Annapolis -- Wow

August 23 – 27, 2012
 

The mooring ball is held in place by a big piece of
cement.  A line is attached from the ball to the boat.
It is more secure than an anchor.

We have visited Annapolis many times by car, but this was our first time by boat.  We enjoyed it so much!  The academy, historical spots, restaurants and shops are mixed together with wonderful homes and boats, boats, boats.  We were lucky enough to get a mooring ball on Spa Creek surrounded by multi-million dollar homes.  Five nights in this quiet sheltered spot gave us easy access to the city. 

As soon as we were secure, the dingy went in the water and we were off to see town.  It was a short visit.  Just enough time to get the lay of the        

                                                                              land and then it was dark. 

Formation before lunch with drums and bagpipes.
The entire brigade (4400 midshipmen) live in this hall.
It has almost five miles of corridors and about 33
acres of floor space.  Almost everything they need 
for daily life is in this building:  doctors, dentists, barbers,
hair stylists -- even a department store.   
 

On Friday we took a tour of the Naval Academy and went to their museum.  The grounds (known as the Yard) are like a beautiful city park with the addition of historical buildings and monuments.  The Naval School was first established in 1845 at Fort Severn.  The museum tells the story of our country and the Navy in an easy self-guided tour.  On the top floor is a display of model ships made by French prisoners of war.  Most of them have a thin veneer of bone on their hull.  They are extremely intricate and exact.  Midshipmen decide in their senior year to become Navy ensigns or Marine Corp second lieutenants upon graduation.  After our tour, we wondered the back streets and had lunch outside where we could watch

the world go by.

 

The tomb of John Paul Jones, a Revolutionary War
hero.  His remains were brought to America in
1905 after 113 years of obscurity in Paris.

 

 

Famous quotes were explained in the museum
Don't give up the ship
Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead
We have met the enemy and they are ours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute shops and homes

 

The Maryland State House
Was the capitol of the United States
November 26, 1783 - August 13, 1784.
George Washington resigned his commission
here December 23, 1783.
Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris here
May 7, 1784 to end the Revolutionary War.
 

 

The dingy dock

Saturday we rented a car and set off to resupply.  It was an all day event.  By the time we got back to the dingy, we had five large canvass bags of groceries and a 30 can case of Coke.  The wind had picked up and the water was very choppy.  Then it started to drizzle.  We managed to get me and all of the bags on board with nothing going overboard.  As we putted past the restaurants with outdoor seating, our picture was being taken by the diners.  They probably thought we would be on the morning news – we were definitely pushing the limits of our little craft.  I can see the headline.  Woman drowns clutching her case of Diet Coke!

We still had the rental car on Sunday so we drove into Baltimore to check out the marina that we wanted to use Labor Day week-end.  While we were there, they had a rain storm that dropped three inches of rain.  It was still pouring when we got back to the dingy in Annapolis.  Brian had to bail four inches of water out of it before we could head back to Gotta Smile. 

Monday was a beautiful day.  We finally had blue skies and sunshine again.  Bonnie, Jon and their friend, Gary, arrived last night.  We picked them up in our dingy and headed into town for breakfast.  Since we had done the Academy tour, we took all of them on an abbreviated tour sharing all of the facts that we could remember.  More wondering around town and then lunch at the renowned Chick & Ruth’s Delly.  The owner stopped by our table.  What a character!  She and her husband are local parents for several midshipmen each year.  Apparently, every student is assigned a local family to help them through the adjustment.  She was a wealth of information about the local life.  A little more wondering before we took a dingy tour of the big boats in the harbor and the back waters of the creek.  Impromptu dinner for five on our boat.  Just as I was preheating the oven a circuit breaker in the generator overheated.  The convection/microwave oven couldn’t be used.  Luckily I have a gas oven that worked just fine.  Dinner was completed and after a quick call to Hottie Scottie the generator was once again producing electricity.  The end of another great day…..   

Good-bye Annapolis

 

         

 

Gotta Smile – we’re lovin the ride!                     

Now I Get It!

August 20 – 22, 2012

I finally figured out what makes the Chesapeake so beautiful -- in our minds.   The beautiful areas aren’t really on the bay itself – it’s all of the rivers that feed into it!  That’s where the scenery becomes wooded and hilly.  The water isn’t so big -- you can see both banks.  The quiet anchorages are still and isolated.  The houses are cute cottages, restored homes and monster mansions… all with boats and docks to enjoy the water.  I’m sure that sailboats love the bay, where they can follow the wind and not worry about the confines of the river banks, but we like the cozy intimate feeling of the rivers.  We also love finding the small towns on those rivers.  Walking up and down the brick sidewalks, we admire the restored homes that have been remodeled to accommodate life in the 21^st century.  Some of the towns have thriving shops and restaurants and sometimes it’s hard to find the downtown that they claim to have.  For us -- that is the fun of this trip.  We read the guidebooks and plan our days, but we never know what the next day will really bring.  Whatever we get we’re ready to grab it and be thankful for another safe day of exploring. 

