The sights and sounds of the east coast seem amplified here in the Chesapeake. Between the naval presence, the architecture, and the shoreline beauty there’s always something to behold down each finger and around each turn.
Chesapeake, Spend a day or a Summer
SAMMONS ISLAND! – Chesapeake Bay, MarylandREAL Crab Cakes – The bestThe original Drum Point Lighthouse on display at Calvert Maritime Museum, one of the four Chesapeake cottage type lighthouses.From the anchorage we were able to watch the Naval air station at Patuxent River practice with many types of airships including the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey…. a helicopter type airplane with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. Cool sights and sounds here!!
Annapolis is an amazing harbor town where all roads lead to the Maryland State House – where George Washington emotionally resigned as commander-in-chief marking the beginning of civilian authority over the military.
So fun just walking around historic districts on the east coast – The charm of the architecture is captivating
Our mooring ball at the Annapolis City Docks was right outside Ego Alley & the Naval Academy.
Annapolis is really a drinking town with a sailing problem
a local
Reacquainted with old friends from Ottawa, IL now living in Annapolis
Annapolis Naval Academy – If you look closely at the wave in the submarine sculpture you see faces of actual seamen lost at sea – commemorating 100 years of the submarine force.Every morning we woke to the academy trumpet blowing Reveille and the Star Spangled Banner & in the evening, instead of a conch horn, we would get a full blown Taps…something we looked forward to at the end of each day! Bancroft Hall houses the entire academy student body, 4,000 midshipmen, the largest college dorm in the world.
The Jersey Shore – Cape May, NJ – an Atlantic coastal town with a Victorian influence. Great charming beach town we would return to in the future.
Always fun to have friends visit along the way! Thanks Kathy and Dave
Barnegat Light, NJ – a fishing town with a more modern fleet than we’ve seen thus far – we missed the ‘Blessing of the Fleet’ by one day:(
We left at first light to outrun a storm – we were escorted by the local Coast Guard – the inlet is wild & willy, Sea C plowed bow first like a champ into 9 foot rolling waves.
A quick stop in Deltaville, VA, a sleepy fishing and sailing town, introduces us to the state of Virginia which leads us to a great stop at Norfolk, VA.
Anchored out, paid $11 at the local marina which enabled us the use of bikes, courtesy car, laundry, pool, showers etc. Did a little provisioning with a fellow looper, one load of laundry, & grabbed some coffee in the AM in this tiny, one road town! Didn’t realize that this is also the headquarters for Curtis Stokes the famous Loop sponsor yacht broker! Didn’t have time to wait for the super slow dryer, pulled anchor & took advantage of the beating sun under way! #thereareracksforthatThis bridge came immediately after a lock. The tender ran this operation like a drill sergeant – “north bound boats move up quickly, south bound boats make room etc”. Everything was timed to precision. We use an app that helps us time our pace with the scheduled opening of each bridge, yet we still find ourselves waiting, especially when a RR bridge is quoted as OPEN unless a train is coming but every boater we talked to had to hail and wait…?!?As we neared Norfolk we cruised past dozens of warships, realizing the depth of military presence. We were to stay clear by at least 100 yards, or else!Excellent dock right next to the festival park and USS Wisconsin naval ship. Caught up with ol’ Looper buddies, Steve and Kristin on Legacy, had dinner at a great nearby restaurant, Saltine, to swap stories & catch up.
‘The Big Wisky’ (the last battleship!) served in three conflicts over its 6 decade lifespan. Go Badgers! #almamater
Big gun battleships gave way to aircraft carriers.
Chrysler Art Museum a must for those who appreciate art.
Mermaid is the mascot of the town. Many sculptures were around town, all privately owned as they were part of a fundraiser campaign at some point.
Too many mermaids to count. Don’t ask how many pics….
Cannonball shot by Lord Dunmore remains embedded in St Paul Church – quite a ways off the water really!
Many churches have historical cemeteries…always interesting reads.
