Visiting a Century

The main event of the week was a trip by auto to Hendersonville NC for the 100th birthday of Larry's Aunt Fern. This grand lady is truly amazing. She organized the party gently "encouraging" the more than 150 guests to be there and made several memory filled speeches during the proceedings. Although she is technically blind she walks extensively every day and is very free with advice on the conduct of almost everything about her. Fern's two sons Bill and Dick, who Larry had not seen for 60 years hosted the party in grand style and it was truly a memorable event in every respect. There are several pictures of the affair, including a stunning picture of Fern at age 25, at picasaweb.google.com/lropka at file "Fern"

To the edge of the earth and beyond

A taste of paradise at Dunn Cove on Tilghman Island

You may think we fell off of the edge but
the past days have been full of adventure on both land and sea. Last Tuesday we ventured to Washington D. C. The evening started with dinner al fresco served at Union Station while watching folks run to catch their train. We took the Metro Rail and thanks to Laura's navagation we found our way to the Washington Monument grounds to hear the U.S. Army band perform a program ending with the 1812 overture replete with the Herald Trumpets, Army Chorus and Cannon Battery from Ft Meyer. Sitting within feet of the monument surrounded with American flags, hearing and seeing the band up close resplendent in dress uniforms was truly a memorable experience. We spent the next few days at our dock armor plating the bow of the boat with stainless steel. Our big anchor has been eating away the stem when we retrieve it so rather than try to repair all of the dings we just formed some heavy stainless plate and tube and screwed it on over the nicks.

We then shoved off Friday for the Choptank River, 5hrs north east of the Solomons, to spend Fri and Sat night anchored in a pristine cove just north of the village on the "Island" which is actually a peninsula. We explored ashore Saturday finding a nice lunch waterside (but isn't everything at Tilghman's waterside) and discovered perhaps the best nautical book store ever. Sunday late morning we weighed anchor and motored 12 miles east to Plaindealing Creek, a mile north of Oxford MD on the Tred Avon River. Oxford is the most charming town we have visited thus far. About the size of a big city block, it is populated with charming little houses, many dating from the 1700's, and not over two stories. A magnificent old Inn built in 1707, could be a movie set, serves the only breakfast in town. Guess where we are off to at 8:00 AM tomorrow.

Oxford deserves at least another day of exploration and then hope to run around the corner and up San Domingo to the south side of St Michaels, possibly the most popular stop on the Eastern Shore. Since we arrived in the bay there has been a shortage of crabs mainly thanks to Joan so I guess we should give St Michaels fair warning.

We have to be back to Solomons Friday as we are leaving Saturday for Hendersonville, NC for my Aunt Fern's 100th birthday party. Be back Monday or Tuesday to a long list of "want to do's". We will see which entries win out. Joan thinks Peach blossom Creek sounds like a good place to look for peach ice cream.

Again, pictures can be found on picasaweb.google.com/lropka in a folder called Choptank. Additional pictures in folder called Oxford St Michaels

Post Patrick syndrome

Not much to report. We got Patrick off from Regan National at 6:30AM Tuesday after departing Solomons at 3:45 and returned home to crash and burn totally out of gas. We deferred several cruising plans while regenerating and now hope to be off to the Choptank for a week or so midweek. 98 degree weather also contributed to our reluctance to leave our 120v tether that runs the air conditioner :-). We continue to have fun with our slip mates, Laura and Jason and will miss them as they return to fulfill duties in Florida for a few weeks. Should have more to report next week.

Patrick's week

The dome of the Capitol looking straight up.

A busy week plus as Joan flew off to Fort Walton to pick up the Volvo and her young Patrick. Larry stayed on the boat and "completed" a number things left undone prior to departing Florida. Joan returned "directly" Friday the 20th via the Sky Line Drive, Liberty University and Monticello. Saturday we were off to Washington for a bit of line standing and a tour of the Capitol followed by several hours in the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Sunday we found a neat Baptist church in Lexington Park which will be our church away from home for the rest of the summer. Monday we ran a few miles up the Patuxent River for an overnight in one of the prettiest "creeks" on the bay. Stayed up late doing star gazing on the fore deck and visited numerous nook and crannies via dinghy Tues. morning. Wed back to Washington with Patrick, Jason and Laura for an introductory tour of the Zoo (awesome), dinner al fresco on Connecticut Ave and a memorable concert by the "President's Own Marine Band" on the Capitol steps as we gazed down the mall at the monuments. Thursday Joan and Patrick toured a nearby plantation while Larry recuperated. Most of Friday was spent with Jason, a marine biologist, and Laura wading and searching for fossilized sharks teeth at Calvert cliffs just up the way. We all got an education in marine life and even found a few teeth .... Patrick promptly lost his while going for a swim! Friday evening we were able to listen in on a concert by Sara Evans performed 100 yards or so on the grounds of the Solomons marine museum. Will report next week if we make it through Tuesday when Patrick leaves, have worn him out several times. They just don't make'm like they used to. All and all it has been a very good time together.

