Herrington Harbor South

We continued out trip on the Chesapeake with a stay at Herrington Harbour South which is scenic resort on the Bay. Very popular site for vaciotions and weddings, we were there on a beautiful weekend and saw a couple outdoor garden weddings. Our dock was very private as well and really enjoyed the natural setting.

Annapolis, MD

Annapolis has always been a favorite place for us to visit, but seeing it from the water was so special. We took our Zodiac up the nearby creeks and the Severn River and the views of the homes and the Naval Academy were amazing. Touring the Academy was the higlight of the trip, especially seeing the pleebs working so hard in the July heat.

Annapolis, Oh MY!

We arrived in Annapolis on a Tuesday afternoon and with so many boats on mooring balls and also transversing the channel, it was hard to get oriented to how to get into the Annapolis Yacht Basin. Very close to the main harour and the Annapolis Yacht Club as well as other smaller sailing clubs, it was like boating Mecca! Overwhelming to see so many handsome vessels (all our favorites like Flemings, GB, Sabres, Hinkleys) in abundance as well as the large variety of sailing boats. (Very few Sport fishing boats!)There were several mega yachts like "Winning Drive" which owas owned by the Baltimore Ravens owner. Needless to say, our favorite entertainment was watching the boats from our own. And if the boats were not enough entertainment, the town is full of shops and restaurants nestled in a very old and historic setting (not fake!) The town, with its brick and cobblestone streets is fun to walk up and down the hills with the state capital at the top and the streets that radiate off the circle. Several of these streets would dead-end at the water's edge where there is public access by small boats. The water taxis are popular since they can pick up passengers from any water edge, dock, marina, restaurant or even mooring balls! We used our dingy several times to explore the Spa Creek and the Severn River. The water is calmer in these creeks with private homes and docks sprinkled along the shore (not crowded!) I first thought five nights would be too many here, but everyday seemed a bit special. We had some heavy rain some evenings, which was peaceful. While at dock, our boat rocked more than usual due to the constant boat traffic, but even that was also relaxing! We tried to eat most of our meals on the boat (in order to use up our inventory!) but it is so tempting to also try the restaurants!

St. Michael’s Maryland

We reluctantly departed Easton and decided (On Kurt's suggestion) to get fuel on Tilghman's Island. Fun adventure with a draw bridge entrance into a narrow channel with a very swift cuurent, not to mention tons of fishing boat traffic! After a quick pleasant trip from Kurt’s to St. Michael’s Harbour Inn and Marina, we arrived in peak heat. We picked the marina for it’s pool and upon check in, every guest there were also in the small pool (picture 25+ adults standing with drinks!) I walked into the nearby town and ducked into every store that was open with AC! We were in St. Michaels in 2019 and it was nice to see the small quaint town is still thriving after the Covid shut downs. This is a popular tourist area with great hotels, restaurants and marinas. The homes are very charming, mostly historic cottages, some rentals  and B&B’s but overall not touristy. David and I spent the evening on the boat with a quiet dinner. The next morning, most of the Inn’s guests (including boats) checked out, leaving the pool back to us and few others. One of the other boats that came in ,called Journey, is also AGLCA, which was nice to visit with and compare notes. After a long morning walk with Rugby, we ate lunch on the boat as heat gave way to storms. Perfect afternoon to watch the men’s Wimbledon finals. After the rain we had some more pool time and dinner on the boat. 

The humidity left and Monday was a pleasant day. We spent several hours doing a deep cleaning of the exterior, especially the teak floors and the fiberglass and the windows. Our reward was lunch by the pool and a super clean boat!Luckily, there are no mechanical problems or any projects, just some overdue upkeep. David and I ate dinner across from us at the Crab’s Claw, where we experienced picking apart "large" blue crabs to get a treasured few ounces of crabmeat.

We had a great view from our boat and spent alot of time just relaxing and enjoying the views. We enjoyed looking at the different typse of boats like this and the crabbing work boats.

