Stay & Play
Zen at the Inn at Huntingfield Creek
by Jennifer Merrick
As soon as we crossed the 7-kilometer-long Chesapeake Bay bridge from Annapolis to Maryland’s Eastern Shores, we noticed a change: the pace of life was slower, birds and wildlife more plentiful and our breaths deeper. And nowhere did we feel this sense of relaxation more than during our stay at the Inn at Huntingfield Creek in Rock Hall, Maryland.
Rosie, Bayla and Maggie, the resident dogs, welcomed us with wagging tails and affection when we arrived. Owner, Joanne Rich, showed us around the property that she and her husband, Jim, purchased 18 years ago.
“We liked the feeling of it immediately,” Joanne said, and they worked hard over the years to ensure their guests would have that same good feeling.
The 70-acre property had five guest rooms in the inn and seven fully-equipped private cottages, each with a different theme. We stayed in the Zen cottage that lived up to its moniker with features like a fireplace, full kitchen and extra-large whirlpool bathtub and in the décor and smaller details, including welcome snacks, plush spa robes and the down comforters. Not only the cottage, but the entire property exuded Zen from the hammocks and Adirondack chairs to the saltwater pool, lavender field and waterfront. It was a place that invited us to disconnect from the work-a-day world and focus on the surroundings and our loved ones. This was exactly the intention.
“Our greatest pleasure is seeing couples put down their phones and talk to each other,” said Joanne.
And we did just that. We reminisced about our children, now almost grown, as we walked the grassy promenade to the waterfront, where herons waded patiently in the Bay water for fish. We discussed future retirement dreams over a glass of complimentary wine in the inn’s library. And over a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage and Joanne’s award-winning Very Berry Bread Pudding made with blackberries picked on the property, we contemplated extending our vacation to stay longer at the Inn at Huntingfield Creek.
