St. Michaels, Maryland: The Tiny Town That Claims It Fooled the British Navy

There’s a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that has been telling the same story for over 200 years, and it’s printed right on the welcome sign:“The Town That Fooled the British.”The legend dates to August 10, 1813, when roughly 300 British soldiers attacked St. Michaels during the War of 1812. According to local lore, residents hung lanterns high in the trees, tricking the Royal Navy into firing over the town. The British withdrew, and St. Michaels suffered no casualties.

Whether the lantern trick actually happened is still up for debate, and historians may never settle it. What’s not in dispute is the real history packed into this tiny bay town. Frederick Douglass spent part of his enslaved youth in St. Michaels, and his sister Eliza Mitchell’s restored home now stands at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The museum, spread across 18 waterfront acres, is the only one dedicated to America’s largest estuary. You can also find the Cannonball House, which still bears a dent from a British cannonball.

And then there’s the food. Justine’s Ice Cream Parlour’s Titanic Sundae Challenge weighs in at over six pounds, a feat even“Man v. Food”host Casey Webb took on in 2019. Between the legend, the history, and the dessert dare, St. Michaels makes a strong case for your next day trip from D.C., Baltimore, or Philadelphia.

Would you attempt a six-pound sundae, or would you tap out early? Let us know in the comments.