 


Dingy ride into town.

 

Georgetown and Galena are two of those towns that are basically towns in name only.  Located at the end of the Sassafras River the towns are a clump of marinas and a few homes.  Jon rented a car so we could see what was there.  In about 15 minutes we knew we had seen everything.  Since we had to keep the car for two hours, we stopped at Twinny’s Café and Gun Shop for breakfast…..no guns!  Not what we expected, but a memorable stop!  Dinner and Capt Ron viewing on our boat. 

Havre de Grace is the self proclaimed
decoy carving capital

On Tuesday we crossed the bay to begin our trip down the west side.  This is the northern end of the bay and it is much narrower than the southern portion.  We were headed to Havre de Grace, the city that was almost the nation’s capital….Its fate was decided by one vote.  Havre de Grace is one of the larger towns we have visited recently.  Bonnie and Jon got a call that friends from Tennessee were in the area – a good excuse to have a party and go to dinner at the Laurrapin Grille (noted for only serving food prepared with locally grown ingredients). 

Wednesday morning we walked into town – larger, but not as picturesque – had coffee and scones, and set off for the Baltimore area by noon.  Rather than arriving at a large port at the end of a long day we anchored about ten miles from Baltimore’s inner harbor.     

Bonnie and Jon had to head for Solomons Island to meet up with Hottie Scottie.  He's got a new starter battery for them.  Plus, they are picking up a guest.  We'll meet up again after Labor Day week-end.  We did a quick tour of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.  This was a scouting expedition.  The Baltimore Grand Prix is Labor Day week-end on the streets surrounding the harbor.  We wanted to check out the proximity of marinas and anchorages to the center of activity.  Found some great locations.  Next issue will be -- are they available for a big week-end event.    

Francis Scott Key was inspired to write
"The Star Spangled Banner" during the battle of Baltimore
in 1814 as Fort McHenry was being defended.

Twin Navy ships -- Why buy one when you can have two that match?

Car carrier ship sized to 'just' fit
through the Panama Canal 

Red Cross hospital ship

Baltimore's skyline

2 tow boats at work maneuvering a car carrier 

Gotta smile - we're lovin the ride!                     

Finally -- The Chesapeake We've Been Looking For

August 14 – 19, 2012

A thumbnail of where we've been and
where we are going.

The weather has made a huge improvement – instead of temperatures hovering around 100 degrees we are enjoying mid to high 80’s.  The humidity is still high, but we love having the windows open, a fresh breeze, no air conditioning and no generator.


Bon Voyage  arrives in Oxford with us right behind.

Traveling with Bonnie and Jon has been even better than we expected.  We travel at the same pace.  The day’s activities start about 10:00.  If we are moving the boats, we try to be at our destination by 3:00. Turns out -- Bonnie loves to cook, is really good at it and their boat is stocked like a supermarket!  Dinner with them was wonderful:  grilled smoked pork chops, risotto with exotic mushrooms and grilled zucchini with corn and red peppers.  Wednesday we had lunch on their boat, which was equally amazing.  I’m not sure how I will reciprocate.  It may take a week of planning and several days of prepping. 

Tuesday took us an easy 39 miles to Oxford, MD, which was founded in 1666.  This quiet little town was the home of Robert Morris, Jr., known as the financier of the American Revolution.  We took the dingy into town and walked around enjoying the picturesque neighborhoods.  

Wednesday, was an even shorter travel day – 15 miles to St Michaels.  This little town was a crowd pleaser.  Talbot Street is lined on both sides with cute shops and restaurants.  The afternoon was spent walking down one side of the street, popping in and out of the shops.  As we were heading back to our dingy, the sky darkened and the weather report predicted a big storm.  We ducked into Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar.  What a stroke of good luck -- delicious salads and wood fired gourmet pizzas.  When we finished our meals, the rain was just a drizzle.  We walked back to the dingy past street after street of authentic old homes and beautiful gardens.  

