Drivers passing through Cambridge on their way to the beach see little more than fast-food outlets and strip shopping centers, an asphalt landscape of McDonald's, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster that could just as easily be Michigan as Maryland's Eastern Shore.

But take a left off Route 50 at Church Creek Road, and beyond an unassuming gatehouse you are transported from the rush of roadside commerce into a far more serene setting.

Cross a short wooden bridge over a marsh and catch a glimpse of the golf course and the expansive Choptank River as you pull into the circular driveway of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort. The much-anticipated and long-delayed 400-room complex rises on the waterfront like a symbol of optimism in a place that for a long time has been down on its economic luck.

Cambridge, as well as Dorchester County, has in many ways pinned its hopes for the future on the Hyatt, and although it remains to be seen if it will lead the way in re-energizing the area -- or possibly be the agent of too much change -- the resort has been attracting plenty of guests since its late-summer debut.

"We didn't expect to be as busy as we were," says Michael T. Walsh, the Hyatt's general manager, adding that the hotel has been nearly full every weekend.

On opening day, Aug. 29, the six-story, $150 million resort, on the site of a former state mental hospital, became Maryland's largest year-round luxury resort, not to mention one of the few places on the Eastern Shore to get a cup of Starbucks coffee.

The Hyatt's full name -- Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina -- suggests how much is being offered: an 18-hole golf course designed by noted course architect Keith Foster, a 150-slip marina, indoor and outdoor pools, conference center, fitness center, tennis and a spa.

A recent weekend visit showed that, despite some growing pains, overzealous marketing and ambitious pricing, there is much to like about the new resort.

Although a bit boxy on the outside, the Hyatt's interior space is impressive. High ceilings, blond wood and soaring stone fireplaces combine to create a spacious, handsome lobby and lounge area, and several cozy nooks with comfortable chairs and smaller fireplaces add to the casual elegance. A two-story wall of glass shows off the outdoor pool and the waterfront.

The mood is relaxed. When my wife and I asked about the dress code at the resort's main restaurant and elsewhere in Cambridge, a concierge informed us that east of the Bay Bridge jeans and polo shirts are sufficient for all dining occasions. She added merrily, "Welcome to the Eastern Shore."

The staff seems friendly. There was little of the corporate-enforced perkiness I was expecting based on earlier calls to the resort that were uniformly answered: "It's an exceptional day at the Hyatt Regency Chesa-peake Bay. ... How may I direct your call?"

In keeping with its waterfront location, the hotel has something of a nautical theme, with room numbers displayed like portholes on a ship and tile patterns on the floors resembling compass points. "What cabin are you in?" a bellman asks one of the guests.

Rooms are comfortable, with many nice touches, including ceiling fans, safes for valuables and larger-than-usual bathrooms with ample counter space. (There's even a magnifying mirror, in case you want to get up close and personal with your face.)

It's an added benefit that everything is new, but some of that newness borders on the unfinished. There are signs of carpentry work in progress, for example, and here and there you can spot extension cords and duct tape employed as temporary measures.

More problematic is that some of the resort's amenities aren't yet available or are barely available.

During our stay early last month, several guests were disappointed to learn on arrival that no spa appointments were available. The facials, body wraps and massages had already been booked, they were told.

But nowhere on the resort's Web site or during the telephone reservation process were guests informed that advance spa reservations were necessary.

When I called the day before our Friday arrival, there were only two spa appointments available for the entire weekend -- a facial at 8:15 a.m. Saturday and another facial at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, long after we would have checked out.

"You don't think to make an appointment ahead of time if you're doing a weekend getaway," says Jennifer Davis, who was at the Hyatt with her husband, Joe.

The suburban Philadelphia couple, parents of girls ages 1 and 3, were looking forward to spending time together and to golf and spa treatments. But the earliest massage Jennifer was able to schedule was for Monday at noon. Fortunately, they were staying through Monday.

The Davises were also disappointed that not all the resort's restaurants were open. The Blue Point Provision Company, for example, listed as "our specialty gourmet restaurant," is not scheduled to open until the spring.

"In the brochure and on the Internet it doesn't say that," Jennifer points out.

Walsh, the general manager, says he is trying to address the issue of informing guests about advance reservations. He is also working to increase the spa staff.

The Hyatt opened with 300 part-time and full-time employees, he says, and since then 100 additional employees have been hired. To help meet the demand for spa services on weekends, massage therapists have been contracted from as far away as Annapolis, but Walsh says more therapists are needed.

The spa itself is an attractive 18,000-square-foot facility whose light wood and obscured glass decor is at once inviting and soothing. My wife raved about her 30-minute facial, which included a mini-shoulder massage and a heated hand treatment.

When Jennifer Davis finally got to the spa, she, too, was impressed -- as she was with the Hyatt's accommodations in general.

"It's a beautiful hotel," she says.

Joe Davis was similarly taken with the golf course, which he praised for its wide, forgiving fairways and true-rolling greens. With 65 bunkers and "lots of water," he says, "it was a very enjoyable course."

