Steve Martin once gave advice about having a lot of money.... "First," he would say, "win a million dollars". The same advice is relevant in having a boat. First, find a friend with a boat.
That's what Team VFH did this past weekend. And, it was the most glorious of Sundays spent on the Chesapeake Bay. Team VFH's tentacles weave through many relationships and opportunities and a dear friend of Janet's (and now mine) has a boat moored on the South River near Annapolis. We spent the day on the calm water under flawless blue skies, exploring different coves and ogling all the homes that lined the water. He had lunch at a place called Thursday's, though we avoided the crabs as they were $60 for a dozen... ouch... Evidently Hurricaine Irene last year destroyed a lot of the crab population and the price has risen accordinly. We stopped often in our meanderings to take dips in the water when we wanted to sober up or cool down. This had to have been a TOP TEN DAY for Team VFH for something like this is far beyond our means, but the best part was we were asked to come along for the ride. We did not have to mooch.
We were guests.... imagine that.... People must like us....Just Saying...
I have rented power boats before, near Fortescue, NJ in order to go crabbing, but that was in very calm water. I could never have piloted the boat as skillfully as our host Captain Tracy. Though she said the conditions were perfect on this calm day, that there were no whitecaps, as the day progressed and boat traffic churned the water it became a bumpy ride. At first I was nervous and white-knuckled it behind the wind screen, though later in the day I was relaxing in the bow seats giggling like a kid on a roller coaster. Still, I would not want to pilot the craft, especially when the waters of the South River collided with the Chesapeake. It got very choppy. Because we were in a small boat with a shallow keel we would get slapped around if we ventured further into the far vaster waters of the Chesapeake. Kent Island shimmered in the distance and Captain Tracy said there was a whole slew of great bars over there, and that's why she was shopping for a bigger boat! So, this day we had to skim the edge of the Bay, dodge crab traps and marvel at the much bigger boats we passed. It was a very enjoyable day and we stayed out until the late afternoon.
It's a different world down in Maryland than where I live. There is money in New York and celebrities in L.A., but in the Washington D.C. area there is power. Military, government. There's a certain charm that comes with this established elite and in Annapolis it is on full display. The boats moored in the marina, the Naval Academy hedging the town, the midshipmen mingling with civilians, the old, worn, warm taverns, the Maryland State House presiding over all from its hilltop vantage point, Main Street lined with the bars and restaurants all give Annapolis a charm not found elsewhere.
Friday we drove down for the weekend along the idyllic Route 301, and avoiding the frenetic Route 95. As we were opposite of all the commuting traffic we had an easy time going over the Bay Bridge. There is no toll when heading west. This route extended our travel time by about 20 minutes, but we were better for the lack of wear. When we arrived in Annapolis we parked the car and ate at a Mexican Restaurant along Main Street that served very strong margaritas. Afterwards we strolled down to the marina and stopped at Pussers Caribbean Grille. It was packed. Right on the water, there were several boats moored at the wharf. People on the boats were ordering drinks from the waitress. There was a guy playing reggae guitar. It was worth a stop. http://pussersusa.com/locations/annapolis-restaurant
We stayed with Captain Tracy for two nights. On Saturday, our wolf pack of three having grown to five, we drove up to Baltimore to see the Philadelphia Phillies play the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. We were part of a group from Philadelphia. The fans of Philadelphia are renowned for their devotion and traveling to watch their teams play. This was a trip that had three buses complete with hotel packages, a ticket for the game, all the headache beer you can stomach, and bbq for food at a four hour tailgate party. Rather than pay for hotels we opted to stay with the Captain, but went to the tailgate party. Janet's brother and his wife met us there. We had chairs and sat in a parking lot of the Camden Pub a couple of blocks from the ball park. It was hot as blazes and there was no shade. It was around the corner from the birthplace and museum of Babe Ruth. At one point to escape the heat I went around and talked a bit with the curator. I did not go in though. http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the official name, was the first of the "retro" Major League Base Ball parks to be constructed. It was completed in 1992. When I heard that this trip was in the works for Team VFH I was very happy, despite the cost. Our tab was just over $100 each, but for years I had watched games with the old warehouse looming in right field and had always wanted to go. Our seats were in the upper deck, but directly behind home plate. We were surrounded by raucous, boisterous Phillies fans, but at least we were in the shade. The game went into extra innings, but sadly the Phillies lost in the 12th when a two run walk off home run by Adam Jones ended the game.
