Month: July 2019

We are returning to a marina where we stayed for 5 days last year…..stuck there in bad weather. We admired the pool area, but never got to use it because of the rain. The marina’s shuttle took us to lovely restaurants where we had to dodge puddles and drips to get the their entrances. This year, I am very happy to report, we have perfect weather!

Our trip from Galesville took about four hours and the Chesapeake was nearly glassy. Cloud formations and shoreline reflected on the bay like watery dreamscapes. On Lake Michigan I took pictures on the rare occasion that the water was as calm! Speaking of Lake Michigan, a little aside. Cliff read this morning that the water temperature at South Haven dipped by 26 degrees in a 24-hour period….from 76 to 50 — brrrrr. I think we’ve experienced both extremes on our trips there. And here we are complaining about the heat:-)

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It was a toss-up deciding whether to get spruced up to go out to dinner or to turn on the stove. Dinner aboard….damn the heat! I improvised with ingredients on hand: frozen cheese ravioli, cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. Not bad!

We are having fun planning our next stops. A couple of days here and then off to Slaughter Marina which has a floating restaurant (okay a barge) that has the BEST soft shell crabs I had last year. We definitely will get around to exploring some new spots. As I flipped through the charts, the locations in the photo below caught my eye. I have no idea of how far away these places are, but can’t resist putting them on the list….Sassafras Neck! Bohemia River!

Then there is Point No Point….which reminded me of when one of our neighbors on 70th Street in Marathon decided to name their house…something like Heaven Point. Ugh. Another neighbor and I considered naming our properties: “What’s the Point,” “Pointless” and “It’s Not Nice to Point” were contenders!

Our lovely friends Marc and Nanette invited us to stay with them in Georgetown this weekend. Couldn’t have come at a better time as our air conditioning has been giving us fits….and it is going to be VERY hot this weekend.

We planned to visit the Spy Museum before heading their way….but, alas, learned that you need to make timed reservations in advance as they only allow a certain number of people in at a time. The gift shop was open, tho’, and we had fun looking at the clever items they had for sale. The grandkids scored some tee shirts….”Deny everything” and “I was never here.”

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With time to kill before we were expected, we went to lunch at Zaytinia whose chef Jose Andres is most recently known for bringing food relief to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He has a whimsical style which we enjoyed and the food was good too.

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We lolled around Marc and Nanette’s pool for the rest of the afternoon (gratefully it was a camera-free occasion) and then enjoyed a terrific dinner from chef Marc, highlighted by his blackberry tart dessert. Wow! He also served a limoncello that his daughter made. Both were delicious.

The next day we were introduced to the Great Falls of the Potomac, a national park that neither Cliff (who lived in the D.C. area for 7+ years) nor I had ever heard of. It is an amazing area of natural beauty with hiking trails and bridges that cross over gorges with swirling rapids below. And the payoff is a series of impressive 20 foot waterfalls. Who knew these wonders were less than 14 miles from the hustle and bustle of D.C?

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So nice to arrive back to cooler weather. Still warm, mind you, but not so blistering that you do not want to venture outside and away from the air conditioning.

Took a dinghy ride after getting some chores we’d been putting off for cooler weather. We were on a reconnaissance trip to confirm that we could safely use the dinghy to get to two nearby restaurants. The safety had to do with the distance/speed capabilities of our Torqeedo electric motor. (I like to think of it as a very small version of a Tesla.)

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Look carefully for the osprey nest and the bird with outstretched wings in the picture above. This tentative maneuver is the start for birds that are learning to fly. They flap a bit in the nest before taking off on a low projectory, usually to a nearby perch. The parent bird (sometimes both parents) sit or soar nearby calling (and calling and calling) urging the young ones to take flight. The location of this nest made me think that these people don’t use their dock very often!

Our destinations below:

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I was surprised that we nearly had the West River to ourselves. The only activity we saw was one work boat for the marina (leaving way too big of a wake, thank you very much), a lone fisherman in a center console boat and a group of four small sailboats. Oh, and the unfortunate sailboat below.

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One of the quests I have when looking at boats is to find names that I like. Last year’s winner was Winterlude. I was in touch with the owners this year and learned that they sold it. I haven’t found a favorite yet this year, but the boat below (though in terrible condition) is a candidate.

Galesville and the West River are really idyllic. Almost a throw-back to another time.

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We had a lovely gray day for our tour of the Gettysburg battlegrounds and cemetary. The relief from the blistering weather was especially appreciated since there is little shade available anywhere in the park. We purchased a tour app which we played on an iPad ($10 vs. $35 for the “official” recorded tour at the visitor’s center). It took us more than 4 hours by car to complete the tour — and we did not dawdle. That gives you an idea of the vast amount of territory involved in the fighting. We watched a movie at the visitor’s center before we started which gave us an idea of how the fighting unfolded and how uncertain a victory for the Union Army was. Looking at the flat farmland the Rebel forces crossed toward small rises of rocky outcroppings where the Union Army was entrenched, you could not help but think about how dedicated to their cause they must have been. Death or disfigurement were the likely outcomes even though they outnumbered the Union forces, perched on higher ground, blasting the Rebel lines with a line of canons and sharpshooters. The sharpshooters could shoot a man at 600 yards while the Rebel guns were inaccurate until they were much closer, 120-150 yards.

