Lands End Manor on the Bay
232 Prospect Bay Drive West
Grasonville, Md.
410-827-6284
http://www.bbonline.com/md/landsend

Some of us, if we’re lucky, have memories of a favorite aunt whose elegant home we loved to visit—a grand, gracious place suffused with charm. The rest of us can create the experience with a visit to Lands End Manor on the Bay, where the ambience is upper crust, but the hospitality is warm and genuine.

Just thirty minutes from Annapolis, Lands End fronts Greenwood Creek and looks south to St. Michaels. Once a hunting lodge for Philadelphia sportsmen, the property underwent a Cinderella transformation in the 1930s. Now it’s to the manor reborn, with a sweeping curved staircase, eight wood-burning fireplaces, swimming pool, solarium, and two splendid guest quarters. The paneled great room, which commands a view of the seventeen-acre grounds and the water beyond, comes complete with antlered chandelier—a decorative reference to the house’s former incarnation. Innkeeper Elaine Johnson Wheatley and her husband, Charles, entertain visitors from spring through fall, when the glories of the bayside setting are at their best. On an autumn weekend when winds roughened the pewter-colored Bay, a friend and I found a delightful harbor.

The Innkeepers The Wheatleys have made Lands End their home for twenty-three years and began a bed-and-breakfast operation here in 1996. During the warmer months, they welcome guests who delight in “just relaxing” around the home and its lush outdoor landscape. Elaine, a former professional model and flight attendant, applied her degree in architectural design to the home’s imposing interior, creating comfortable nooks for reading, dining, or sharing conversation.

The genteel septuagenarian offers sumptuous breakfasts, suggests destinations for antiquing or picnicking, and lends bikes or boats to the athletically inclined. She delights in her B&B career. “People are the best part, and I do have nice people,” she says, mentioning a couple who visit via private jet each year. Our rides, parked in the circular drive, suddenly seemed a bit shabby.

The Rooms Elegant touches—Asian prints, a sterling silver hand mirror on the dressing table, a potted orchid—abound in the spacious Swan Room, a thirty-foot expanse on the second floor. A crocheted canopy hangs like a lacy cloud across the king-sized, four-poster bed, and the adjoining bath, almost a suite in itself, has a tub that’s deep and long enough for a five-star soak. What really releases the inner child in us, though, is the discovery of a deep closet stocked with mini-fridge, a tea service, a pair of fluffy robes, and slippers. And, oh, yes, Elaine’s bedside snack: dense, fudgey, homemade brownies.

Across the hall, the Blue Heron Room, appropriately appointed in azure, has its own wood-burning fireplace. In both spaces, electronic intrusions are minimal (a telephone and a small television)—all the better to soak up the views from the windows.

Special Touches  Did your aunt have a gun room? Probably not, but there’s one at Lands End that you really should see, with its own entrance and a tiled floor for muddy boots. Our innkeeper no longer displays the weapons that once hung on the racks, but judging from the herd of deer that we saw roaming the property and the waterfowl clustered offshore, they must have been put to good use.

It’s not a real vacation unless you can use your fishing rod, so bring one along and drop a line from the inn’s dock. Or dip into the swimming pool, where a screen of mature trees creates the illusion of a private woodland pond—one surrounded by lounge chairs, of course. Non-sportsmen can curl up with a book around the great room’s fireplace (bordered with eighteenth-century Delft tiles) or perch by the windows to observe one of the busiest bird feeders on the Shore.

What’s for Breakfast “Shall I seat you in the great room for breakfast? And would you like a fire?” asks Elaine as she bades us good night. We answer in the affirmative to both, and when the next day dawns cool and misty, we are greeted with a sparkling hearth to banish the chill. Our promised table for two gleams with crystal, linen, and Spode, and the multi-course menu is exquisite: freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit cup, a baked “egg puff” with salsa, sausages, and a basket of buttery chocolate croissants and English muffins. “All the food I serve is organic,” Elaine says proudly, making sure that my bottomless teacup never lacks for Earl Grey. Outside, the resident heron looks slightly envious.

Diversions Strolling the lawn and snoozing in the solarium ranks highest on our list. (The weather precludes plans to use the two bikes that Elaine keeps on hand for guests.) But other possibilities await the more adventurous. Head less than an hour east or west, and you’ll find everything your batteries need to re-charge: capital culture in Annapolis, shopping at Prime Outlets in Queenstown, or restaurants in St. Michaels.

Romance Factor Quality time in a peaceful, luxurious setting—who doesn’t need more of that? Nesting for a few nights at Lands End with a special someone seems to create an instant attachment to the place. Elaine says that many couples come for their wedding nights and return every year, like the swallows, for their anniversaries. If you’re seeking a memorable spot for a summer getaway, call ahead now—you’ll be transported.

What It’s Going to Cost  $215 per night, with a two-night minimum.

Carol Denny writes from Annapolis.