September Road Trip from Baltimore

Weather concerns forced us to leave Annapolis and head to Baltimore on September 12^th - a day earlier than planned.  Thunderstorms and strong winds were in the forecast for the late afternoon but we were sure we could reach Anchorage Marina in plenty of time to be safely tied up at the dock before the storms impacted us.  Our plan almost worked.  Shortly after we cruised under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the storm rolled in pummeling Lazy W with heavy rain and gusty winds.  Cloud to cloud lightning and rumbles of thunder put the Admiral and Captain on edge.  By the time we were within sight of the marina, lightning bolts were numerous – not a good time to be on the water and certainly not a good time to be out on the bow throwing lines to dockhands. So we circled the Inner Harbor for an hour before the storm calmed enough to attempt docking.  We were s-o-o-o-o glad to see the storm retreat out over the bay.  Happy hour came early that day!!!

 

A dreary day on the Patapsco River – passing the Francis Scott Key buoy

 

The following day was Purple Friday.  On this beautiful September afternoon, it seemed that all of Baltimore was preparing for opening day of Ravens football.  Purple banners fluttered from lamp posts; pedestrians were adorned with team jerseys and purple beads. Cheerleaders distributed purple and black pompoms as the Ravens marching band performed at the Verizon Wireless Store on Fleet Street in the Harbor East section of town.   Rise & Conquer, the official mascots of the Ravens, graciously posed for pictures with the fans.

Rise poses for a picture while the Ravens marching band performs. 

Conquer, his brother, was posing for pictures inside Verizon Wireless.

 The Captain and I would soon be attending some social functions that would require an upgrade to his wardrobe so we continued to the Inner Harbor for some serious shopping.  If he cooperated and did not balk over buying a new shirt and a new tie, we would reward ourselves with a happy hour stop before our two-mile walk back to the marina.  Bribery is a wonderful tool!

September 14^th was Defenders Day marking the 199^th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.  In 1814 cannon atop Federal Hill warned Baltimore of the arrival of the British fleet.  Saturday’s early evening fireworks display reenacted the ship to shore bombardment of Fort McHenry. 

Defenders Day fireworks display as seen from the stern of Lazy W

The Ravens tailgate party outside M&T Stadium, the Fisher Investment Seminar at the Four Seasons Hotel, lunch in Fells Point at Ale Mary’s Pub (famous not only for its quirky religious decor and ales but also for its varied preparations of tater tots!?!?) – so many fun things to do and see in Baltimore.  The Captain had to remind me that one of the other reasons we were spending a month here was to get some serious boat chores done so we buckled down and got to work.  Teak needed to be stripped/oiled/refinished and the engines needed some TLC.

                  

ROAD TRIP!!  We were not at Woodstock in August 1969 but for years we had wanted to visit the museum that celebrates the most legendary music festival in history. So on September 19^th we set off from Baltimore and headed north to Bethel and a New York trip that would combine a visit to my Mom with Frank’s 40^th SUNY Maritime College reunion.

 

  I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm

                   I’m going to join in a rock’n’roll band
                   I’m going to camp out on the land
                   I’m going to try an’ get my soul free.
                                                                          Joni Mitchell

 In 1969 entrepreneurs Michael Lang and John Roberts began making plans for a three-day music expo, Woodstock Aquarian Exposition and Music and Art Fair, to be held in the small New York artist’s haven of Woodstock.  When no suitable venue could be found to hold the expected daily crowd of 40,000 music lovers, they pursued a sight in Walkill about 40 miles away.  On July 22^nd, with the building of the stage nearing completion, they were driven out of Walkill when the residents there decided that they did not want their town invaded by hippies.  Max Yasgur, a dairy farmer and the largest milk wholesaler in Sullivan County, came to the rescue and offered them the use of his land in Bethel for $50,000.  The rest is history!  An estimated 400,000 people attended the “Three Days of Peace and Music” to hear an all-star lineup that included Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix.  Amazingly, there were no reports of violence among the throngs of people gathered here, just peace and love and trippin’ out in the muddy field.

 

The Museum at Bethel Woods opened in 2008.  It is a multi-media extravaganza filled with movie clips, artifacts and interactive displays that highlight the fashion, culture, music, politics and attitudes of the 1960’s – the Cold War, the race to the moon, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the youthful exuberance of the Baby Boomers.  Numerous first-hand narratives from organizers, attendees and townspeople recount the joys as well as the trials and tribulations of all those involved in the three day event.  A short walk from the museum building is the bowl-shaped field where the music festival was held August 15^th thru 18^th 1969.