Our marina neighbor, Andrew Cilla, is the owner and designer of this ultra modern “Outback 50”. This is hull #1 and he is looking for buyers, Versatility, Comfort and Efficiency. https://www.outbackyachts.com/
So many places to see and so little time to get it all in. It is impossible to capture all of the places we visit and the people we meet. The blog helps us to at least capture and share a few highlights. Our Snail Trail map has become a valuable tool to help us remember where we were on particular dates since it is all becoming blurry…
Absolutely loved traversing the Waccamaw River -had a close encounter with a feisty gator in Alligator Alley!
Alligator Alley
This hot humid night at anchor drove Pam to create a sleeping pod up in the flybridge. COZY and bug free!Love swing bridges!Beautiful front yard in Myrtle Beach. Apache Pier : Longest wooden pier on the Atlantic East Coast at 1206 feet long.
The Dunes of the southern outer banks;)
A young kid commented on how nice this sand sculpture was but wondered how long until somebody stomped on it -sad but probably true – Wrightsville Beach, NC
Lots a shrimper boats…Capt Ben!
So many shipping ports along the east coast ICW – it makes sense with all the inlets/sounds leading to the Atlantic.
Met up with Rick and Dee Dee from REJOICE
Oriental NC – mascot : the Oriental dragon displayed proudly by the community.
One of many dragon eggs waiting to hatch around town- fun, relaxed, highly quaint town.
Cute little boat house with tiny wet bar- Oriental, NC
One of our neighbors at the Oriental Marina and Inn
Artesian Well ~ Many boys used to steal their 1st kiss sitting on the concrete benches built under the 200 year old willow (you can still see the roots)Skinny tires don’t work so well in the sand but great everywhere else!Ocracoke OBX, NC
Built in 1794, the 2nd oldest lighthouse built on Ocracoke OBX NC at Pamlico Sound inlet.
The Magic Bean Cafe, OcracokeHow we cruise towns from an anchorage – unload the bikes, load the bikes, unload the bikes – we DO cover a lot of ground!!
Ocracoke, NC – Pam is head over heals!
ATTACKED BY MIDGE BUGS….Nags Head Anchorage was beautiful in the evening but we woke to no fewer than 2,000,000 Midge bugs blanketing Sea C. It took two full days to exterminate and clean the green slime they produce. Hoping we don’t run into more!
Coinjock Marina NC – known for its prime rib and great gas prices!
Dog in a box! 8 year old, Rudy from Coinjock, recently had radiation & chemo – when her hair grew back it was grey. Super happy, yet demure, pup! Rudy’s sister was seen swimming between the dock and the boats….while boats were docking?!?
Moving from the marshes of Georgia into the beautiful Cypress wetlands, the scenery has become more lush and pretty. We have had several days where we travel a short 20 miles, hop off to explore a historic town, then travel on to our next anchorage/destination….we call this day trippin’.
SAVANNAH GA is a breathtaking, history rich city, with a relaxed familiar feel. Twenty two beautiful park squares adorn the city which is laid out in a easy to stroll through grid.
The Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist in the historic district of Savannah, GA…So Beautiful!
Met our old neighbors, Kip & Marianna, for church at the basilica. This is the church where they were married, their daughter was married, in addition to Mariana’s mother and grandmother. Fun getting some history of Savannah while visiting!
Carriage step preserved outside the former convent near St Vincent School (where Kip volunteers). The carriage step era lasted only 300 years, a block of stone was placed near an entrance of homes to help passengers climb in and out.
Love seeing the history preserved.
You can hear the looonnnggg blast of the horn from across the squares and, depending on where you stand, look down the street from blocks away and see the container shop cruise through, towering over the buildings.
Sat a spell to rest in the shade and bear witness to a wedding in one of the many squares.
South Carolina ~ so many towns, so little time.
Notice the carriage stoop – only the wealthiest had their own carriage.., Beaufort SC
Local artists can be seen capturing the southern beauty in their painting, from homes to shrimp boats!