The Hyatt's literature calls the par-71 course "the centerpiece of the resort," which is true enough. In other pronouncements, however, the PR folks get a bit carried away. In one of its more hyperbolic leaps, the Web site touts a wildlife refuge on the grounds as "a preserved area of lush vegetation and animals indigenous to the Eastern Shore, such as the Great Blue Heron and American Bald Eagle."

In truth, it's just a small patch of woods adjacent to the golf course.

"Introducing the authentic Chesapeake Bay Experience," the Web site's main page proclaims, but it's unclear what a vanilla latte or $11 valet parking has to do with Eastern Shore authenticity.

On the subject of ambitious pricing, here's a sample:

* From the breakfast menu for in-room dining (they don't call it "room service" anymore), a pot of that Starbucks coffee goes for $7.25.

* A Bloody Mary from Michener's Library bar: $6.83.

* A 90-minute "Chesapeake Couples Massage" from the spa: $330.

It should be noted, however, that our Chesapeake Experience Package was a bargain. Our water-view room was $146 per night, which included continental breakfast, 20 percent off golf and spa, and one free session of Camp Hyatt, the resort's activity program for children.

City hopes for boost

Although Hyatt runs the hotel, it is actually owned by the Maryland Economic Develop-ment Corp., a quasi-public nonprofit agency. From beginning discussions in 1998, says Hans F. Mayer, MEDCO's executive director, the state's intention was to create jobs for Dorchester County's struggling economy.

There have been bumps along the way -- cost overruns, legal wrangling among the partners, several delayed openings. Local merchants, while optimistic about the resort, were also skeptical. With all the amenities the Hyatt planned to offer, why would guests spend time -- or money -- off the property?

So far, according to Cam-bridge restaurateur Tony Thomas, good things have been happening.

At the Canvasback, his fine-dining restaurant, Thomas says business from Hyatt guests has "put us over the top. ... It's probably increased us by another 50 percent."

Located in a former Wool-worth's department store on Race Street -- so-named because horse races were held there in Colonial times -- the restaurant space has been nicely restored, with decorative tin ceilings adding to the room's quirky charm.

During our visit, the muted television at the bar was tuned to a college football game while an aria was playing on the sound system. The kitchen, meanwhile, was turning out pan-seared rockfish wrapped in prosciutto, served with orange beurre blanc sauce; veal medallions with fig and almond cream sauce; linguine with fresh tuna, olives and capers.

My wife and I had an excellent meal there on a Saturday night in which the 130-seat restaurant was filled. Many of the patrons were from the Hyatt, including a group of 20 from the American Meat Institute who were at the resort for a weekend retreat. (Thomas notes that the Meat Institute contingent ordered mostly seafood.)

Dinner at the Canvasback was far superior to our Friday night meal at the Hyatt's main restaurant, the Water's Edge Grill, where the dishes produced from the open, display kitchen were good, but unremarkably so. The highlight of our meal there was a crab cake appetizer served with avocado, red onion and cilantro relish.

Thomas, 60, is an unabashed booster for Cambridge. He bought the Woolworth building eight years ago, opened the Canvasback two years ago and has bought four other properties downtown that are in the process of being restored. He plans to lease space to businesses including a day spa, jewelry store and an "upscale pet store" where tourists can buy gifts for their dogs and cats back home.

At this point, however, there aren't many tourists. Still, despite a downtown filled with vacant storefronts, Thomas sees a bright future for this city of 11,000, based in no small part on the new resort. "I think the Hyatt will help everybody," he says.

Area attractions

Settled in 1684, Cambridge is one of the oldest towns in Maryland. Although it lacks the trendy sophistication of nearby Easton and St. Michaels, or the commercial activity of Salisbury, the area is nonetheless an interesting place to explore.

Harriet Tubman, whose name is synonymous with the Underground Railroad and who is credited with leading some 300 slaves to freedom, was born in Dorchester County. The Under-ground Railroad Gift Shop / Mu-seum on Race Street offers a video presentation and tours by appointment, but the facility is only open limited hours Monday through Friday. There is also a Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden just off Route 50.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, about 10 miles outside of town, is well worth a visit. The 24,000-acre refuge, established in 1933, is home to a variety of migratory birds and is a prime wintering area for Canada geese.

The visitor center has an informative 20-minute film, and there are hiking and walking trails, in addition to a wildlife drive where you can spot heron, osprey and other wildlife. On our visit, after a brief shower, we saw a bald eagle perched under a double rainbow.

The unemployment rate in Dorchester County, currently around 8 percent, is regularly among the highest in Maryland. Yet, real estate prices have risen sharply downtown and in the historic district, according to residents.

Take a self-guided walking tour along leafy High Street, and you'll see why people want to live here. The stately old homes that once belonged to leading citizens and businessmen who made their fortunes in shipbuilding and canning early in the last century are lovely. And wherever you are in Cambridge, you are never far from the water.

