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!