We have stayed previously at the Inn of Perry Cabin which was a stone's throw away. Last time we also visited the Maritime Museum which is has undergone massive renovations which we will check out next time.

Easton MD

While David spent the winter in LBK, he befriended our dock neighbor, Adagio, another fine Grand Banks. He and Kurt P spent evenings talking boats, travels and ladies. Kurt invited our boat to stay at his home in Easton and enjoy his quiet private dock and home. We have never stayed at a home’s marina, which was incredibly relaxing. Kurt’s home is set on a point on the Tred Avon River with lush landscapes and water on all sides. With the summer heat, it was also a special treat to relax in his pristine deep pool. We never left the pool and had a delicious dinner prepared by Christine with Kurt.

Friday, Kurt gave us his car to go into the town of Easton for a Target run, grocery and delicious lunch at Sunflowers & Greens.  There are several gourmet restaurants managed and owned by Paul Prager. The NYC Energy Mogul has invested in many areas of Easton and has brought an air of sophistication much like the Hamptons, without the overflowing crowds and pretension. Easton (and Oxford) were bustling since it was the annual Plein Air Art show. A very large event with over 50 painters from all over, we got to see a few in action!

Later that evening, we went to dinner with Kurt and Christine at Bas Rouge, the French themed Prager fine dining establishment. The presentation, the service and the food were extraordinary.

 

On Saturday morning, we departed to our next destination, St. Michael’s, MD.

Oxford Maryland

Our short 35 mile trip to Oxford was pleasant with gentle waters and blue skies. It almost feels like we are the Tennessee River or a lake with all lush trees and nice homes with docks along the shoreline. We arrived around lunch at our destination, a private small dock area owned by John , who has sold Grand Banks boats for his entire career. He helped tie our boat, noting we did not need fenders in these calm waters! He then took us to a nearby market for a very tasty crabcake sandwich  that we ate in the breezy park on the water. He told us alot about the history of the Grand Banks company and has seen  many changes in both the company and the boats over  the past many years. After a rest , we walked Rugby around and saw the picturesque homes with white picket fences and well groomed landscapes.

Marine Life around us

The Chesapeake Bay is far larger than I expected and the water mostly clean and green. There are dolphins, but I have yet seen one but I have seen several Cownose Rays, which are brown and flap up to the surface with their 3' wing spans! Since Irvington, we have also seen white Moon jellyfish of all sizes and lengths. It has kept us from using the paddleboard on several occasions!

We have seen the crabs crawling up the dock posts (mating season) just to have people scoop them off. The strangest was in DC, a blue catfish settled in the exhaust pipe for several days.Seeing that she had laid yellow eggs in the pipe and another catfish keeping close watch, was entertaining.

At first I was sad that we had to turn on the engines thus evacuating the hatch, but read that the Blue Catfish are an invasive species in the Bay and threaten the other fish. I just have to say, what really bothered me was the constant trash that would float around us. No suprise, given the dense population, to see plastic water bottles and all sorts of debris. David and I would scoop it out around our slip, but I was frustrated that it was not done by locals on a regular basis. It is so easy to collect but we all get a feeling of learned helplessness around polution. Ugh! I will get off my soap box.

Return to the Chesapeake to the Solomons Islands

Our trip down the Potomoc was much better than our previous trip as we had clear skies and calm waters. We could see a cripsy view of Mt. Vernon and its vivid yellow building. We also passed the bridge that had been imploded and the barges that were picking up the scraps. We arrived at a different marina in Colonial beach,The Boathouse, which was more friendly and accomodating than the CB Yacht Center. We grilled steaks as a large thunderstorm brewed and a relaxing evening. The next morning we continued down the Potomoc River in calm waters. David heard that the area where the river meets the bay referred to as "the washing machine" but we experienced placid water. The Chesapeake Bay is very pleasant and the trip great. We arrived at our next destination in the Solomon's Islands at the Solomon's Island Yacht Club's marina. A private club that the AGLCA harbor host, Doug, got us a slip. The club has around 200 members and is small but energetic. We enjoyed meeting members on a Saturday night and had $2.50 beers in their colorful clubhouse.

