We made it safely back to Michigan after a safe but miserable ride in a small Kia rental car with NO CRUISE CONTROL! Did you even know they make cars today without cruise control???!!! It was nice to land in Grand Rapids and spend the night with our friends Tom & Amy, who had been "car-sitting" for our Acadia.
We made it back to Ludington on Thursday, just in time to get unpacked and prepare for the arrival of our awesome children and grandchildren on Friday for our annual Memorial Day Weekend extravaganza. The weekend was no disappointment, as usual, with much fun and as many loving hugs and kisses as we could grab! For a change, the weather actually cooperated. It's great to be home with family.
Over the next few weeks we have many adventures scheduled with friends and family, so time will fly. We will enjoy every moment, but still look forward to returning to the water and completing the Loop.
Regularly, we are in touch with Looper friends who are continuing on their journey. They are providing great tips on what to avoid and what to see when we return and take the same path northward. We are both anxious to reconnect and hopefully be able to celebrate "wake-crossings" as they occur along the way. For those non-boater people, wake-crossing is when a boat finishes the loop at their starting point - typically their home port. Our wake-crossing will occur toward the end of September and we hope to have old friends, new friends, and family here to greet us and celebrate!
Since we will be home until after the week of July 4, there will be no Loop adventures to share on our blog. Thus, there will be no postings here until after we resume our journey. Thanks SO VERY MUCH to our loyal and loving followers. Mark your calendar for July 11 or 12 to watch for new postings, as we "plunge" into new adventures on the waterway. In the meantime, it is likely we will see many of you while in Ludington/Grand Rapids/Pentwater over these next few weeks. Hugs to everyone!
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
May 18, 2015 - Bittersweet day...
Today my thoughts were with "ex-family" and my children as they laid to rest the patriarch and matriarch of the Bareham family. I felt very sad to not be there to say good-bye to two wonderful people who were very much my family for over 40 years. In addition, it was David's (son) 37th birthday. Grieving and rejoicing...all part of the same day, removed from it all and reflecting on the gift of life and lasting memories.
The past few days have presented heavy rains and very muggy, hot weather. Today was no exception. We rode our bikes to the National Aquarium where we spent a good part of the day, then had a late lunch at Phillips Seafood on the Harbor. While in the aquarium, it cut loose with a very heavy rain but had cleared by the time we left. Fortunately, our rides to and from the aquarium and inner harbor were rain-free.
Tonight is laundry night, as we are preparing for our trip to Anchor Bay East Marina tomorrow morning. At Anchor Bay we will leave the boat for the 6 weeks while in Michigan enjoying family and friends for a little of Michigan's summer. While gone, we are planning to have the hull painted (sadly, the blue is very faded) and will have the carpeting replaced with teak & holly hardwood floor. We will be excited to return in July and enjoy the "renovation" for the rest of our trip.
The past few days have presented heavy rains and very muggy, hot weather. Today was no exception. We rode our bikes to the National Aquarium where we spent a good part of the day, then had a late lunch at Phillips Seafood on the Harbor. While in the aquarium, it cut loose with a very heavy rain but had cleared by the time we left. Fortunately, our rides to and from the aquarium and inner harbor were rain-free.
Tonight is laundry night, as we are preparing for our trip to Anchor Bay East Marina tomorrow morning. At Anchor Bay we will leave the boat for the 6 weeks while in Michigan enjoying family and friends for a little of Michigan's summer. While gone, we are planning to have the hull painted (sadly, the blue is very faded) and will have the carpeting replaced with teak & holly hardwood floor. We will be excited to return in July and enjoy the "renovation" for the rest of our trip.