Love Bug

 

Museum of Bethel Woods custom chopper built by Orange County Choppers

 

The much-anticipated 40^th reunion of the SUNY Maritime College Class of 1973 did not disappoint.  Many of the young men pictured below turned out for the dinner party held at Tosca Marquee on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.  The Captain of Lazy W can be found lounging aboard the deck of the luxurious TSES IV somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.  That’s him with the curly hair and wide sideburns at the bottom of the picture, two to the left of the guitar player.  Organizers wisely placed the 1973 yearbook picture of each graduate on his name tag – not that anyone had changed that much in 40 years – but it sure helped with identification! :)

 

 

The Throgs Neck Bridge as seen from within the fort

during a ceremony to honor one member from the class of 1968 and another from the class of 1973.

One company of The Class of 2017

A small group of the Class of 1973 gathered at the tailgate party before the Maritime vs Kings Point football game.  The Maritime Privateers lost 7-6.

 

After the game some of the class went on a dinner cruise around Manhattan aboard the Aqua Azul, while others enjoyed good food and camaraderie at Louie’s Seafood Restaurant on East Tremont Avenue.  This was a favorite hangout during their college days.

 

After two days of partying with the Maritime gang it was time to visit Mom.  On the drive north to New Windsor we stopped on Rte. 9W to admire the scenery along the Hudson River.

The band Bergmusikanten provided plenty of oompah music at the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest.  They even attempted a rendition of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville - without much success!  But they kept Mom, my sister Marian, Frank and me entertained as some of us enjoyed our bratwurst and knockwurst.

 

After wandering through the craft vendor area and the renovated Bear Mountain Inn, we were off to OCC Café to ogle the choppers and have a light dinner.  The café is located at the headquarters of Orange County Choppers in Newburgh. 

 

The reality TV show, American Choppers, aired on the Discovery Channel for ten years and was one of my “must see” shows.  It showcased the custom chopper building skills of the Teutels – Senior, Junior and Mikey.   Their contrasting creative styles and work habits led to many memorable verbal arguments and ultimately to a feud which led to the breakup of the family team.  The show has been given a new lease on life as Orange County Choppers on CMT; it will focus on Senior and his non-family creative team.

 

If you look really hard, you can catch a glimpse of my sister and Mom sitting at the table just over the seat of this OCC chopper designed specifically for the café.

The further adventures of Lazy W

On the morning of August 29^th we left Oxford bound for one of our favorite anchorages near St. Michaels - Leeds Creek.  To get there we had to negotiate the skinny water of Knapps Narrows cutting through Tilghman Island.  The Narrows are dredged regularly but they also shoal regularly. Since the charts show six feet of water in the channel and Lazy W draws four feet of water there is little room for error when navigating this stretch of water!

 

The bascule bridge at Knapps Narrows opening for the passage of Lazy W

 

The Captain did a fine job traversing the Narrows without incident and we arrived at Leeds Creek just off the Miles River in early afternoon.   The vintage catboat, Selena II, was a frequent visitor to Leeds Creek during our five day stay on the hook.  Yes, five days at Leeds Creek – it was Labor Day weekend!

Selena II

 

Bright and early every morning the watermen arrived in Leeds Creek to work their trot lines.

Goose Buster was a frequent visitor to Leeds Creek

From our anchorage it was just a short dinghy ride across the Miles River to St. Michaels, “the town that fooled the British.”  One August night in 1813 the British planned to attack the then thriving port but the townspeople foiled their plans by hanging lanterns high in the treetops and darkening the rest of the town.  The British aimed for what they thought were the lights of town – their cannon fire overshot St. Michaels!

 

Today St. Michaels lures boaters from all over the Chesapeake Bay. Its bustling shops along Talbot Street and scores of restaurants serving up crabs, crabs and more crabs appeal to the hungry, wandering masses that arrive by land and by sea.  And this weekend was especially crowded due to the 16^th Annual Boat Auction taking place at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM).

