Annapolis...adult style!

The kids are in Illinois right now and while we miss them terribly, we decided to take the opportunity to do some things we just don't/can't do while they are here.

We left the dock just before 6pm Friday night for a beautiful evening of sailing.  Perfect breeze, comfy temps, and a gorgeous sunset.  There was no vacancy in the mooring field so we just dropped the hook off USNA.  

Saturday morning we were about to drop the dinghy to head into town when a quick scan with the binos revealed an open mooring ball.  With a possibility of storms that night, we swooped in to claim it.  And then began a lazy day in Annapolis!  We started our gastronomic tour at Sofi's Crepes--yum!  A quick stop at Shades on the Bay, with some fabulous customer service, and the Captain was outfitted with new shades!  We lazily walked the lesser known streets away from the crowds.  I scored a few new hats at Hats in the Belfry before we took a long dinghy cruise up Spa Creek.  Aaahhhhh...  Back in town I got dumped on by a bird!  Oh well!  Joss Sushi Cafe provided a perfect, light lunch before we spent the afternoon reading, sunning, and swimming back at the boat.  

For dinner we got all dressed up and headed to Harry Browne's for dinner.  We found it via Groupon (and got $50 off dinner!) and it was awesome.  We had so much food--spinach Gorgonzola ravioli, grilled watermelon and feta salad, fried green tomato caprese, lamb, scallops and shrimp, wines, and lemon cake--and it was all really good!  The service was great, too.  We were so stuffed that all we could manage after dinner was a little dinghy ride.  Such a perfect night!  

 

Tough Mountain Weekend

For the second year in a row we headed up to Maine for a weekend of getting dirty with my friends at the Tough Mountain Challenge at Sunday River Ski Resort.  Frank even ran this year!  He also was a superstar dad, watching four kids under the age of 7 while the gals ran.  And both kids rocked the mini challenge (right before a wicked downpour!).  Despite a power outage at the resort Friday night, we had a fabulous time at the Jordan Resort once again.  It was so good, we've already signed up for 2014!

Quick escape

0830 "Well what do you want to do today?  Get underway?"  Showers, filled water, had coffee...

0915 Underway!  Destination--unknown!

No wind, fishing, fluky wind, and finally the iron genny led us to a nice little anchorage in the Rhode River.  The nettles weren't too bad so we swam a bit.  Someone moored a float with a slide on it out here and the kids had a blast with that!  Both kids got hit by nettles eventually.

Dinner, movie night, and now fishing as the sun sets.  I like these little escapes.

A quiet end to the festivities

After the excitement of Annapolis we crossed the bay to the Miles River and the relative calm of Saint Michaels.  Sadly the nettles were pretty bad here so swimming was out, but we had fun with dinghy rides, playing at the park, and cooling off with ice cream.  We hit up our favorite toy store to pick up classic Monopoly and watched Captain Ron to refresh us on some of the rules.

Saturday we took advantage of the free admission at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for military families.  It was great!  In all the times we'd been to this town before we hadn't visited, but with two nights on the hook we were finally able to.  It was blazing hot out, but the combo of buildings with a/c and outside displays was bearable.  Then while cooking dinner back at the boat we spotted a dolphin right in the anchorage among the boat!  The third and final fireworks show of the weekend capped off our visit and it was great, too!

Sailing home, heading for the pool to cool off!

The start of a fabulous 4th

We kicked off our Independence Day celebration on the 3rd, goofing off at the beach, grilling with the neighbors, and taking in the spectacular HHS fireworks from the upper deck of Renaissance Lady.

A nice sail up the bay put us in Annapolis for their show on the 4th.  One word--crowded!  I always love hanging out in a busy anchorage in 15kt breezes with folks who have never used their tiny anchor and nylon rode outside of a protected cove!  The highlights...not-so-discreetly pulling out the fenders as a small runabout tried to anchor on our starboard side, saying in a rather conversational tone "excuse me, but I think you're dragging" to two guys in the cockpit of a sailboat mere feet from our bow, and the winner--the guy with a petite wife and two kids in a Grady White, who dropped the anchor with his good arm that wasn't in a sling and then assured us he would keep an eye on our rode ~5' from his prop, which he kept engaging since he was dragging.  Despite all that "fun" the show was great!