How many guests does The Bayside Escape sleep?

Up to 24 guests across 6 bedrooms and 5 queen sleeper sofas. Sleeping breakdown: 1 King, 4 Queens, 4 Twins, and 5 Queen sofa sleepers (all in the main house).

Is The Bayside Escape pet-friendly?

Up to 2 dogs, $150 per stay. No cats.

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in is at 4 PM and check-out is at 10 AM. Early check-in and late check-out are not available — back-to-back bookings require full turnaround time.

How do I book The Bayside Escape directly?

Book direct at thebaysideescape.com: there's no platform service fee, you earn 8% back in Bayside Rewards credit on every stay, and you deal with the owner directly.

What is the cancellation policy?

Full refund if you cancel 14 or more days before check-in. For a stay 14 or more days away, a 30% deposit is charged at booking and the remaining 70% balance is auto-charged 3 days before check-in; closer in, the stay is paid in full at booking. Inside the 14-day window, the booking is non-refundable.

Is parking available at The Bayside Escape?

Yes — the driveway accommodates 10 cars, including space for boat trailers.

What is the Flex Barn at The Bayside Escape?

The Flex Barn is a 1,600 sqft multi-use space included free with every booking. It features 16-ft ceilings, a 16-ft sliding barn door (drive-in capable), and rubber flooring. Perfect for yoga, corporate workshops, indoor games, movie nights, or gear storage. It is not a sleeping space — all sleeping is in the main house.

Blog/The Maryland State Symbols You'll Meet on the Chesapeake

Local Guide5 min read· June 2026

The Maryland State Symbols You'll Meet on the Chesapeake

Here's a fun thing about Maryland: a remarkable number of its official state symbols come straight out of the Chesapeake Bay. Stay a few days on Hooper's Island and you'll bump into most of them — on your plate, in the marsh, or out on the water. Here's the Bay-bred lineup and where you'll spot each one.

The Chesapeake Bay from The Bayside Escape, home of so many Maryland state symbols

Straight from the Bay

State crustacean — the blue crab. Designated in 1989, and no surprise: the blue crab is Maryland. You'll meet this one on a paper-covered table with a mallet in hand.
State fish — the rockfish (striped bass). Named the official state fish back in 1965, it's the Chesapeake's signature gamefish and a regular catch off these shores.
State reptile — the diamondback terrapin. The handsome little marsh turtle that gave the University of Maryland its "Terps" nickname; watch for them in the tidal creeks.
State dessert — the Smith Island cake. Those famous many-layered cakes, born on the island just south of here and now recognized statewide.
State boat — the skipjack. The graceful wooden sailing dredge boat — the last commercial sailing fleet in North America — still working out of nearby Tilghman Island.
State dog — the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. A tough, webbed-pawed, waterproof-coated hunting breed developed right here for retrieving waterfowl from the cold Bay.
State bird — the Baltimore oriole. Flashing black and gold; a treat to spot among the trees in spring and summer.
State flower — the black-eyed Susan. The golden roadside bloom that lights up Eastern Shore summers.

The playset in the backyard at The Bayside Escape

A scavenger hunt for your stay

Make it a game with the kids: how many state symbols can you check off in a single trip? A blue-crab feast and a rockfish dinner take care of two. A paddle through the marsh might turn up a terrapin and an oriole. A drive up to Tilghman Island puts skipjacks in view, and a ferry trip to Smith Island earns you a slice of the state dessert at the source. It's a surprisingly easy lineup to complete on the Eastern Shore — and a fun way to appreciate just how much of Maryland's identity is tied to this one body of water.

Come collect the whole set

The Bayside Escape sits on the Chesapeake Bay in Fishing Creek, MD — the natural home of half of Maryland's state symbols. Create a free account and get $100 toward your first direct booking.

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