Walking downtown, it's hard to escape the feeling that you need to take a good look, because soon it will all change.

That notion is bittersweet for Cambridge residents like Anne Watts, who moved here nine years ago, after a decade of city life in Baltimore left her wanting something different.

Watts, a musician, composer and the mother of two young children, says she and her husband enjoy the relaxed lifestyle here and the sense of community. She is wary of Cambridge being turned into another tourist destination like Oxford or St. Michaels.

"I just have hugely mixed feelings about too much change and progress," she says. "Cambridge has always been able to hold progress at bay. That's its blessing and its curse. And now we're at a major crossroads."

While everyone welcomes opportunities for local businesses and residents, she says, "there is a healthy skepticism on the streets of Cambridge" about too much change. "As the number of Saabs and BMWs increase outside the post office," she adds, "it gives you pause."

Watts notes another concern of residents: "There's always the fear of casinos. That's a big question."

It has been rumored that the Hyatt would become a casino if the state legalizes such gambling. There is the story -- urban myth, according to Michael Walsh -- that during the Hyatt's construction, electricians wired the main ballroom for slot machines.

Walsh assures anyone who asks -- and he says people often do -- that there is no hidden wiring and no hidden agenda.

"We don't have it in our plans," he says of a gambling operation at the resort. "From the get-go, it has never been in our analysis or marketing plan. It's not in our future, it's not in our discussions."

The real gamble, perhaps, was building a luxury resort in sleepy Cambridge. For now, anyway, that gamble seems to be paying off.

An ideal day

8 a.m.: Rise and shine. Look out your window at the flag on the 18th green whipping in the breeze. Go for a run anyway, following the resort's oyster-shell trail. When you return, there will be cold water and hand towels for you and your fellow runners in the lobby. Nice.

9:30 a.m.: Breakfast at the airy Water's Edge Grill on the resort's lower level. With your tee time approaching, visualize hitting all the fairways and missing all the bunkers (who knows, maybe it will work).

2 p.m.: Stock up on tourist brochures at the Dorchester County Visitor Center and then take a self-guided walking tour of downtown Cambridge and the historic district.

3:30 p.m.: Drive to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where you can watch the live osprey camera, and then head out to search for bald eagles.

5:30 p.m.: Head back to your room to watch Seinfeld reruns, nap and savor the fact that there is absolutely nothing on your agenda beyond your next meal.

8 p.m.: Dinner at the Canvasback in Cambridge. You can't go wrong with the pan-seared rockfish. Save room for dessert that makes a point: chocolate cake with assorted chocolate sauces in the shape of a pyramid.

10:30 p.m.: Back at the Hyatt, take an after-dinner stroll. The crowd at the bar is having fun, a wedding reception is under way in the ballroom and everyone seems happy. What's not to like?

When you go

Getting there: Cambridge is about 80 miles from Balti-more. From the Bay Bridge, follow Route 50 across the Choptank River into Cam-bridge. At the fifth traffic light (Church Creek Road), turn left into the Hyatt property.

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, 100 Heron Blvd., Cambridge, MD 21613

410-901-1234

www.chesapeakebay.hyatt.com

* A 400-room luxury resort with golf, spa, marina and conference facility on the Choptank River. Check the Web site for packages, including Sunshine on Sale (from $165 per night, third night free) and Chesapeake Experience Package (from $121 per night, which includes continental breakfast and 20 percent off golf and spa).

* Make sure to reserve ahead for tee times and spa appointments.

Dining: The Hyatt's main restaurant, the Water's Edge Grill, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dinner entrees starting at $16. Other resort options available now are Michener's Library bar, which offers a pub-style menu, and the Eagle's Nest Bar and Grille in the golf clubhouse, which serves sandwiches, wraps and other light fare.

Canvasback Restaurant, 420 Race St., Cambridge

410-221-7888

* Fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Dinner entrees from $17.95. Reservations recommended on weekends.

Cambridge Diner, 2924 Route 50, Cambridge

410-228-8898

* Old-fashioned diner open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an extensive menu. Open daily at 5 a.m.

Activities:

Underground Railroad Gift Shop / Museum, 424 Race St., Cambridge

410-228-0401

* Information and gift shop dedicated to Harriet Tubman, who was born in Dorchester County. Currently open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; tours available, call for details.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge

410-228-2677

www.friendsofblackwater.org

* Refuge for migratory birds and endangered species such as the bald eagle and Delmarva fox squirrel. There are walking trails and a wildlife drive beyond the visitor center. Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Fri-day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Entrance fees from $1 to $3.

Information: Stop in the Dorchester County Visitors Center, on your right after you cross the Choptank River on Route 50. Designed to look like a ship under sail, the center is well-stocked with literature about the Eastern Shore and touring options.

* For more information about Cambridge and Dorchester County, contact the Dorchester County Department of Tourism: www.tourdorchester.org; 800-522-8687.