I was so inspired by their collection of over 500 burgees (boat club flags) that I immediately called our home club and asked the manager David if we could send one! The SIYC will in exchange send one to us, which also inspires me to see if LBC can start our own collection for the Crow's Nest! A project for when I am back in Louisville. The Solomon's Islands are small and there are many small inlets and coves with very nice homes and boats. We had a great view of the boats coming into our active area from the Patuxent River. There is a large Naval Air Station close by as well that had impressive planes flying over us. Interesting history of the area too. Dating back to the Native Americans settlement around 1100 BC to Cpt.James Smith exploring in 1608 and Naval battles in 1812. Most interesting to me is the story of the Patuxent Ghost Fleet after WWI. Four very large (700') German steamships which were "prizes" from the Allied victory, were stored along the shores.

More days in DC

David and I enjoyed the extra time in DC. David had lunch with his college friend, Richard G and was very productive as he changed the boat's oil. We walked to the grocery to get more supplies too. I went to the Library of Congress for the first time and was so impressed with the interior architecture. It was also interesting to see the remains of T. Jefferson's library that was aquired after the library was burned by the British (War of 1812.)

I then went to the US Botanical Gardens, where I could spend hours enjoying the gardens and greenhouse displays.

Fireworks over the water

Finally, the moment we were waiting for, as well has hundreds of thousands of people!David and MW rode the zodiac over to the Jefferson Memorial near the tidal basin and saw the crowd of small boats tied up to watch the fireworks.

We had a great view from our upper deck of the DC show. I could not get a live stream of it to pair the music, but it was just as awesome to see. Our photos do not do it justice, with the loud pounding of each explosion. Memorable, all the same!

DC 4th of July morning

We started the day with a walk to the mall and the memorials, which turned into a real challenge as many areas were fenced off to control the evening's events. We made it across, and even across the parade route on Constitution Ave, to Old Ebbitt's Grill. The food is great and this old instution has not lost it's charm! The murals on the wood panel walls created a perfect setting for our lunch!

After a long walk thru the maze of fencing, we still saw the monuments for WW II,the Korean War, Lincoln,FD Roosevelt, ML King and Jefferson monuments. The heat was oppressive, but after paying respect to all these who have endured more pain and sacrificed for our country, enduring this heat was a small challenge.

DC part 3

On Monday, MW worked from her computer and David and I went to Georgetown for a little shopping and David's first haircut in over four months!

MW joined us for a little shopping and we ubered (too hot to walk!) back to the boat. After our grilled hotdog dinner on the boat, we were treated to fireworks from the nearby National's Baseball Stadium. MW invited some of her Darden '22 friends over after the ballgame. Into the late evening, a heavy downpour rain ended their fun reunion.

DC part 2

On Sunday, Mary Winston joined us on the boat and our DC visit. Still very hot with pop up storms, we walked mostly to all our destinations. MW suggested The Diplomate near Logan circle for lunch, which was a filling heavy meal, that had to be walked off! We took a break in the AC at the Hirshhorn Museum, (could not get into the Yayoi Kasama exhibit) and then back to the marina.

MW stayed in with Rugby and relaxed while David and I met our friends in Georgetown for dinner. Despite the no AC in the Brasserie Libertie, the food was refreshing and being with our friends April, Ryan and Ashby S, a highlight of the week!

The DC vacation part one

We arrived before the 4th of July and could feel the excitement of the upcoming holiday. We stayed at a new marina at The Wharf where there are condos, 3 hotels and over 20 restaurants and bars. The boats in our marina were mostly all from DC port and they ranged from literal house boats, pontoons, recreational motor boats, private charter cruises, water taxis, yachts and mega yachts(with names like Freedom, Independence, Liberty and Floatus!)

Our location was walking distance to the Jefferson Memorial and from there, David and I walked all over the Mall. It is amazing how much you can see from walking and taking time to see the little things. Never noticed this memorial of the "Forgotten Founder," George Mason (who we think David is related to!)