On the "Road" Again

October 28, 2017-November 3, 2017

We left Anchorage Marina on Saturday morning at 8:00 AM headed for Annapolis.  The morning was chilly and windy but warmed up nicely as the day continued.  Unfortunately, we had a 20 knot head wind most of the way which made for a rocky ride.  We arrived in Annapolis Harbor at 1:00 pm grabbing a mooring buoy.  Bob grilled hotdogs for lunch and at 3:30 we tuned into the Penn State vs. Ohio State football game on our satellite radio.  The game was exciting from beginning to end with PSU in the lead from the first kick off return for a touchdown to the 4th quarter.  Ohio State was able to rally in the last quarter and win the game 39-38.  

Jessica and Joe met us at Middleton’s Tavern (right on the waterfront in Annapolis) for a Bon Voyage celebration.  After great drinks, food and fun, we headed back to the boat for the first night of our trip.  

When we woke in the morning it was cold and rainy making us promise each other to leave on our trip earlier next year.  Apparently we were lulled into thinking that the great fall weather we had in Baltimore this year might continue for awhile longer.

On Monday morning it was in the low 40’s when we woke up.  Bob lit the fireplace and I baked some low carb muffins to warm the cabin up a bit.  After showers, coffee and a shared bagel at City Dock Cafe we started our trip to Galesville at about noon. It was only a 2 hour trip, but it was windy and cold.  We were happy to motor into the West River and drop anchor in a harbor protected from the wind.

There are several landmarks that I always take note of in this portion of the trip.  First is the the “Star Spangled” buoy that marks the spot where Francis Scott Key observed the battle at Fort McHenry and wrote our national anthem.  The buoy is just slightly north west of the Key Bridge that crosses the Patapsco River. 

The buoy marks the spot where Francis Scott Key wrote
“The Star Spangled Banner.”

Next is the grand Bay Bridge which crosses the Bay from Sandy Point in Anne Arundle County to Kent Island on the Eastern Shore of the Bay.  

The Bay Bridge is a 4.3 mile double span that opened in 1952.

The final landmark is the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse that has been guarding that shoal since 1885.

This light marks our eastward turn into the West River.

We left Galesville headed for Solomons Island to anchor out in one of our favorite spots on Mill Creek.  The weather was still cool and we were anxious to continue south to warmer weather.  In the morning we left Solomons, but when we entered the bay the wind was so strong (gusts up to 30 knts) and the waves so big that we turned around and went back to Solomons to get a slip at Zahnizer’s Marina. Several vessels near us in the bay turned back, too.  We have never turned back before, but it was definitely the right decision.  We took advantage of the stay at Zahniser's by getting showers, doing laundry, and taking the shuttle into the shopping area.  Bob reworked our travel plan to make up for the day and we got a great night sleep with the heater warming up the cabin.  

Making up for the day off we motored for 10.5 hours from first light to minutes before sunset.  We made it to the New Point Comfort Lighthouse and tucked in behind it for the night.  It’s another peaceful anchorage with beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Friday was another long and busy day.  We motored into Norfolk Harbor just after lunch.  The harbor is busy with Navy and commercial vessels.

 Navy vessels are very impressive.

The variety of color of the containers on this ship
just begged me to photograph it.

After navigating through Norfolk harbor and into the Intracoastal Waterway our challenge was making it through several opening bridges and the Great Bridge Lock and Bridge.  It was smooth going, except for a brief problem with going aground, until we got up to the lock and found out that the lock was shut down to clean off debris from the gates.  This delay set us back about 2 hours which made getting through the next opening bridge impossible.  We made the decision to tie up to the free pier just south of the Great Bridge Bridge. It turned out to be a great place to stop.

Thanks for reading my blog.

My next blog will continue our trek down the ICW and into NC.

Late Summer and Early Fall 2017

I have taken a break from my blog for a few months and now that we are on our way south again I have the urge to get back into the habit of recording our adventures.  

The last part of the summer and early fall was spent finishing up the boat projects on Bob’s list and visiting the rest of my family.  My first trip was to Chicago and South Bend where I visited my daughter Rachel, her boyfriend Juan, and his daughter Liliana in their new apartment in Oak Park, Illinois.  Oak Park is just outside the city limits of Chicago and is a quick train ride to downtown. It is a quiet, clean, walkable and safe neighborhood where Juan and Rachel can walk Lili to school everyday.  Rachel and I walked and biked around the neighborhood eating lunch out at great restaurants and visiting the large conservatory.  

