A few weekends ago Wendy and I ventured out to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to stay with a good friend for the weekend on Tilghman island. We were there primarily as a means for a little fun and relaxation. It's sort of an ideal spot for us since we both love the area and really enjoy the eclectic mix of great people and places we get to experience along the way.

If you're not familiar with the area, the Easten Shore of Maryland represents the collection of islands and land mass that sits beyond the east bank of the Chesapeake Bay. While Tilghman Island, Kent Island, St. Michaels, and other popular destinations on the Chesapeake side are rather close to Washington DC (only about 40 miles as the crow flies), the drive ends up about 90-100 miles because the only way over the bay is via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a hulking 4.3 mile long and nearly 200 foot tall steel structure that can be a bit intimidating in bad weather. But this trip across the bridge is well worth it as it allows entrance to an area that operates at a slower pace with more pleasant personal interactions.

The particular island we stayed on, Tilghman Island, is about 30 miles beyond St. Michaels. This whole area is deeply rooted in the fishing, oyster, and crab industry, and Tilghman Island is still a small community largely made up of watermen (fisherman) with a small town attitude that feels a bit like you've stepped into a different era when you arrive.

On our trip we were fortunate to have a host who is quite familiar with the local hidden jewels and highlights that we absolutely needed to see while we were in town. We had a wonderful weekend (with a bit of drama when Wendy lost the diamond in her necklace, sadly it hasn't been found), but one stop in particular really stands out for me as a tremendous find and true highlight of the weekend.

As we ventured out on Saturday morning, our first stop of the day was at a small unassuming building in Wittman, Maryland that looked a bit like a barn. The name of the shop is McMartin & Beggins, and it has a large trunk of a tree laying on its side in front of the building. I had no idea what to expect as we entered, but I was told, "this stop is for Alex."

As soon as we walked through the showroom door, I knew this place was, in fact, for me. There was a handful of absolutely stunning pieces of beautifully finished and obviously carefully crafted wood furniture pieces situated around the perimeter of the room. But I'm not talking just any furniture outlet types of items, I'm talking about high quality and one of a kind pieces that looked like museum quality antiques.