us a cent.

Getting on the ferry and off was easy and fast. More than enough space for all the cars. Didn't…read morehave to wait long and the ride was enough time to explore and take in the sights walking around and exploring the viewing deck.

My extended family & I loved the comfort & attention to detail afforded by this team. Tawny…read more(Bowess), Capt Bowie, Regan (crew) and others, all were very knowledgeable and eager to help guests. Amenities like large bathrooms and refreshments made sure kids, elderly, disabled, and even one in between had a great time.

The captain was great. The boat ride was beautiful and we enjoyed the local restaurant Lorraine's.read more

To say this was our daughters favorite part of our vacation may be an understatement!!…read more My wife and daughter squeezed into a last minute opening for the time of their lives!! Our daughter learned so much, had a blast, and carried some fish! Captain Barry really made them feel important and special! I'm sure he makes every trip the best ever; but we really enjoyed the time/effort he put into pointing wildlife out and explaining marine life!! Our nature obsessed kid wanted to go again as soon as they docked! If you're looking for a fun adventure (not pony watching) then this is the place for you!!! Captain Barry also has the coolest Jeep in the parking lot! We forgot our water bottle and saw him the next morning getting gas and he hopped out to return the water bottle (we didn't even know we left behind!)

Captain Barry's has become our family tradition with all the generations in our family. We never…read morestop learning something new with Captain Barry and we could not imagine our family vacation without this experience.