 

Up for bid at the auction were over eighty water toys ranging from 12-foot windsurfers and canoes to a 38-foot power boat and a beautiful 39-foot motor sailor.  For those with a smaller pocketbook, there was also a nautical tag sale where we were big spenders – one crisp dollar bill got us a much-needed spotlight for our after-dark dinghy excursions!

 

This 1989 18-foot Cobalt Bowrider had a run-in with a tree sometime in its life.  But that didn’t deter one lucky bidder who picked it up for a mere $25.

 

A winning bid of $500 would have gotten you this wooden 16-foot Lapstrake Skiff.  This project boat will be keeping its new owner busy for a long, long time.

A 12-foot wind surfer for $100 – A 16-foot Hobie cat for $650 – A Hunter 18-foot sailboat for $2,100 – A Freedom 21-foot sailboat for $2,500.  The bids were coming in fast and furious.  All the action made us hungry and thirsty so we headed into town for crabs.  As we sat on the deck of one of the many crab houses along the waterfront we were amazed at the number of boats still arriving in the harbor looking for dock space! 

 

The drawbridge that once linked Tilghman Island with the rest of Maryland at Knapps Narrows spans the land entrance to the CBMM.

 

We love St. Michaels but five days on the hook, dinghying across the choppy Miles River, was a bit too long to spend here.  We walked Talbot Street searching for ¼” fuel line hose for the dinghy, stopping in at Eastern Shore Brewing, eating at the Blackthorn Irish Pub, tasting Italian wines at Simpatico, replenishing our wine inventory at Village Market, perusing the aisles of Calico Toys & Games and Chesapeake Bay Outfitters, and roaming the grounds of The Inn at Perry Cabin.  By the end of Labor Day weekend we were anxious to get underway again.

Also located in St. Michaels - The luxurious Inn at Perry Cabin

was once owned by designer Laura Ashley.

 

 

Kent Narrows is a convenient shortcut linking the Miles River and the Chester River.  In the 18^th century, this waterway was filled with sailing cargo vessels loaded with tobacco. Today, condos, marinas, dockside restaurants and tiki bars are wedged into every square inch of shoreline.  We carefully made our way to the eastern end of the narrows and waited patiently for the opening of the bascule bridge.

Lazy W was comfortably docked next to a big Hatteras named Pleiades in the 550-slip Mears Point Marina.  This busy destination marina would be our home for the next two days. 

Adjacent to the marina is the start of the Cross Island Trail, a six-mile paved bike path that links Kent Narrows with the Terrapin Nature Park.  The first mile or so past the causeway runs parallel to the strip malls of busy Route 50 - while winding through stands of tall pines you hear the traffic but see and smell the woods!  The rest of the trail was a peaceful pedal through wetlands, farmlands, Old Love Point Park and the Kent Island High School parking lot!?!  We desperately wanted to visit the West Marine Store on the opposite side of Route 50 (our bargain spotlight needed a new light bulb) but I didn’t dare attempt to cross that busy six-lane divided highway.

 

The Captain relaxing at the Terrapin Nature Park end of the Cross Island Trail...

 

...and the Watermen’s Monument at the other end.

 

Kent Narrows and Mears Point Marina as seen from atop the Chesapeake Exploration Center. 

Somewhere in that mess of boats sits Lazy W.

The town of Chestertown is twenty-five miles up the Chester River from Kent Narrows.  After snaking our way through the narrow channel at the western end of the Narrows, we turned north for a cruise up the Chester River.  No mega-mansions hugging its shoreline.  Instead we had wonderful views of farmland and fields of shimmering greens and golds meeting shorelines edged with lush marsh grasses and dotted with rickety duck blinds.  These scenes were perfectly captured by the artist Bonnie Foster Howell whose paintings were on display at the Artists Gallery on High Street in Chestertown.

 

Along the Chester River

 

In 1774 the residents of Chestertown staged their own version of the Boston Tea Party when, after outlawing the sale and consumption of tea, they stormed the British brigantine Geddes and dumped her cargo of tea into the Chester River.  Things have quieted down since then but the residents still know how to throw a First Friday celebration!  Free beer, free wine, free munchies and plenty of good conversation were provided by the proprietors of Salon and Creative Focus at Stepne Station and the shopkeepers along High and Cross Streets.  We admired art work at the Artists Gallery and ogled the wooden floating tables of Vicco Von Voss at the Massoni Gallery.  We were given a free loaf of focaccia bread at the Evergrain Bakery.  But the Chestertown Marina claimed to have no slip available for Lazy W (even though we saw plenty of empty slips) so we were anchored off Devil’s Reach, a short 1.5 mile dinghy ride  from downtown.  Without a light bulb for our spotlight we were back on board Lazy W before dark.