Swing bridge on the ICW in Beaufort!
The Chocolate Tree where Forrest Gimp got his ‘box of chocolates’ – a Beaufort icon that Tom Hanks loved!
The house where the movie “The Big Chill” was filmed in Beaufort, SC
The pastel edifices of Rainbow Row ~ Charleston, SC
We appreciated the many different facades in this historical town. Charleston, SC
Many porches faced along the side of the house with a path leading to a lush garden in back…the gates on southern homes are also often elaborate. Charleston, SC
Hitching post out front and elaborate window box , Charleston SC
Watering trough, coal or ice delivery shoot? Charleston, SC
These round stones were originally used as ballast on ships – when arriving from England m they were discarded to make room for cargo. The stones were later repurposed on the roads. They may be robust, but make for a rough ride!. Charleston, SC
Carolina Colors
Dingy to the Georgetown SC City Dock
Georgetown River Walk
Plenty of peaceful, scenic anchorages in the Carolinas.
A fuel stop (190 gal) at McLellanville lead to an overnight stay where we were able to buy some fresh just off the boat shrimp from Carolina Seafood and see a 1,000 year old oak tree. A great little shrimpin’ village!
1000 year old Oak Tree! McLellanville, SC
The blue hydrangea in back matched the sky so well! McLellanville, SC
Purple martin gourd birdhouses very popular around here! McLellanville, SC
Love a good Chevy truck although I prefer blue! McLellanville, SC
This is an old post (May 21) that somehow got disconnected from the blog and it is being reposted…..Oops
😊😊We are finally headed North of Jacksonville which is where we abandoned ship when everything closed in April of 2020! After a marvelous stint in the Bahamas, we motored quickly up the Florida Atlantic coast to get back on track and anchored overnight during most stops. As we move beyond Jacksonville the challenge is to pick the locations/experiences and amount of time to spend in each. There is sooo much to see up the coast it is tough to choose.
Back in the water! Sea C was in the shop in Titusville, FL for a couple weeks to get the bottom painted & fix a few other odds & ends. We lived 8 ft in the air for a few days before going home for a spell.
Cousin Paul and Kimberly (& dog, Kudjo from Cudjoe Key) in Wilbur-by-the-Sea, Fl. They are building a beautiful home in the area.
Wilbur is just south of Daytona Beach, FL & north of New Smyrna.
Didn’t know you could ride on New Smyrna Beach like you can on Daytona Beach.
We see these little winged fish all the time flying through the air for 10-20 feet at a time.
Fernandino Beach on Amelia Island, Very important meeting with these two regarding how to exend the railroad further South.
Fernandino Beach has a shrimp festival to commemorate three shrimpers that challenged one another to see who’s shrimp boat was the fastest.
The shrimping industry came into the modern era here on Amelia Island as they moved away from paddle boats and into the modern day shrimp boat.
Wild horses roam free on Cumberland Island, GA. Dungeness Ruins, owned by the Carnegie family, was a party place in its day.
The beaches of Cumberland Island are filled with wildlife galore. Here’s one of the many beached jellies.
Bike trails lead from one end of island to the other, to several beaches, shaded with moss covered oaks.
Great bike trails around Jekyll Island, GA.
Many buildings along the Georgia coast were built with Tabby ~ composed of sand, lime, oyster shell and water mixed into mortar.
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island
Pam loves cemeteries.
DeLegal Creek Marina, on Skidaway Island. We came here to visit an old neighbor who lives in The Landings.
Our marina fee included a Discovery Pass for the landings, complete with golf cart, which included access to all amenities in this community. 8500 people live here on 4,000 lots a stones throw from Savannah, GA.
A well designed community has paths leading to 6 professional golf courses/clubhouses, 5 pools, 16 pickleball & 32 tennis courts and a village with necessities for the residents on the island.
The many marshes of Georgia make for great anchorages. Dolphins and birds abound.
Loopin' with Mike n Pam 