Waiting for the drizzle to stop

The bay that we anchored in was so perfect we decided to stay another night.  That gave us an opportunity to go back into town and visit the shops on the other side of the street on Thursday morning.  Before we knew it, it was lunch time.  Rather than chance a mediocre meal we opted to go back to Ava’s.  Mussels for the ladies and ravioli for the men; left all of us raving about another good meal.  That afternoon, Jon and Bonnie took their kayaks for a ride around the bay while Brian and I explored in the dingy.   

St Michaels is known as ‘the town that fooled the British’ during the War of 1812.  The British began shelling the town on August 10, 1813.  The residents hung lanterns in the tops of trees to fool the Redcoats into shooting too high. 

Friday morning we planned to head in the direction of Chestertown leaving around 11:00.  Bon Voyage, Jon and Bonnie’s boat, would not start.  Brian took an extra battery and some parts over.  Several hours later they had it purring.  Turns out, what we lack in food supplies we make up for in spare parts and tools.   

At 7:30 we pulled into a beautiful bay on the Wye River and dropped the anchor.  The sky looked stormy, but so many storms had missed us, we didn't give it much thought.  When dinner was over, the lightning began.  What a display Mother Nature provided....It was spectacular!  Then, as we were turning out the lights to go to bed; the wind and rain began.  Wow!!!  The boat turned and twisted on its anchor rode with rain pouring down.  It was quite the ride!  Jon has a wind turbine that measured gusts of 45 knots.  The boats got a great rinse down, the anchors held tight and we all got a good night's sleep.  Can't ask for more than that.  Those are the nights that we are really glad we have an anchor alarm.  If the anchor drags and we move more than a specified distance an alarm will ring.

Trotline -- Another method of crabbing
A long line baited every few feet with eel or
chicken is anchored at both ends.  A perpendicular
board is attached to the boat to hold the line out of the
water.  The boat moves slowly along the line.  As the line
comes near the surface the waterman nets the crabs that
that are feeding on the bait.  The line can be up to a mile long.
When he gets to the end, he runs it again. 

Saturday morning we pulled our anchor and set off at dawn with the watermen.  We wanted to get to Chesterton as early as possible to take advantage of their farmers' market. 






    
About 20 miles north on the Chester River -- one of the most scenic areas we have discovered, was Chestertown.  We missed the farmers' market, but enjoyed walking around town, eating a scrumptious lunch (at the Lemon Leaf) and, of course, shopping.  Like Cambridge and St Michaels, Chestertown has brick sidewalks and plenty of beautifully restored homes.   Our friends, Didi and Peter, had recommended the Blue Heron Cafe and said it had the best crab cakes in the universe (or something like that).  We had a great meal there and have to agree some of the best crab cakes ever.   

Every town in this part of the world has some kind of historical claim -- as you've noticed.  Chesterton was named one of Maryland's original six points of entry when it was an English colony.  It was founded in 1706 and quickly became a thriving shipping center.  It is second only to Annapolis in the number of existing 18th century homes.  

Sunday morning we picked up Bonnie and Jon and took them to breakfast at the local bakery.   Another remarkable meal in this tiny town.   It is their 35th wedding anniversary so we are parting ways for a day or two so they can have a romantic interlude.  We will meet up again in Georgetown.  Brian is already missing his ongoing commentary with boating buddy, Jon.      



Isn't this the picture of love!

We worked our way back down the Chester River and north to Rock Hall.  Once again we had to check out a crab cake restaurant that was recommended -- Waterman's Crab House.  And, once again, really good crab cakes.  There are so many variations on this delicacy that it is hard to say which one is the best.  Guess I'll have to keep testing.  We're staying at a marina tonight to fill the water tanks.  The Chesapeake's bottom is mud.  When we anchor out -- as we have the past five nights -- our anchor and chain get totally encrusted in this very thick sticky mud.  As the anchor is pulled up, we have to rinse the mud off the chain links and the anchor.  If we didn't, the anchor locker, that holds the chain, would get really stinky.  The anchor locker is located behind the wall in our bedroom.   Not a good place for funky stinky stuff!  Until today, we have had to use our fresh water to wash the anchor chain.  This morning Brian installed a wash down pump to bring salt/lake water on the boat for washing the exterior.  What does this long explanation mean --  we won't be using our fresh water for outside maintenance and can now  anchor out for many more days with plenty of water for long showers!  

Rock Hall is noted for it's fabulous sunsets and views of Baltimore's night lights.  We saw neither because of the cloudy skies.  Still a good stop.  

              

Gotta smile – we’re lovin the ride!

Relaxing On Solomons Island

August 10 - 13, 2012

Once we landed in DC and had a rental car, we decided that we better make a Costco run.  Costco was less than two miles from the airport.  Unfortunately, the drive from there to the marina was 2 ½ hours of rush hour traffic.  Finally -- home sweet home!  We got everything on board, packed away and collapsed. 


