Ransome's Chesapeake Retreats of Maryland: 250 Glorious Waterfront Acres of Tranquility!

Until they sold their waterfront home, which sat perched high above New Jersey's Rancocas Creek, Percy and Marie Ransome were our neighbors here in Moorestown, New Jersey. After settlement, the Ransomes retreated to their unbelievably beautiful waterfront compound near Cambridge, Maryland in order to continue expanding and refining their Chesapeake Bay estate into just the perfect location for others to enjoy a luxurious week-end away, a summer vacation offering a truly peaceful and tranquil setting, or perhaps the most beautiful spot in all of Maryland (and there are some truly gorgeous waterfront properties in that state!) to host a wedding or a family reunion. The property has been in the Ransome family for nearly seventy years, used by four generations to date.

Their hard work has paid off handsomely, not only for the Ransome family but also for those lucky enough to have found this hidden gem of a treasured spot right at the water's edge. One of the most signficant factors to the Ransome property is its seclusion. If you really need to get away from it all, whether individually, as a family, or for business reasons, this is the place to be. Golden Hill, the actual town in which the Ransome Chesapeake Retreats (RCR) is physically located, has a population of slightly over one hundred full time residents. The closest 'big' city is the Eastern Shore's Cambridge, which of and in itself is not a 'happening' town, consisting mostly of businesses, a lower to middle class general population, several grandiose waterfront estates, some low-priced to (a few) elegant dining establishments and some pretty basic town features. It does not boast an extensive 'night life' by any means. To most Marylanders, it is considered a town in which they drive through on their way to Ocean City, Maryland. This sense of isolation is really the biggest charm of RCR. Working on a novel? Trying to develop a business plan or mission statement? Want a place to sit down and dig deeply into your corporation's future with your top management team? RCR is the place you want to be. The Ransome Chesapeake Retreat is a short drive by car to Easton, Oxford and St. Michaels, all three very charming and historic Maryland towns where antique-hunting, marinas, high end dining facilities and shopping abound. RCR is a 45 minute drive from Salisbury, Maryland, one hour from Maryland's highly sought after Ocean City beachfront town, one hour and 45 minutes from Baltimore, Maryland, a two hour drive from Washington, D.C., and a 2 1/2 hour drive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The RCR is ideally suited for parties of two to twenty-two plus for onsite accommodations. Activities include bicycling, boating, fishing, golfing (available nearby), canoe and kayak tours, birding, and (attention professional and amateur photographers!) some pretty amazing vistas for a photography shoot. The main compound also offers a large swimming pool and hot tub overlooking the Chesapeake Bay itself. The Ransome family is currently expanding their facilities and adding a second housing location onsite, which will be approximately three miles inland rather than directly on the bay. This new housing compound will be able to accommodate at least fourteen, opening up the option for larger wedding parties, larger family reunions and larger business meeting accommodations as well. Completion of this expansion building is scheduled for May, 2006.

The bayfront main vacation houses includes five bedrooms, with central air conditioning (a must during that lovely hot, humid Maryland summer!), a fully equipped kitchen (which has a dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, blender, cookware, dishes and paper goods), a lush 'great room', and living room. High chairs, porta cribs, all linens (sheets, blankets, pillows and towels), two washers and two dryers are also furnished. The main home also has a pool table, ping pong table, board games, books, an outdoor grill, satellite TV, a VCR, stereo, CD and DVD player.Yard game equipment including badminton, volleyball and horseshoes are also provided. The master bedroom suite has one king sized bed and one double futon bed; its attached deck overlooks the beauty of the Bay. Bedroom #2 also boasts a king sized bed, while Bedroom #3 has two twin sized beds. The fourth bedroom has one king sized bed, while the fifth bedroom has two sets of bunk beds. There is also a sleep sofa in the house's family room; total sleeping accommodations are for at least twenty-three people. (In the compound's Fun Center Facility, there are also two bedrooms as well.) The main house added two additional bathrooms in December, 2005, bringin the total number of bath rooms in the Main House to five, complementing the house's seven bedrooms. Once the May, 2006 expansion is completed, RCR will then have 11 plus bedrooms, nine plus baths, and the ability to sleep 32 people!

With the RCR sitting on one mile of Chesapeake Bay waterfront, the Fun Center/Meeting room is 50' adjacent to the Main House. There is a private sandy beach accessible by boat, a deep water dock and boat ramp (visitors are encouraged to bring their own boats). If you don't own your own boat, the Ransome family will help you make the necessary arrangements for a rental or charter boat. Visitors are also encouraged to roam the family's 700 acres of pristine farmland looking for even more exotic wildlife and bald eagles!

Feel like getting back in touch with nature? RCR boasts scenic salt marshes, a lookout peak that provides a 360 degree vista of the Bay, miles of walking paths and nature trails, and tons of wildlife. (The RCR is in very close proximitiy to the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge.) For the fisherman in all of us, there is a stocked fresh water bass pond.

Intrigued? More than a little bit interested or curious? I encourage you to check out the following web sites for more information about the 'good life' on Maryland's Eastern Shore, of which RCR plays a very important role: Dorchester Tourism Department, Dorchester Chamber of Commerce, DayGuide.com-Chesapeake Bay Info, and the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Weekly rates are $4,500 per week from Memorial Day through Labor Day and holidays, $3,700 per week for the 'off season'. Weekend rates are available upon request and availability. Anxious to make your reservation now for the best weeks of spring and summer? Call Percy or Marie Ransome at 1/888-726-7863 or by fax at 1/856-778-4249. This luxurious yet 'simple life' vacation could very well be the very best ever!