Teri and I have covered a lot of territory since our last post. In the spirit of “less is more”, we’re going to cover Norfolk to the present, 18 days, as quickly as possible.
Exiting Norfolk – nothing but military might! Did we mention we saw not one, but two nuclear submarines!
Weather cautions ignored, we blasted across the fat part of Chesapeake Bay to Cape Charles, VA. During our crossing we became alarmed at the number of big-ass ships that were between us and our destination! Turns out they were anchored and probably the result of the Baltimore bridge catastrophe. The Cape Charles marina was underwhelming but the town was charming. Stayed two nights.
Slid north to Onancock, VA. Very picturesque with a charming character. Spent one night.
Staying on the east side we continued north to Crisfield. Much more commercial than the previous two towns. Interesting to learn about soft shelled crabs and the hard working watermen who catch all the crustacea. Only stayed a night.
Next we moved back to the west side of the Chesapeake for a popular place called Solomons. The weather experts were messaging concern and issued a full on small craft warning for the Bay. A clear signal to stay put…we left before dawn and made it to Solomons early enough to annoy the dock hands 🙂
Solomons was comfortable…until it wasn’t!! The marina was very well managed. We shared a meal with our friends from the other PDQ (Ripple). The night before our planned departure a couple of Looper boats organized a barbecue which we attended. Six couples showed up for gathering. It was fun.
Decidedly NOT fun was Teri throwing up several hours after we went to bed. We think food poisoning. Bad in any circumstance but badness squared when endured on a small boat!
We called an audible opting to remain in our slip for another night.
The following day, better but definitely not full strength, Teri was willing to head to our next destination, back across the Chesapeake to an anchorage on the south side of St. Michaels. The crossing wasn’t pleasant for Teri, but the anchorage was very quiet and calm. Perfect for continuing her journey to good health. Stayed one night.
We departed the anchorage and traveled almost 40 miles to arrive at the north side of St Michaels which was at most one mile from where we started (as the crow flies)!Â
St Michaels was a fun town. The marina basin was hopping with live music. I liked the vibe. Teri liked the town which was very walkable with cute homes and beautifully manicured gardens. They had a museum and a number of well managed parks. Very picturesque. We stayed an extra day because it was enjoyable and because Teri’s nausea was attempting a comeback. One of our Looper friends is a surgeon and he recommended Pepto-Bismol. It seemed to help.
Staying on the east side we decided to move north to an anchorage on the Corsica River (off the Chester River). Then up the Chester River to the historic city of Chestertown. Their big event of the year is a re-enactment of their fight with the British in 1774. Their “Tea Party”. It’s a three day event. Teri was feeling much better and somewhat miraculously, she found a person to cut and color her hair! She was so impressed by the work, she took a picture with the stylist! LOL!
With Teri’s health and hair in good order, we headed towards Rock Hall with an overnight anchorage and a dinghy ride to mix up the routine. The Rock Hall marina was very large. So many boats – most of them sailboats. We had access to free bicycles for exploring the town and restaurants. Getting to use bikes is always a bonus for Teri – she loves to ride! After we’ve completed the Loop, we might have to cross the US on motorcycles 🙂
Following the two nights at Rock Hall we headed south and west to Annapolis. It was a gorgeous day on the Chesapeake!!
Approaching the Annapolis Yacht Basin marina gave us a good view of the Naval Academy. That said, it was somewhat nerve racking at the helm because it was the Memorial Day long weekend, it was a beautiful day and there were a zillion boats to keep track of!
We picked up some fuel then moved to our slip were we are writing this.
The harbor area of Annapolis is hopping! We’ve enjoyed some restaurants, our first Starbucks of the trip, and a walking tour of the Naval Academy.