 |
| Francis Scott Key Bridge |
 |
| Abandoned fort along the Chesapeake, near Baltimore |
 |
| Near this boat along the shore is where, on September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Ft. McHenry-over 25 hours of shelling and rockets raining down, inflicting only minor damage on Ft. McHenry. After the smoke cleared, defenders raised a 32x42' flag, which inspired Francis Scott Key to make notes for a poem that later became our National Anthem. His notes included several verses, but only the first verse became the words of our National Anthem. |
 |
| Baltimore is a very active shipping community, with military and cargo ships plentiful along the shoreline. |
 |
| One of the cargo areas where cargo is loaded onto ships via these large cranes |
 |
| Welcome to Baltimore! |
 |
| Ft. McHenry, just on the outskirts of Baltimore. This 18th century star-shaped fort is considered the birthplace of our National Anthem. After the Battle of Baltimore in the war of 1812, the fort never again came under attack and remained an active military post for the next 100 years. In the Civil War, it was used as a prison camp for Union soldiers. It is now a national monument and historical shrine under the National Park Service. |
 |
| Ship along the shoreline...one of many |
 |
| Cargo ship waiting to be loaded |
 |
| Anchorage Marina, Baltimore...our home for 5 days |
 |
| Many of these row houses grace the Baltimore shoreline, and walkways are located all around the harbor, making it a wonderful place for runners, bikers, and walkers to enjoy the harbor shoreline. In the background you can see the onion domes of St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church rising above the homes at the edge of Patterson Park. The church features four corner domes in the form of a Greek Cross that rise 45 ft. with a central dome that rises 100 ft. In 1997 gold leaf was added to the copper domes and is one of Baltimore's most distinctive "new" landmarks. |
 |
| Mama duck and her babies swimming near our boat |
 |
| Anniversary dinner...could it really be 21 years?!!! |
 |
| Boats like this cruise the harbor picking up trash..."marine garbage trucks" |
 |
| Landmarks along the Inner Harbor of Baltimore |
 |
| Baltimore's World Trade Center...this statue outside the WTC honors the people of Maryland killed in the 9/11 attacks and displays part of the twisted steel from the World Trade Center in New York City. |
 |
| View from the "Top of the World" in Baltimore's World Trade Center |
 |
| Another view of the city from "Top of the World" |
 |
| Timeline of the attacks on 9/11 |
 |
| Spectacular 360 view from "Top of the World" |
 |
| More from "Top of the World" |
 |
| St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church |
 |
| Dinner and cocktails on Patriot with Mary Ellen & Kurt (Loophole) |
 |
| Lots of trash along Baltimore Harbor for the "marine garbage truck" to pick up daily |
 |
| Cloudy skies over the marina |
 |
| Domino Sugar plant in Baltimore. This sign is among America's largest signs active since 1951. It burns energy equivalent to power 15 households. The sugar refinery, opened in 1922, produces 250,000 5-lb bags of sugar every day. Each time I buy a bag of sugar, this will come to mind. |
 |
| Canadian visitors we enjoyed chatting with at lunch at Phillips Seafood House. Very nice family who came to Baltimore to watch the Preakness. Very much enjoyed meeting them!! |
May 18, 2015 - Baltimore
We arrived in Baltimore on the 14th, our anniversary. Our travels in the afternoon, due to higher wind & waves on the Chesapeake than we liked. By the time we left, it was a beautiful trip with calm seas, minimal wind and sunny skies.
Having been to Baltimore a few years ago, we had a good lay of the land so hopped on our bikes to explore and revisit the Inner Harbor. We went to the "Top of the World" showplace/museum in the Baltimore World Trade Center. The 360 view was spectacular and exhibits interesting, always sobering to hear about 9/11 tragedies.
For our anniversary we went to dinner just across the street from our slip for a Thursday night special of music and happy hour specials. Fun!!
After Jim's mysterious maneuvering and clandestine phone calls, he announced that his anniversary surprise for me was attend to Saturday's Preakness!!!!! We were both excited about actually being there for this occasion that we almost always watch on tv.
(Jim is picking up the narrative from this point) Before purchasing the tickets on line, a guy here at the marina suggested that we get infield tickets, because "that is where the big party is". Not knowing any better, that is what I did, but after experiencing it, we both wished we had different tickets, inside the grandstand. It was extremely hot, sunny, crowded(120,000 people) with young people in a partying mood (many of whom were drunk or passed out). We had no chairs, so we just sat on the ground on an empty box. We saw a few races, actually won a little money, and left early before the actual Preakness race to watch it on TV back at the boat. Oh well, we learned something for the next time!
We love inner harbor Baltimore that is surrounded by a brick path that is continually used by walkers, runners, and bikers who are exercising. There are are numerous restaurants, bars, stores, attractions, etc. along this pathway that is several miles long. Today we will visit the Aquarium which is one of the big attractions here. Tomorrow will be spent preparing the boat to be left for about 6 weeks in Baltimore as we head home for the first part of the summer before returning to finish off the loop by sometime in September.
Having been to Baltimore a few years ago, we had a good lay of the land so hopped on our bikes to explore and revisit the Inner Harbor. We went to the "Top of the World" showplace/museum in the Baltimore World Trade Center. The 360 view was spectacular and exhibits interesting, always sobering to hear about 9/11 tragedies.
For our anniversary we went to dinner just across the street from our slip for a Thursday night special of music and happy hour specials. Fun!!
After Jim's mysterious maneuvering and clandestine phone calls, he announced that his anniversary surprise for me was attend to Saturday's Preakness!!!!! We were both excited about actually being there for this occasion that we almost always watch on tv.