Rachel is in front of one of a beautiful flowering tree in the conservatory.

The size of the koi in the pond of the
tropical section of the conservatory was impressive.

From Chicago, I took the South Shore train to South Bend for a few days to spend time with my daughter Grace and her boyfriend Ben.  They have moved into a house and are in the process of decorating it.  We shared several meals together the best of which was the one Ben prepared on my last night there.  Got to love those fried pickles!

Here is the happy couple.

I was able to spend many hours with Jessica while I was in Baltimore sewing and visiting a Fabric Mart in Pennsylvania.  She and I have created several outfits this summer.  We also spent a day visiting my sister Nancy and her husband Aldo on a Sunday afternoon.

We enjoyed Aldo’s turkey subs for a late lunch
 and spent the afternoon talking and laughing about life.
This is Nancy, Jessica, and Aldo from left to right.

Bob and I were able to share several meals with Jessica and Joe both in Baltimore and Annapolis.

We went to a taco restaurant with Jess and Joe our first night back in Baltimore.
 The food and company were outstanding.  

I was also able to attend two concerts where Jess and Joe were featured performers.

 Jess and Joe are pictured here with the additional performers at a
Baltimore Musicals performance in August.
Jess is in the center and Joe is on the far right.
 By the way Jess is wearing a dress she created for herself.

My three sisters and I all got together at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania in early October.  We seldom get to visit with each other without our extended families around and it was great catching up with each other.  Longwood Gardens of course is magnificent and we got to see the afternoon fountain display that coordinates the “dancing” water fountains with music.  It was extraordinary.

Lunch at the Longwood Gardens Restaurant was
delicious, especially the cream of mushroom soup.

My last visit of the fall was to my dear friend Claire’s in Sarasota.  I wanted to be there to help with her transition from rehabilitation to home. Fortunately, I was there to assist her husband Fred with a visit to the emergency room and a stay in the hospital.  They are considering moving into assisted living and I toured a few places to help with the process.

Now that I'm all caught up with my last two months we were in Anchorage Marina in Baltimore, I can write about our second trip south.  My next blog post will cover our trip down the Chesapeake Bay and the first few days on the ICW (Intracoastal Water Way).

Thank you for reading my blog.

A Visit to Pittsburgh

August 13, 2017 - August 15, 2017

I left to visit my sister, Becky, early on Sunday morning and arrived in Pittsburgh at 12:30 pm.  We went out for a delicious lunch at a restaurant overlooking a forest with a river running through it.  Since we were by ourselves without the guys we decided to do some “girlie things”.  We shopped awhile and went to see The Glass Castle at a nearby movie theatre.  We had both read the book by Jeanette Walls and agreed that the movie was as poignant and moving as the book.  The acting was fabulous.  Back at the house we played Scrabble (our favorite board game), had dinner, watched a movie and went to bed.  A full day to be sure!

In the morning we drove through downtown Pittsburgh where I got a chance to admire the unique and beautiful architecture.

As you can see the architecture is amazing.

We stopped at the Strip District which is a few blocks on Smallman Street which is flanked by restaurants, markets, and kitschy shops. 

The Strip district is definitely a colorful neighborhood.

Penzeys Spice Store smelled delicious.

We were entertained by this street musician.
 

We stopped at Roland's for a delicious lunch.

We had a great day exploring the
Strip District.

We stopped for pedicures on the way home (of course). We played another round of Scrabble, chatted, ate dinner, and just enjoyed each other's company.  What a great visit!

Thank you for reading my blog.

A Trip to Houston and Galveston

August 4, 2017 - August 8, 2017

Blog by Maggie and photos by Brandy!

I flew to Houston on Thursday (August 4) and arrived at my son's (Karl) house at about 2:30. After settling in I played with Acen (my grandson) most of the afternoon while Brandy (my daughter-in-law) made preparations for our trip to Galveston, cooked dinner, and caught me up on how the family was doing.  Acen has become very verbal and has a great vocabulary...he has grown up so much since I saw him in December and for the first time he remembers me and is comfortable with me right from the start of our visit.  Needless to say, with the time change, travel, and playing all afternoon I was exhausted.

