November 9, 2020 - November 29, 2020
The weather has been magnificent - sunny, warm, and dry. I’ve been able to walk every morning along the historic and beautiful streets of Annapolis and Eastport (just across the Spa Creek draw bridge). On Monday we decided to take advantage of Margarita Monday (1/2 price margaritas) and went to Mexican Cafe for lunch. When we lived in Baltimore we weren’t able to enjoy Mexican Cafe’s margaritas because of the long drive home. The meal started off with chips and salsa, margaritas, and water. We both tried new dishes - I had the tostadas and Bob had enchiladas. Both meals were very good and we topped it off with fried ice-cream for dessert. Needless to say we won’t be doing this very often as the combination of food and libations made for a very lazy afternoon and evening.
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| We started our lunch off right! |
On Tuesday we drove to Anchorage Marina in Baltimore to retrieve some items from our dock box and secure the box with a lock. On our way home we stopped at the storage unit to drop off most of the retrieved items and pick up what I needed to complete Rachel’s quilt. After lunch at Italian Market we returned to the boat. I received a call that Rachel’s quilt was ready for me to pick up and made plans to drive to Fallston on Wednesday.
As predicted the rain started during the night and Wednesday morning was wet and cool. As we drove to Fallston to pick up the quilt the rain became heavy reducing visibility. I was very pleased with the quilting done by Glory Bee’s and I should have time to finish the binding before I leave for Oak Park.
I did finish Rachel’s quilt, but I did not take it to Oak Park, IL. The surge in covid-19 cases and the recommendations from Dr. Fauci, other reputable doctors and civic leaders convinced me that traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday was too risky. I was supposed to spend five days with Rachel, Juan, and Lili and then drive to Johnstown, PA to visit my daughter, Jessica and her husband Joe. Our plan was to have Thanksgiving dinner with my sister Becky in Pittsburgh. I cancelled all of those plans. Since then I have been sad and disappointed, but have tried to make the best of the situation. Bob and I have also stopped eating at restaurants even with outside seating and are curtailing our outings to only essentials (food, doctors, CVS, and laundry).
Bob and I enjoyed a simple but delicious Thanksgiving dinner on board the boat.
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| A scaled down but delicious Thanksgiving dinner! |
Since not much is going on here I thought I would highlight some of the unique features of downtown Annapolis.
Annapolis is the home of the Naval academy and in the evenings if I’m outside in the cockpit I can here the bugle sounding the end of the day. The cadets are frequently seen around town in their crisp uniforms. At the end of city dock is the Kunta Kinte / Alex Haley memorial which features a bronze statue of Alex Haley reading to African American children (also in bronze) seated on the pavement around him. There are numerous bronze plaques around the dock documenting the history of slavery in the area. Walking up the hill on Main Street there are restaurants and shops lining the sidewalk. Most of these are local businesses, but some chain restaurants have encroached upon the area. Main Street ends at Church Circle where the St. Ann’s Episcopal Church is located. West Street is one of the exits leading away from church circle, which is the arts district with numerous art galleries, a theater, and several unique shops and eateries. Just off West Street is Maryland Hall which is the hub of the performing arts in Annapolis. Of course during the pandemic there are no performances. At West Street and Washington Street is the entrance to the Old Fourth Ward which historically has been called the Harlem of Annapolis. From what I have read from the 20’s to 50’s this neighborhood in Annapolis was alive with entertainment venues, clubs, and restaurants where both black and white Annapolitans enjoyed music, dancing, food and, drink. All of the features I have mentioned are within walking distance from our boat making walking around Annapolis enjoyable even if we don’t go inside any of the buildings.
That’s all for now. Stay safe and follow the covid-19 protocols for your area.
Thank you for reading my blog.