(Jim is picking up the narrative from this point) Before purchasing the tickets on line, a guy here at the marina suggested that we get infield tickets, because "that is where the big party is". Not knowing any better, that is what I did, but after experiencing it, we both wished we had different tickets, inside the grandstand. It was extremely hot, sunny, crowded(120,000 people) with young people in a partying mood (many of whom were drunk or passed out). We had no chairs, so we just sat on the ground on an empty box. We saw a few races, actually won a little money, and left early before the actual Preakness race to watch it on TV back at the boat. Oh well, we learned something for the next time!
We love inner harbor Baltimore that is surrounded by a brick path that is continually used by walkers, runners, and bikers who are exercising. There are are numerous restaurants, bars, stores, attractions, etc. along this pathway that is several miles long. Today we will visit the Aquarium which is one of the big attractions here. Tomorrow will be spent preparing the boat to be left for about 6 weeks in Baltimore as we head home for the first part of the summer before returning to finish off the loop by sometime in September.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
May 13, 2015 - Here, there and everywhere!
On Sunday we drove back to Annapolis and spent Monday morning trying to recover from fatigue. In the afternoon we walked over to the Naval Academy for a tour. We were so impressed with the midshipmen who we met, all very poised, clearly intelligent, and athletically fit. Each year about 17,000 young people apply to the Naval Academy while only about 1100 are accepted. Today, about 1/4 of these midshipmen are women, and there is a graduation rate of about 88%. For dinner we connected with Kurt & Mary Ellen (Loophole) who were docked in a neighboring marina.
On Tuesday, we got an early start on our walk back to the Naval Academy to see the museum, which we had missed yesterday. It was extremely hot and muggy, so it was good to get back to the air conditioned boat after our tour. We had a great lunch at the Officer's Club at the Naval Academy and a very enjoyable day. The day was topped off with an enjoyable docktail session with Kurt & Mary Ellen and George & Martha on "Aunt Aggie".
Today we arose early and rode our bikes to the commuter bus station for our trip to Washington D.C. for the day, where we connected with Mark & Vicki. Thankfully, the weather was much cooler today, so we had a very good day.
 |
| The draft horse pulling the cart in Beaufort, SC when the wheel fell off. He stayed calm, cool and collected. |
 |
| Just to be safe, ambulance, police & fire were called in case of injuries when the wheel fell off our carriage. |
 |
| In Beaufort, SC the current was so strong that we were unable to get out of our slip until slack tide. Consequently, we ended up cross-wise in the slip. |
 |
| Mark & Vicki with us on the beach in N. Myrtle Beach, SC |
 |
| Happy hour with Mark & Vicki on Patriot in Elizabeth City, tray adorned with a rose from the "boaters rose garden" |
 |
| Mark & Vicki & us enjoying dinner at the Columbian Theater in Portsmouth, VA |
 |
| Tribute to Alex Haley in Annapolis, MD |
 |
| Bronze statues of Alex Haley reading to local children in the middle of historic Annapolis |
 |
| Beautiful, aromatic flowers in full bloom in Annapolis |
 |
| Chapel at Annapolis Naval Academy |
 |
| Bancroft Hall, the largest dormitory in the U.S. All 4,500 students at the Academy live and eat in this mammoth dormitory |
 |
| Main chapel at the Naval Academy, located on a high point in the Yard - the highest building in the city, even higher than the Maryland State Capitol building. Dedicated in 1908, this chapel hosts Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, and Jewish services. |
 |
| Beautiful stained glass windows in the chapel which were designed by Tiffany and Gorham Studios |
 |
| Chapel dome |
 |
| The crypt of John Paul Jones, located in the lower level of the chapel. John Paul Jones was one of the greatest naval heroes of the Revolutionary War. His remains were brought to the U.S. in 1905 after 113 years of obscurity in a cemetery in Paris. |
 |
| Lunch at the 18th century Middleton Tavern, one of the local gathering spots of some of the most revered leaders during the period around the American Revolution. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were among the most famous patrons. |
 |
| Patriot, in the slip at Annapolis City Marina |
 |
| Middleton Tavern |
 |
| Naval Academy mission...remarkable and impressive! |
 |
| As we learned at the Naval Museum, John Paul Jones is generally considered the unofficial "father" of the US Navy. Born in Scotland, he led the Continental fleet to victory over the British naval forces in the 1700's with great courage and bravery. He later lad naval forces also in France and Russia. |
 |
| Among Naval Academy graduates are numerous distinguished and well known Americans, such as the great NBA Hall of Fame member, David Robinson (above). Other graduates of the Accademy include President Jimmy Carter, Senator John McCain, college football Heisman Trophy winners Roger Staubach and Joe Bellino, and several NASA astronauts, including the first American in space, Alan Shepard, and a crew member of Apollo 8 and 13 flights, James Lovell (who was on the first flight to circumnavigate the moon). |
 |
| Our beautiful White House...always a thrilling sight! |
 |
| In memory of those lost in the Revolution |
 |
| Eisenhower Office Building in D.C. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)