June 15, 2005
From Nathan to Annapolis
We're back on the water again! We spent a wonderful week babysitting
for Nathan, our 13 month old grandson in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. He had
just learned to walk and was discovering his wonderful world from a vertical
perspective. We enjoyed every adorable thing he did, from rolling on the
floor with his teddy bear to the faces he made when he tried to eat the sand in
his sandbox. We were amazed at his intelligence as he said "bama"
when he wanted a banana and dutifully roared when we asked him what a lion
says. Being a grandparent is pure fun!
After a
brief overnight at home in Fairhaven, we flew back to Norfolk, VA and started up
the Chesapeake Bay, stopping at Point Lookout and then heading to Annapolis,
Maryland. We saw the gold dome of the capitol in the distance and then
noticed sailboats manned by blue shirted, grey shorts wearing Naval Academy
cadets. Five or six to a boat, we assume learning to sail is part of their
training. Tough life!
In the
Annapolis City Marina, Grace was given a place of honor, right along the wall in
the heart of town. We were across from Starbuck's, the ice cream shop, and
several gift shops. Many curious tourists, licking ice cream cones or
sipping iced coffee, peered in our windows and watched with fascination as we
hosed the salt off the boat. It's fun to be the center of attention!
Despite the
intense heat and humidity, we explored the streets of this lovely waterfront
community, venturing as far as the capitol and post office. Flowering
potted plants hung along the streets and the houses and shops were
colorful and inviting.
That
evening, Bob's cousin Vicki, who lives just outside Annapolis, picked us up and
brought us to their beautiful country home for dinner and a great visit with
her, her husband Eric and mother Ruth. Bob had spent time in this area
when he was in the Air Force, where Ruth's place was his second
home.
Vicki's
husband, Eric Conklin, is a very accomplished artist, and we really
enjoyed seeing his studio and gallery and hearing about his passion for
art. Later, we heard great stories about Vicki and Eric's boating
days, when they lived aboard a 1928 51 foot cruiser, which they lovingly
restored. We had a wonderful dinner and a great time catching up with
these very special people, who gave us a most gracious welcome to
Maryland.
June 16, 2005
Congratulations,
Baltimore!
Boaters,
don't miss this place; it's an awesome spot to visit by boat! We stayed at
the very friendly and comfortable Anchorage Marina, from which we could easily
access the water taxi, which took us to all the city's best attractions,
including the USS Constellation, Aquarium, and Science Museum.
Baltimore's Inner Harbor area is fabulous! With boats everywhere, it's
dotted with outdoor waterfront dining, live music, and colorful flags flapping
in the wind. Congratulations to the city of Baltimore for making the most
of their waterfront, where thousands of people each day can enjoy being outside
by the water in a fun and festive atmosphere!
P.S.
You haven't had real crab 'til you've had Maryland crab!!!
June 18, 2005
Cape May
It claims to
be America's first seaside vacation spot; tired people have been coming to Cape
May, New Jersey since the late 18th Century to escape the rat race, breathe the
fresh sea air, relax on the wide, white sandy beaches, and cool off in the
Atlantic Ocean. While certainly a little more commercialized than in the
past, Cape May is an uncomplicated and lovely spot still, with its shady streets
lined with happy looking Victorian homes, colorfully painted and adorned with
intricate gingerbread. It calls us to stop and rest a while...
Like a horse
coming into the barn, the end of our Great Loop adventure is at hand, and we're
anxious to go home. We've been pushing hard, doing 5 70 mile days in a
row, but the wind is favorable for a run outside on the New Jersey coast, so we
will leave Cape May in the morning after only a brief visit. We hope
to come back!
June 20, 2005
Hello Lady Liberty; We're
Home!!!
What a
gorgeous run we had on the New Jersey coast! We left shortly after
sunrise on a warm and delightful morning. There was only a gentle breeze,
the waves were a foot or less, and it was too good to stop. Knowing that
these days don't come too often and that the alternative to an outside passage
was a very slow go through the New Jersey ICW, we decided to push on as far as
we could. On the final 30 miles of the trip, there is no alternative to an
outside passage, and so we plugged on to Sandy Hook, arriving exactly at sunset,
after traveling 136 miles in 14 hours. Relieved and excited, we enjoyed a
quiet anchorage and lovely sunset as we anticipated completing the Loop
tomorrow.
Timing our
departure to coincide with a favorable tide in Hell's Gate in New York Harbor,
we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast before heading toward Manhattan and
the Lady who saw us off on our voyage almost eleven months ago. It was
just as exciting seeing Lady Liberty a second time, knowing that passing her
again symbolized the completion of the Loop and the fulfillment of our
dream.
As we passed
through New York Harbor, we reminisced about our favorite spots, where we'd like
to go again, and most of all about the wonderful people we met, those who
traveled with us along the way, and those who loved and supported us from home,
through phone calls, email, and prayers. The places we saw were great, but
what made each place most interesting was finding out what the people who live
there do and are passionate about. We met people who love boating, fishermen,
and "salty" folks who know everything about their part of the sea,
river, or lake. We met people who who are fascinated by the big ships on
the Great Lakes, artists, craftsmen, people who adore their dogs, and people who
keep gorgeous gardens. There were many who love to travel, a few who are
proud to have the biggest limestone quarry in the world in their town, some who
are proud of their cooking, and lots of expert bass fishermen. There were
kids who love to surf, kids who dream of a life on the sea, and kids who
got to be home schooled so they could live on a boat for a year. We met
couples in love, retirees striking out on new adventures, brave people, funny
people, and countless other wonderful, interesting, special people all
over the eastern half of the United States. We have been blessed by
this experience!
June 21, 2005
Celebrating with New and
Old Friends on the Way Home
We decided
to pull into Captain's Cove in Bridgeport, one of our old favorite spots when we
kept our boat Aslan in Stamford. We called our friends Steve, Nancy, and
Elise and had a great visit with them over lunch/dinner at the Cove. Elise
is our god-daughter, and it was great to hear all that she's up to, including
the Senior Prom and a summer veterinary medicine program at Tufts. We told them
stories of our adventures on the Loop, and I guess it's finally beginning to hit
us that it's DONE!
That
evening, we tied up to the transient dock at Fayerweather Yacht Club and had a
really nice time chatting with the friendly people there. Our trip aroused a lot
of interest among the boaters there; we felt like visiting
celebrities! We crossed the
Sound this morning and are at anchor near Montauk Point; tomorrow we will head
to Block Island for a visit to our old favorite spot before the final leg home
to New Bedford.
June 27, 2005
Getting Our Land Legs Back
After only one night on Block, the forecast was good for the next day, followed
by windy and rough conditions for quite awhile. Besides, we were ready to
come home to our new house and begin the next adventure.
We
bought the house in January and loved it in spite of snow, ice, and winds.
However, seeing it in the summer, we are delighted with our home by the
water. The warm breeze off Buzzards Bay keeps us cool, and the swimming
right here at our own beach is just great!
We went to a
town fair this weekend and learned quite a bit about the area. One booth
was sponsored by a local church, where we talked to the pastor and visited there
Sunday. We liked it very much! We know God led us to this area for a
reason, and we eagerly wait to find out what lies ahead.
We call our house "The Beach House," as opposed to "our
house" or "the Davis House." We're doing this on purpose
because we want all of you, our friends and family, to feel that you have a
beach house too. You are welcome here whenever you need a place for R
&R, to smell the salt air, or just to hang out with friends. We
have a lot of room and would love to have you. Don't wait for a personal
invitation; just call!