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The photos below show some of the graves in the Gettysburg cemetary. Its dedication was the occasion of President Lincoln’s famous speech.

We think Gettysburg is a great spot for a get-away — whether you tour the National Park or not. I raved about the Inn yesterday and haven’t been disappointed since. The innkeeper made dinner reservations for us at another inn — the food was delicious, but we think our inn had a much better atmosphere and location (but no restaurant!) The White Oak Inn does serve breakfast every morning. And not those tea bread and pastry spreads usually trotted out at B&Bs. These were delicious two-course affairs, elegantly presented and served. I’m pretty sure they added up to a full day’s calorie allotment which, of course, did not stop us from having a great dinner!

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Before we left the White Oak Inn, we had a chance to stroll around the property. Really lovely.

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Steps away from the main house is a barn structure and a pool house. The pool is open to all guests. We think the pool house itself (a large living room area, a full size kitchen area and two beautifully appointed bedrooms) is only rented out when the entire inn is reserved for a group. And I’m thinking that some of the pool rules are probably broken.

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Looking for a little relief from the heat….thought a trip to the countryside and a nice inn would be a treat. Decided on Gettysburg — less than 2 hours away and a place that neither of us has toured before. I picked an inn that sounded great on the internet. AND it was true!

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We spirited Jassa to Annapolis on Saturday morning and handed him off to his Uncle Nash (Devinder’s brother-in-law) for a 10 day visit in Baltimore. Jassa and I had time to walk to the US Naval Academy entry area and to see some of the unique homes in the area. And waiting at the base of “millionaires’ row” mooring basin gave us the chance to look at some great boats and lots of ducks. A bonus of the trip for us was breakfast at the Iron Rooster, a favorite spot.

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Later we went to a movie, mainly to keep cool. The picture that was playing at the right time period turned out to be a terrific documentary about an all-female crew racing in the Whitbread around-the-world competition. Remarkable. The shots of huge ocean waves and water crashing over the bow of the boat (with one of the women stationed there as a look-out for icebergs!) as they sailed in the southern oceans were terrifying. The voice over went something like “the ocean is always trying to kill you.” We believe it.

The heat has driven all of the live-aboard folks on our dock into the depths of their cabins. One of the things I’ve always liked about Dot.Calm is all of its windows….but the sun is taking a toll on our air conditioning. The recycling continues to chart temperatures above 100 and our living area remains in the mid to high 70s…..still much better than what’s going on outside. The only things that seem to be thriving in the heat are the crape myrtles….the blooms look bigger and brighter to me. Perhaps its because everything else has a slightly dusty, slightly weary parched look.

Tomorrow we are heading to Gettysburg. I’ve booked rooms at a small inn for two nights. Ahhhh….a real bed, a real shower….and NO kitchen:-)

I bet you all were wondering whether we would keep Jassa prisoner on the boat with no recourse but to draw, read (gasp!), check on his electronics (when the wifi signal is favorable) and spend lazy time with his grandparents. Naw!

Today we ventured to Washington DC. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Lincoln Monument were on the top of Jassa’s wish list. Wouldn’t you know it…..today marked the beginning of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Apollo 11. (This coincidence reminded me of the time we decided to drive from Portofino to Monte Carlo “for lunch” only to discover that we’d picked the starting day of the Monte Carlo International Boat Show….but that’s another story!)

A good chunk of the mall in front of the museum was given over to exhibits from organizations promoting various educational endeavors. Apparently not vetted by you-know-who…since there were quite a few with climate change messages. And it was crowded….and hot, but not as hot as it had been (105 the day before) because of a nice cloud cover that threatened but did not produce any rain.

I think Jassa had a better time at the Air and Space Museum than his photos show (at least I hope so). We watched an IMAX show about Apollo 11 that was terrific and he piloted on a Virtual Reality jet. We wandered around and looked at exhibits of rockets and space craft, “toured” a model of a space lab and wondered about the paint color choice (matte sea foam green) of the Soviets for their Soyuz module that linked up with America’s shiny silver and gold Apollo command ship for two days to prove the space race was over. Sorry no photo!

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Incidentally, I LOVED the guide at the space suit exhibit. He instructed Jassa to put on the glove so that “his mom” could take a photo:-)

We departed the Air and Space Museum and were happy we’d arrived early — the lines out front stretched to the street. Next stop, the National American History Museum.