Afterwards we walked by the packed Pickles Pub, the famous bar just across the street from the ball park and considered going for some "cheap ass beer", but opted to go to Quigley's Half Irish Pub for a couple of drinks before we headed back to Annapolis. We eyed suspiciously a couple of fellows in Orioles gear drinking 40 oz. Natty Boh ... National Bohemian ...a local brew... but they were harmless, discussing the win as they sat on seats placed on the sidewalk in front of Quigley's. It was an easy day and the trip left us interested in exploring more of Baltimore. (Come on... it's just a ploy to get back on the boat... just saying....)
That's what Team VFH did this past weekend. And, it was the most glorious of Sundays spent on the Chesapeake Bay. Team VFH's tentacles weave through many relationships and opportunities and a dear friend of Janet's (and now mine) has a boat moored on the South River near Annapolis. We spent the day on the calm water under flawless blue skies, exploring different coves and ogling all the homes that lined the water. He had lunch at a place called Thursday's, though we avoided the crabs as they were $60 for a dozen... ouch... Evidently Hurricaine Irene last year destroyed a lot of the crab population and the price has risen accordinly. We stopped often in our meanderings to take dips in the water when we wanted to sober up or cool down. This had to have been a TOP TEN DAY for Team VFH for something like this is far beyond our means, but the best part was we were asked to come along for the ride. We did not have to mooch.
We were guests.... imagine that.... People must like us....Just Saying...
I have rented power boats before, near Fortescue, NJ in order to go crabbing, but that was in very calm water. I could never have piloted the boat as skillfully as our host Captain Tracy. Though she said the conditions were perfect on this calm day, that there were no whitecaps, as the day progressed and boat traffic churned the water it became a bumpy ride. At first I was nervous and white-knuckled it behind the wind screen, though later in the day I was relaxing in the bow seats giggling like a kid on a roller coaster. Still, I would not want to pilot the craft, especially when the waters of the South River collided with the Chesapeake. It got very choppy. Because we were in a small boat with a shallow keel we would get slapped around if we ventured further into the far vaster waters of the Chesapeake. Kent Island shimmered in the distance and Captain Tracy said there was a whole slew of great bars over there, and that's why she was shopping for a bigger boat! So, this day we had to skim the edge of the Bay, dodge crab traps and marvel at the much bigger boats we passed. It was a very enjoyable day and we stayed out until the late afternoon.
It's a different world down in Maryland than where I live. There is money in New York and celebrities in L.A., but in the Washington D.C. area there is power. Military, government. There's a certain charm that comes with this established elite and in Annapolis it is on full display. The boats moored in the marina, the Naval Academy hedging the town, the midshipmen mingling with civilians, the old, worn, warm taverns, the Maryland State House presiding over all from its hilltop vantage point, Main Street lined with the bars and restaurants all give Annapolis a charm not found elsewhere.
Friday we drove down for the weekend along the idyllic Route 301, and avoiding the frenetic Route 95. As we were opposite of all the commuting traffic we had an easy time going over the Bay Bridge. There is no toll when heading west. This route extended our travel time by about 20 minutes, but we were better for the lack of wear. When we arrived in Annapolis we parked the car and ate at a Mexican Restaurant along Main Street that served very strong margaritas. Afterwards we strolled down to the marina and stopped at Pussers Caribbean Grille. It was packed. Right on the water, there were several boats moored at the wharf. People on the boats were ordering drinks from the waitress. There was a guy playing reggae guitar. It was worth a stop. http://pussersusa.com/locations/annapolis-restaurant
We stayed with Captain Tracy for two nights. On Saturday, our wolf pack of three having grown to five, we drove up to Baltimore to see the Philadelphia Phillies play the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. We were part of a group from Philadelphia. The fans of Philadelphia are renowned for their devotion and traveling to watch their teams play. This was a trip that had three buses complete with hotel packages, a ticket for the game, all the headache beer you can stomach, and bbq for food at a four hour tailgate party. Rather than pay for hotels we opted to stay with the Captain, but went to the tailgate party. Janet's brother and his wife met us there. We had chairs and sat in a parking lot of the Camden Pub a couple of blocks from the ball park. It was hot as blazes and there was no shade. It was around the corner from the birthplace and museum of Babe Ruth. At one point to escape the heat I went around and talked a bit with the curator. I did not go in though. http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/
 |
| Camden Yards |
 |
| Natty Boh |
 |
| Janet almost ran away with this guy |
No comments:
Post a Comment