Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast

My husband and I had no idea when we booked the Somerset room at Susan’s On Smith Island B&B that we would be transported to a world that is worthy of a National Geographic feature story. We only knew at the time we wanted peace and respite and only had a long weekend for discovery. Never would we have guessed that only about 170 miles from our house in Md could we enter a world where the tides, light and the weather are the dominant forces. And the birds greatly outnumber humans. The cultural history of the island is not to be missed and Susan is the perfect narrator of that story as her descendants were one of the first families to settle Smith Island, 13 generations ago. She is the perfect host starting with her detailed logistical arrangements getting us to and from the island at Crisfield, MD with Otis, her husband, as ferry captain. Susan also helped us transport our luggage to the house on her golf cart; she welcomes you as family with her sunny smile when you disembark. The culinary adventure of Smith Island—the best crab cakes and Smith Island cake ever, complimented by Otis’s vanilla ice cream—is found in Susan’s own kitchen and you’d be smart to have at least one home-cooked dinner at Susan’s B&B table. Her breakfasts are delicious and healthy too. The accommodations are lovely and comfortable (very comfortable bed!); the Somerset room faces the ocean. The B&B also has the best views of the Bay. My sunset photo from the front yard is proof. Susan introduced us to Mark Kitching, a crabber and oysterman, also from an original family, who spent the afternoon with us giving us the National Geographic boating tour, which included some of the outer islands that are Fish and Wildlife National Wildlife refuges. We saw the amazing pelican roost with hundreds of birds. I added some life birds. He also showed us his crab shack and gave us a lesson on soft-shelled crabs. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about Smith Island’s past and present. In our other spare time, we rode Susan’s sturdy bikes to Rhodes Point, where we fell in love with the light on the marshes. The wind kicked up so we couldn’t use Susan’s kayaks even though they were available with extra towels and life jackets. We felt one with nature and the exceptionally friendly island folks for 2-1/2 days of near bliss. Highly recommend this curated trip that is no-stress and pure joy!

If you want to stay overnight on Smith Island you can’t go wrong staying at Susan’s. Our family group of 5 rented the whole house for a long weekend and found the house to be very clean, well appointed, comfortable and the location could not be better. It’s located on a quiet street minutes from everything in Ewell and facing the water for beautiful sunsets. Susan is an incredible cook. Her crab cakes, veggies and baked goods were all excellent. Her Smith Island cake is my favorite. If you have binoculars, bring them for great views of various birds, boats and goats since you have a fantastic view of Goat Island.

Highly, highly recommend staying at Susan's. She is a wonderful, friendly, and informative host. I went with my wife and son. The rooms are small but comfortable, and I absolutely loved the front room with the breeze blowing in off the bay at night. The views from the porch where you take meals are gorgeous. Susan is also a great cook, and I recommend having her cook you dinner. (The restaurants on island close at 4 p.m.). There are also other island residents that will prepare meals and deliver them to you - we absolutely loved the meal Donna made for us. Her info is in the guide book in the house. All meals come with amazing Smith Island cake desserts!