This museum houses the First Lady inaugural gown exhibit which is always fun to see. I did that and Jassa explored an exhibit that looked at the presidency from a number of perspectives….from military leadership, communications savvy, diplomacy, style and even sense of humor. I toured the America at War exhibit with him and answered his questions about the draft and Vietnam protests. An interesting conversation. Later, he told Grandpa that he didn’t like President Nixon because he killed students — the brief clip of the Kent State shooting obviously made an impression.

Finally, on to the Lincoln Memorial. We stopped for an early dinner first, figuring that the crowds on the mall would thin out after the 5:30pm museum closings. We sort of traded people-on-the-ground crowds for cars-on-the-road and crawled through D.C.’s infamous traffic, clogged beyond belief even at 6:30pm. Worth the stop!

One of the reasons Jassa was so eager to visit the memorial, alas, had nothing to do with Lincoln….it was a slide he was eager to try. Sure enough, alongside the steep stairway leading to the seated statue is a 4 foot wide length of marble….perfect for a slide. I took a video. I think this may be classified as aiding and abetting.

Returned to Galesville today. It’s a quick trip — under 3 hours — which is part of what makes the Chesapeake so great for cruising. Wind was up and we were reminded of the sailor’s fond send off: Fair winds and following seas. For cruisers….following seas not so great. But, the trip was wonderful and relaxing for Cliff and me. A “little” boring for Jassa maybe.

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I never get tired of seeing the blue horizon, a distant shore, coveys of little sailboats or the osprey nests stuffed behind daymarks.

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We arrived back in Galesville (that’s the dock we are on below) to calm waters, faint breezes and HOT temperatures. The air conditioning unit on Dot.Calm could barely keep up. As it recycled the temp gauge would soar to 100 degrees and more. It wasn’t that hot inside:-)

Knapp’s Narrows is man-made channel that shortens the time from working the Chesapeake Bay to unloading a catch on Tilghman Island. And this is a community that is heavily populated by watermen that take advantage of the cut. “Watermen,” not fishermen, is the appellation preferred in these parts covering crabbers, oyster bed farmers, shrimpers….and, yes, fishermen.

The waterway is dominated by boats like the ones you see in the photos below. They come in one basic shape….but in all kinds of conditions. Some look well cared for and others look like they might rust in place. The watermen themselves also run the gamut from tanned young men with a ready smile to craggy, sun-beaten men with scary laughs and cigarette raspy voices. I didn’t see any women on these boats.

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Now, nothing to do is great for some of us. But not so great when you are 14 years old. I thought the “highlight” of our stay for Jassa might have been a dinghy ride down the narrows to the far side opening to the Chesapeake, a journey that took less than 30 minutes up and back….

When Jassa spoke to his mom after our ride, the conversation went something like this (I’m imagining Jessica’s part….)

Jessica: What did you do today?

Jassa: Nothing much.

Jessica: Did you have fun?

Jassa: Oh, yeah.

Grandparents: You had a wonderful time.

Jassa: I had a wonderful time.

Grandparents: You have the best grandparents in the world.

Jassa: I have the best grandparents in the world.

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After the call, Jassa asked us what “Stockholm Syndrome” was.

Actually, Jassa got to do a bit more than go for a dinghy ride. He and Grandma got a private tour of a mini-ecology lab which featured aquariums and tanks filled with different types of turtles and crabs. At a touchtank of horseshoe crabs we learned that this critter has 10 eyes and is related in a Darwinian sense to spiders! We also saw baby turtles “learning” to fend for themselves by feeding on live shrimp….not as gruesome as it sounds.

Well, I am happy to tell you that I have no outstanding warrants for my arrest in any system. I didn’t think I did, but when I was stopped for speeding (52 in a 45mph zone) the nice officer checked me out and decided to give me a warning and not a ticket.

That’s the top of my list for anoyances. Probably not Cliff’s:-) All our friends with boats will totally “get this.” On board Dot Calm after 10 days away, we discovered some problems with our water system. A leak maybe? The kayak had an amazing green growth on its bottom that resisted even a power washer that one of our boat neighbors brought over. Oh….and our planned hot dog cook-out was thwarted by a balky propane tank. (Grill pan to the rescue.) To top it off….the generator refused to engage for our trip to Tilghman’s Island. Sigh. “It’s a boat” is my only answer.

When we arrived at Knapp’s Narrows Marina and Inn, we learned that their two restaurants which we had heard great things about are closed Monday and Tuesday…..the two days that we will be here. On the other hand….our boat is moored about 50 feet from the restaurant’s outdoor bar space, so I think overall it is good thing.

Let’s move on to pleasures. Besides not having reveling bar customers next to our boat, we are extremely happy to be cruising on the Chesapeake again. Lovely. A calm, sunny day. An easy 2 hour-ish cruise. Little traffic and only an occasional confusing marker.

And a plus and a BIG pleasure, is that we have our grandson Jassa aboard with us.

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Small pleasure….the restaurant across the bridge from Knapp’s Narrowss Marina had $1 glasses of wine (and ONLY $1 glasses of wine….nothing else.). Really. Merlot. Not bad. Not bad at all at $1:-)