After diner we snuggled on the couch
and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning we did some grocery shopping for the trip and were packed and ready to go by the time Karl got home from work at 2:00 pm.  Fortunately we missed most of the rush hour traffic (which can be brutal in Houston) and arrived at the condo in Galveston and were settled in by 5:00 pm.  The condo was perfect for all of us including the two dogs.  It had just enough room for relaxation, cooking and sleeping.

This is the view from our balcony.
We were right across the street from the Gulf.

After dinner we headed to the beach to do some exploring.  Acen is fascinated with sea creatures and was thrilled when his dad found a crab hiding in the rocks.

Here we are searching for treasure on the beach.

"What's in those holes, Grandma?" 

The sunset over the beach was beautiful.

On Saturday morning we headed to the beach.  The sand is different than east coast sand, but still lots of fun to play in. 

Acen is collecting seaweed.

It started to rain a bit so after lunch we headed to the pool at the condo so we would be close to shelter if it started to thunder and lightning.

The pool at the condo was spacious and never crowded.

We had fun in the smaller 3 foot pool that was fed by a "river"
and had a gentle slope into the water.

This photo speaks for itself.

The next day we spent the morning at the pool, but it started raining around lunch and we retreated to the condo.  It remained cloudy and rainy all afternoon.

We entertained ourselves with some you tube
videos of dinosaurs.

We drove to a shell shop (Murdock's) to find some hermit crab food for the crab Acen and his daddy had found at the beach the night before.  It was huge with a wide variety of clothing, toys, and decorative items. We found the hermit crab food, but the clerk informed us that the crab we had was a salt water crab and would require sand and salt water.  Since salt water is not easily available in Houston we decided to free the crab and skip the food and cage.  I bought a mermaid plaque for the boat and Acen got a large crab (which he took with him everywhere). We had dinner at Shrimp and Stuff and returned to the condo.  

Next morning we decided to make it a pool day.

Acen and Karl are looking for the rabbit they
found in the bushes next to the pool.

Acen sees the rabbit.

Acen became comfortable enough in the water to
take off his water wings and jump to me from the rock ledge.

After a dinner of grilled steak and asparagus, we walked to the beach to try and get someone to take a photo of all four of us.

Success!

Brandy snapped this great picture.

We all had a fun and relaxing time making family memories in Galveston.  It was so great to spend time with my son and his family.  But, inevitably, the short vacation had to come to an end.  We said our goodbyes after shopping one last time at Murdock's Shell Shop (Acen snagged another crab).  I drove to the airport to head back to Baltimore and Karl and his family headed home to Houston.  We will have to take a trip like this together again soon!

Thank you for reading my Blog.  

My next blog will be about my visit to Pittsburgh.

Our Maine Vacation - part two

July 28, 2017 - July 31, 2017

We woke up to a heavy fog hoping that it would burn off by the time our whale watching excursion began.  After breakfast we drove into the small town of Lubec.  The down town area consisted of one block of shops and restaurants of which several were no longer in open for business.  We were mainly there to take photographs anyway. 

Main Street in Lubec is colorful and quaint.

I am amazed at the wildflowers that bloom everywhere.

These buildings are on the water when the tide is high.
The tidal range in Lubec is around 30 feet.

All over the coast of Maine residents
decorate their houses with vibrant flowers.

A landscape artist captures the stark beauty of the harbor.

This memorial to Lost Fishermen lists the names of
the local fishermen who have been lost at sea.

The fog burned off by lunch time and we were able to go on our whale watching excursion. We saw whales, dolphins, eagles, seals, and a light house on the Canadian side of the bay. I was so busy looking for and admiring the sea life that I didn't take any photos.

This is the boat that took us and 14 other people
on the excursion.

The Next morning we left Lubec and drove to our hotel in Lincolnville which is just outside of Camden, Maine.  We stopped in Belfast for lunch at the Harbor Walk Cafe and Pub and then walked down to the harbor.

This statue was outside the Harbor Walk Cafe.
His name tag labels him as the harbor master.

These musicians were playing folk songs
in the small park by the harbor.

We met our friends from Annapolis who have moved their sailboat to Rockland, Maine in Camden and toured the harbor. It was just wonderful to see them again and catch up. Later Bob and Tom rested at a pub while Karen and I did some shopping in the unique shops.

Here's Tom, Bob, and Karen (left to right)
at the harbor in Camden.

Our next stop was Rockport, Maine to tour the harbor.

