Serenity Cottage: Central to state parks, historic towns, MD & VA beaches

You leave the rat race behind when you turn off the county road onto the country lane leading between woods and fields to Serenity Cottage. This charming and unique octagon house is shaded by oak and maple trees and overlooks farm fields and woods of pine and hardwoods, home to deer, wild turkey, and fox.

Throughout the house, modern and casual furnishings blend comfortably with antique and vintage details which add to the attractive coziness of the open plan living, dining and kitchen areas. Tucked in one end of the living room, two easy chairs for reading and lounging can be turned to face the full-length windows to watch for wild turkeys. The smart TV is ready for streaming your favorite shows and there is a selection of books and puzzles in case of a rainy day.

The roomy kitchen has island seating and vintage farmhouse open shelving to complement the hand-built dining table surrounded by six antique oak caned-bottom chairs. The kitchen is fully equipped right down to cookie baking sheets and a retro cookie press as well as cookbooks offering recipes for regional foods.

In the second-floor cupula room, enjoy the tree-top sensation of being in your own treehouse get-away: perfect for an afternoon nap on the full-size futon, quiet reading, journaling at the antique drop-front desk or a session of meditation on the provided yoga mats.

Each of the two main floor bedrooms have their own unique style. The large primary bedroom directly across the hall from the bathroom, is roomy and light and airy. Twin bedside tables and reading lamps, two vintage dressers and double closets complete with hangers provide all the storage you could need. Down the hall, the second bedroom is a rich toned deep rust, olive green and teal oasis. Depression oak dressers and nightstands are accented with contemporary reading lights and wall art.

Just minutes up US route 13 is Pocomoke City and amenities. First settled in the late 1600s at the ferry landing on the south bank of the Pocomoke River and originally called Stevens Landing and then Newtown, it was reincorporated in 1878 as Pocomoke City, after the American Indian name of the river, meaning "black water." The town is host to the Delmarva Discovery Museum, an interactive museum focusing on local ecology (visit the river otters) and history. The Sturgis One Room School Museum, a one-room schoolhouse, was moved to its present location in the downtown area as a museum of local African-American history. In addition to the1927 Art Deco MarVa Theater, Pocomoke Historic District and Costen House, numerous other houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Close by is Pocomoke River State Park. There are two distinct areas of Pocomoke River State Park: Shad Landing on the south side of the river off Route 113 where you can picnic, swim, rent kayaks or canoes or just watch the lazy river flow by, and Milburn Landing, on the north side of the Pocomoke River on Route 364. Both areas are encompassed within the 17,676 acres of the Pocomoke State Forest which has over 25 miles of trails available for hiking, biking, and birding.

The charming village of Chincoteague is just a short drive away. The former fishing village now boasts exciting summer amusements, shopping, art galleries featuring regional scenes by local artists and family-owned restaurants serving some of the best seafood on the east coast. The town is a tourist gateway to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on adjacent Assateague Island, the location of a popular recreational beach and home of the famous wild Chincoteague Ponies. Visit the Nature Center and enjoy the many hiking and bike trails. If you want something a little more exciting, drive over to Ocean City, MD, a hugely popular beach resort where you can soak up all the excitement of the sights, sounds and smells of boardwalk entertainment.

For a more laid-back excursion, try visiting the many near-by historical towns, many settled before the revolutionary war: Snow Hill, MD,1686, Princess Anne, MD, 1733, Accomac, VA. dating back to 1634, Onancock, VA, 1680. Each town offers excellent examples of Colonial to Victorian architecture. Also, don't miss Berlin, MD, a Johnny-come-lately Victorian town incorporated in 1868 offering excellent shopping, restaurants and craft breweries. And all along the Eastern Shore there are dozens of antique shops where you are certain to find something to take home as a reminder of your time on the Eastern Shore, the land of pleasant living.