Easton Map and History

from Tidewater Times June 2021

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The County Seat of Talbot County. Established around early religious settlements and a court of law, Historic Downtown Easton is today a centerpiece of fine specialty shops, business and cultural activities, unique restaurants, and architectural fascination. Treelined streets are graced with various period structures and remarkable homes, carefully preserved or restored. Because of its historical significance, historic Easton has earned © John Norton distinction as the “Colonial Capitol of the Eastern Shore” and was honored as number eight in the book “The 100 Best Small Towns in America.” With a population of over 16,500, Easton offers the best of many worlds including access to large metropolitan areas like Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, and Wilmington. For a walking tour and more history visit https:// tidewatertimes.com/travel-tourism/easton-maryland/.

2010 Alaskan cruise with Kelly, Tracy and their boys.

Planning things took root professionally as well. Kelly received his bachelor’s degree in geography from Salisbury University in 1984, took some time to travel and then earned his master’s degree in city planning in 1987. He used his planning knowledge working in local government for Worcester County. His background as a planner goes into putting together itineraries, organizing details and trying to create the best travel and cruise experiences possible.

Kelly and Tracy take the worry out of traveling for anyone who goes on their trips. That’s what the Salisbury Cruise Club is all about.

“What we offer is a cruise experience where once you show up to the bus, you can leave all your worries behind and we handle the rest,” he said. “With the cruise experience, your home moves with you and you are in a different port every day. It’s a great way to explore a particular area of the world.”

The cruise club has indeed explored the world ~ from the Caribbean, to Alaska, England and Ireland, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, various European river cruises, the

Panama Canal and Central America, just to name a few. Kelly and Tracy plan trips for their groups to see as much as they can, but also to allow for the unscripted experiences.

Kelly recalls a 2018 cruise to Hawaii.

“We took a whale-watching excursion out of Maui, and if a whale comes close to the boat, the captain has to stop the engine until they move on,” he said. “We had three whales that surfaced and hung around our boat for over an hour and put on a show ~ breeching, pectoral fin slaps, tail slaps ~ it was an incredible treat.”

When they first formed the club, they led one trip each year. In 2007, Kelly got his travel agent license so they could handle all the details themselves, and by 2008, they were leading two trips per year. After

Kelly retired from his government job, they began leading four trips per year. Going on each trip limits how many trips they can lead in a year, but it makes each cruise more worry free for the group.

Even with the best planning, unexpected things can happen. On their last trip before COVID-19, a trip to southern Italy and Sicily, Kelly and Tracy had to react quickly to an impending airline strike.

“We were planning to spend the night in Sicily, fly the next day to Rom, and then fly home from Rome,” Kelly said. “We got word that the airline was going on strike at midnight. We got everyone with

19 Goldsborough St. · 443.746.3095 www.curlicuethestore.com Island of Capri

us re-booked to a flight that night to avoid the strike, and got everyone to Rome a day early, got a hotel for an extra night, and a bus to the hotel. We were touring when we got word; no one knew anything about it until we announced it. No one had to worry about it ~ we handled it all.”

Like everyone in the travel industry, the Salisbury Cruise Club halted all activities when COVID-19 struck. They had a cruise planned for March 2020, which was the first they had to reschedule, and another set for October, as well as four cruises in 2021. They are rescheduling the cancelled trips and hoping that their trip this October to Portugal will be their first cruise since the pandemic began.

A possible silver lining to everyone having to stay home for a year and a half is that they are seeing an incredible demand for travel.

“People want to go places, safely, and so we are seeing a lot of people interested ~ as we open registrations, our trips are selling out quickly,” Kelly said. “And our members have been able to save up a little money while not traveling.”

They have found that hosting virtual cruise nights on Zoom, where they can gather and show travel videos and photos of upcoming cruises, has been at least one way to get people together.

Once cruises begin again this fall, the club will be on the move. For a planned trip to Ireland, they are looking into adding a “Game of Thrones” tour in Belfast, where much of the filming was done for HBO’s hit show; they were able to reschedule an Alaska cruise for 2022, for the same price people had previously signed up for; and they are adding a fifth cruise for 2022. All told, there will be five ocean cruises, three river cruises and two tours over the next two years.

“The European river cruises that we do are so much fun,” Kelly said. “We go on small ships, there are only 150 passengers on board and we become like part of the ship’s

family. I’m looking forward to the Danube river cruise that was rescheduled for next year.”

“Family” describes how the Shannahans think about the Salisbury Cruise Club and their experiences together.

“It’s our cruise club family ~ I really do feel that way about them,” Kelly said. “After a new couple or individual joins us on a trip, they feel like a part of the family as well. We have some members who join us on every cruise that we offer.”

For more information on upcoming cruises and activities, please visit the club’s website at www. salisburycruiseclub.com. Membership to the club is free.

Michael Valliant is the Assistant for Adult Education and Newcomers Ministry at Christ Church Easton. He has worked for non-profi t organizations throughout Talbot County, including the Oxford Community Center, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Academy Art Museum.