Beautifully maintained wooden boats in Rockport Harbor

We had dinner at a unique restaurant in Rockland called Miranda's.  It had an extensive menu and the food was excellent. We made plans to meet Tom and Karen the next day at their marina to spend the day exploring some of the area lighthouses and visiting the Farnsworth Art museum in Rockland that features Andrew Wyeth watercolors and drawings.  Wyeth spent his summers in a town nearby.

We visited Owl's Head Light first.

The views from the light house were stunning.

We drove down to the harbor which was
a true working harbor.  Since it was Sunday the
lobster pots were stacked on the dock.

Bob and Tom are solving the world's
problems at Owl's Head Light.

The second light house is Marshall Point Light.

After lunch at Luke's restaurant we traveled back to Rockland to view the Wyeth paintings at the Farnsworth Art Museum.  We watched a movie of Andrew Wyeth's life and development as an artist which made the paintings all the more meaningful.  It was a great day with our friends exploring the costal area.  We had to get back to the motel early to pack and rest for our long road trip back to Baltimore.

My next adventure will be visiting my son and his family in Houston and going to Galveston for a long weekend.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Our Maine Vacation - part one

July 24, 2017 - July 27, 2017

Sorry for taking a break from blogging; but chores, boat projects, and errands have consumed my days.

On July 24 we left the cats at the “spa pet resort” for the week and headed to Freeport, Maine.  The trip took three hours longer than we expected because of traffic slow downs and a serious traffic accident (we weren’t involved, but it caused a huge back up).  When we arrived in Freeport around 8:30 all we wanted to do was eat dinner and get to sleep!

The next morning we hit the outlets and made some excellent purchases.  Shopping does not hold the thrill it used to for me, but everyone who visits Maine has to stop at the L.L.Bean flagship store.  It is quite an experience. 

After lunch of lobster salad for me and lobster stew for Bob we drove to the Robbins Motel in Bar Harbor.  It is obvious that this motel has not been updated in awhile, but it was clean and comfortable.  We drove into the town of Bar Harbor to find a place to eat. It was a  surprise to us to see how touristy and packed with people it was.  We couldn't  find a parking place so we drove a bit out of town to The Chart Room restaurant overlooking the ocean inlet. We had a great dinner…mussels steamed in wine and garlic for an appetizer and blackened salmon for our main course. Yum!

The next morning (July 26) we visited the Acadia National Park.  It is on Mt. Desert Island (as is Bar Harbor) and has stunning views of forest, rocks, ocean, lakes, and mountains. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect….sunny skies and 75 degree temperature. The highlights were the views from atop Cadillac Mountain and the walking trails that led to the rocky shoreline scenery

The view from a walking trail
revealed this sandy beach.

. 

The beauty of the mountain is
reflected in the lake water.

I was impressed with the abundance
of wildflowers whose bright colors contrasted
 the stark beauty of the rocks and forest.

The .5 mile path to view scenery from Cadillac Mountain 

                was steep, but well worth the effort.

The beauty of the park is captured in this photo.

 Bob is in a contemplative mood resting on
Cadillac Mountain.  The natural beauty of the park
 lends itself to peace and mindfulness.  

We had lunch in Bar Harbor at Paddy’s Irish Pub. We both had large salads that were delicious.  Mine was topped with steak and Bob’s with lobster.  Afterwards we visited some shops on the main street and then drove to a small town called South West Harbor.  It was mainly a fishing village with a town wharf and some quaint shops and restaurants. 

The restaurant on the town wharf in South West Harbor
serves seafood directly from fisherman.

On Thursday morning we left early for Lubec, Maine.  We had scheduled a whale watching excursion and a room for the night at the Inn at the Wharf.  The Inn is a converted sardine factory and we didn’t know what to expect, but our room was lovely.  We had a private balcony that overlooked the wharf and harbor with wonderful views of the inlet and islands.  Because the weather was cold and foggy we opted to change our whale watching to Friday afternoon and stay in Lubec an extra day.  We used the afternoon to visit the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse which occupies the eastern most point of land in the US.

The light house’s red stripes stood out even on this foggy afternoon.

There has been a light on this point guiding boats
safely away from the rocky shore for
more than 100 years.  This building
has been there since the 1930's.

We will be in Maine for four more days, exploring more of the down east region.

Thank you for reading my blog.