As soon as Joan cleans up the pictures they will be posted on picasaways.google.com/lropka

The End of the Begining

This week Charis and crew arrived safe and sound at Solomons MD and is snug in a marina just behind the steeple in the picture. Solomons is a quaint sailing/boating village lodged securely in better times past. Lots of boats and boat people but respectful of the boating arts,skills and practices. We scouted Solomons via auto from Norfolk and were blessed with finding a smallish offbeat marina in the backyard and operated by a Comfort Inn motel. It provides a perfect base of operations an gives us a safe place to hole up in bad weather or leave the boat for land excursions. The town is charming with great seafood restaurants and almost all stores and services within walking and biking distance.
The beauty and charm of the Bay "Creeks" is still stunning and a two hour dinghy cruise around the Solomons this afternoon revealed an almost endless panoply of old and new homes,traditional bay fishing boats,sail boats, cruisers and almost every other imaginable type of boat and water activity.

Joan's young friend Patrick arrives this week and we will have a busy time of sightseeing around the Washington area for the 10 days or so after he arrives. Then we will be off to follow in the wake of John Smith and rediscover the treasures of this magnificent body of water. A few more enroute and local pictures are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/lropka/Solomons
Gradually the cruisers syndrome is setting in wherein clocks go slower and calendars loose their grip on our lives. Almost everything can be done "tomorrow" or perhaps the day after-if the weather is OK and the spirit moves.

The Chesapeake!!!!

Eighteen hundred plus miles and Charis nosed into the Chesapeake bay via the Elizabeth River on Saturday morning June 30. With the 4th of July holiday week at hand and water weary crew we found a snug berth at the Norfolk Naval Station and tied up for the week to rest and clean up the much neglected boat.
On Sunday we went to church at the base Chapel where we were astounded as the Southern Baptist Chaplin preached a Hell fire and Salvation sermon reminiscent of an old time camp meeting. Wonders will never cease. Tuesday was boat work day and Wednesday we spent with new boat friends Jason and Laura aboard their sailboat at a downtown marina very close to the great fireworks display put on by the city. Thursday was off with Laura and Jason via rental car to scout marinas in the Patuxent river area. After several disappointing queries we stumbled on a small marina at a very fair price ideally suited to our needs as a home base for our summer cruising. Almost too good to be true. It is owned and operated by the Comfort Inn chain and in their back yard and most convenient to all stores and services.
Friday saw the boat work finished and Saturday ended with a outing to Fort Story to see a play on the beach, depicting the first days of the Jamestown colony replete with the "naturals" (Indians), John Smith and other rowdy English. Sunday was church at the Ocean View Baptist Church near the Naval Base. Really nice folks, Chuck and Daryl Ferris, took us to lunch and to return the rental car.
Tomorrow Monday 9 July, we are off to anchor in Chrisman Creek 30 miles north and then on to Deltaville to explore boatyards for winter layup. We hope to be at our new home in the Solomons by Thursday.
It is great to be able to slow down and smell the seaweed. No real cruising plans yet but will be about that shortly.

More pictures posted to be posted to picasaweb.google.com/lropka

Back in the 21st century

Apologies to our North Carolinian friends but the eastern part of the state is still in the cell phone dark ages.For the past week or so We able the access weather radar and tediously get email in and out but no pictures.

We are now about 30 miles south of Norfolk in the middle of the Dismal Swamp at the Virginia/NC line welcome center. The canal is spectacular. At some points less than 20yards wide with overhanging trees. You can see a bit of the canal behind the Joan and friend in the picture. We came up from Elizabeth City this morning following a 42' sailboat at a leisurely 5mph pace as he picked his way along in 6' of water with his boat drawing 5.5'.

We greatly enjoyed Elizabeth City. They have 14 free slips "managed" by a cast of volunteer characters right out of last century. The whole town is hospitable to boaters and one old gentleman meets and provides roses to the ladies and hosts and wine,beer and cheese party in the evening. The "old " theater has been converted into a "Dinner" theater where you are seated at tables where you order by phone and enjoy tasty offerings as the movie show begins.

Before EC we spent the night at a Alligator river marina far removed from any civilization. and before that a night at Belhaven NC doing our sightseeing via marina courtesy car. Took over 15 minutes to see it all.

Aaaand, before that we had a great two day stop at Oriental NC, the neatest little town we have seen thus far. Quite small (600 or so) and so far unsullied by developers Oriental has attracted many interesting adventurers, artists and just plain neat people. Reportedly 6 sailors who have circumnavigated live there.

Previous to Oriental was Morehead City. We had intended to visit Beaufort just across the bridge but economized but choosing a less expensive marina in MC with intentions to bike over the mile or so bridge. As luck would have it no sidewalk or bike lane so we were stuck in MC which placed well down our MFP list. In fact we had to create a deeper bottom.

Before that is too far back to remember.