Bonnie and Jon with their daughter, Betsy.

Saturday we caught up with Jon and Bonnie.   Brian met Jon briefly when he looked at our former boat in Stuart, rejected it and then came back to tell us he made a mistake and should have bought it.  (We had already sold it.) They eventually found a beautiful Krogen 39.  We were all in Longboat Key last winter and instantly became good friends – even though we spent less than five hours together.  Sometimes you just click with another couple.  Since then we’ve been trying to connect – it's not as easy as one would think!  But, at last we were both in Solomons and in the same marina.  They organized a ride on a Waterman’s boat to see how oysters are harvested.  Very interesting and it made us realize why those tasty morsels are so expensive.  

A typical Waterman's boat.

Captain Rebecca demonstrates the harvesting of oysters. 
No machine has been invented that can shuck oysters.
Shucking can only be done by hand.
The entire process is very time consuming.

The marine museum on the island had been recommended by several couples so we decided that Sunday afternoon would be a good time to explore it.  It was a good history lesson going beyond history to prehistoric times.

A replica of a Megatooth Shark's skelaton.
This was the ultimate underwater super predator.
They were over 50 feet long and weighed over 50 tons.
Multiple rows of sharp serrated teeth allowed them
to eat anything they wanted -- even whales. 

The Drum Point Light  was first lit in 1883.  One of three
surviving Chesapeake Bay scew-pile lighthouses.  It was
originally located at the mouth of the Patuxent River.

One of the rooms in the two bedroom home of the
lighthouse keeper.  Located in the octagon under the light. 

Tobacco leaves were individually layed in this
barrel.  When it was full, the handle would screw
down and tightly pack the leaves.  Additional
leaves would then be added and the process

 continued.  One barrel could hold up to an 

acre of tobacco. 

Monday morning was a planning meeting with Bonnie and Jon over breakfast at Linda’s Café.  Three hours of chatting assured us that traveling together will be great.  Tuesday morning we cast off the lines and aim for Oxford.

Gotta smile – we’re lovin the ride!

                  

Summer Fun With Family

July 26 – August 9, 2012

Thursday, July, 26^th we were up and on our way to the Regan International Airport at 7:00 AM.  A couple of hours later Gotta Smile was pulled to have her repairs and maintenance addressed.  Of course, the primary reason to pull her was the result of me docking on the African rock pile near Blackbeard Island.  Once out of the water, we were informed that the damage was much more extensive than the diver reported.  Apparently that bull shark that was stalking him was the focus of his attention.  Imagine that!?!?!  Instead of a few scrapes and dings – 75% of the keel was gauged, both stabilizers were damaged and additional random scratches were evident.  Thank God, Krogen builds a boat that can take a lot more than I can inflict!  By the time we got back, she was as good as new and the only reminders are a few pictures and a memorable story.

Pearls & sunglasses on -- ready to shop!

Next stop – St Louis.  We arrived in time to watch JAC and Christopher participate in karate, ice skating, tap and ballet. Most of our visit was spent in their pool:  diving for rings, making big splash dives and lounging.  JAC’s swimming stroke resembles someone drowning.  Just when we think “I’ve got to grab her – she’s definitely in trouble”, she lifts her head, grabs a gulp of air and continues her dead man’s float with a few intermittent kicks.  Some how -- she does make it across the pool.  It is very scary!!!   



First day on hockey skates.



Getting these little cuties to follow directions is like --
herding cats!



Chillin in the pool.

Karate test to promote Christopher 
from orange to purple belt ... he passed!

Monday, July 30^th we drove to Minnesota for a week with Steve and his family.  They live on eleven acres with a small private lake.  It is a spectacular property.  We had time to visit friends, swim in the lake, go for boat rides, celebrate birthdays, visit the Washington County Fair and attend the Science Museum’s ‘Real Pirate’ display.  Of course, we had to watch bits and pieces of the Olympics.

Washington County Fair -- cows, horses and tractors.




 

Lovin his ride

Happy trails for Addison, Erin and Niko

 

Niko wouldn't stay in his time out chair...
This seems to work.



Hanging out with Blackbeard.



 

Time for a little boating and swimming.

Tuesday, August 7^th we were back in the car and driving to St Louis.  A quick 40 hour lay over with Jennifer and family before we were on the plane heading back to DC.  It was great to see all of the family and so many friends, but we were ready to get back to our home and continue the adventure.

Gotta Smile – we’re lovin the ride!