The schooner Sultana along the Chester River

 

Next stop – Rock Hall, the self-proclaimed ‘Pearl of the Chesapeake’ and the Rock Hall Landing Marina.  Jim and Mary Anne Lancaster, past owners of the marina, and Ed, one of the new owners, met us at the dock to help secure Lazy W.  Unlike our first visit here in 2002, we did not go aground!  We enjoyed an early afternoon happy hour aboard Meander and then met up again with the Lancasters for dinner at Waterman’s Crab House.

 

Along Main Street in Rock Hall. We may have gone aground in 2002 but we were never quite this bad at docking!

The following day, Bonnie and Charlie Burke arrived in Rock Hall Landing Marina aboard Sonata fresh from their trip down the ICW from Cape Cod. 

 

That evening we all gathered for a dock party on the finger pier separating Sonata and Lazy W.  While it may not appear to be so from this picture, the OMYC gang had a wonderful time!

 

Jim, Mary Anne, Frank, Charlie, Bonnie

 

 

Oysterman Tribute

along the seawall in Rock Hall

 

Crab pots retired for the season line the seawall in Rock Hall

On September 10^th – Happy 25^th Anniversary, Peg and Greg! – after much debate over our next stop, we departed Rock Hall bound for the Magothy River. 

Lazy W leaving Rock Hall Landing Marina

 

The winds were blowing from the west and we were prepared for a choppy crossing of the bay but we were pleasantly surprised by how smooth the ride was.  When we arrived on the Magothy we dropped anchor in Sillery Bay between Little Island and Dobbins Island.

The only house on Little Island in Sillery Bay

 

Dobbins Island in Sillery Bay

The shore of the Magothy River is lined with the bedroom communities of Baltimore and Annapolis.  There are plenty of little creeks to explore so we launched the dinghy and took a ride.  This glass-walled house sits overlooking the entrance to Broad Creek.

But the lone house on Little Island was certainly the most picturesque.  We suspect that the owner frowns on visitors to his enclave – there is a cannon perched on the island to the right of the house; it is aimed at uninvited boat guests.

 

While we were off exploring, the winds shifted and Lazy W was getting pummeled with waves.  This made our return to the mother ship a bit nerve-wracking as the bow of the dinghy was being knocked under the swim platform of Lazy W.  We managed to get onboard safely, raise and secure the dinghy, weigh the anchor and motor over closer to Dobbins Island to escape the wind.  After three attempts at dropping the hook, we got the anchor to set and settled in for happy hour.  And the wind died down!

 It was at anchor in the Magothy River that our PC was officially declared DEAD!!!  After days and days of enduring its repeated attempts at startup, only to be followed by restart, boot, reboot, crash, freeze, black screens and blue screens filled with undecipherable error messages we gave up playing around with it.  We called the Geek Squad who thought that maybe the hard drive needed replacement.  KA-CHING!  We vowed not to turn the PC on again until we arrive in Baltimore.

In our opinion, no cruise of the Chesapeake Bay is complete without a stop in Annapolis.    We had a plan to dock Lazy W along Market Slip, aka Ego Alley, next to the City Dock.  This is where the really B-I-G yachts dock to see and be seen in Annapolis.  So why not dock Lazy W there for the night?

Approaching the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

 

Well, by the time we arrived in Annapolis there were already enough big yachts in Ego Alley to fill the wall so we grabbed a mooring ball instead. 

 

Annapolis from the mooring field

It turned out to be a great decision.  It was Wednesday night and we had front row seats for watching all kinds of sail boat races!

The junior sail boaters were practicing their maneuvering skills right off our bow.  Some came precariously close to Lazy W but always managed to avoid hitting her.  They were having a great time!  And so were we!

 

The Junior sailboat racers

 

Later on the older sail boaters came in off the bay.  The maneuvering skill of some of these adult boaters was not nearly as precise as the juniors.  One duo narrowly avoided wedging themselves underneath our dinghy hanging off the stern davits of Lazy W!