Greek's Folly on the Great Loop: Herrington Harbor to Annapolis, Md

July 27 Harrington Harbor to San Domingo Creek.

We returned from Illinois, after a nine day hiatus, to continue our adventure in the Chesapeake bay. Our traveling guess, sister Bonnie, is ready for some boating experience. We departed the marina and headed east into the Choptank River. We anchored in San Domingo creek which is close to the small, quaint town of St. Michaels. Because of the the heat and humidity, we decided to create our own breeze and go for a dinghy ride. We explored all the little forks in the river but could not find the breeze. The five if us, Jon and Pam too, enjoyed dinner of pasta and scallops and fun conversation. The heat was "beastly"so we were thankful for the generator and the air conditioning.

Departing Herrington Harbor

Bonnie had little difficulty getting into the cruising mode

July 28 Saint Michaels via San Domingo Creek

We rose earlier, due to the heat, and after a quick breakfast headed into town. We approached St. Michaels via the back door, meaning we parked off the creek and walked into town. A great little town with lots of shops for the girls, a famous Maritime Museum for the guys, pizza for lunch, ice cream for dessert, and beautiful, quaint, homes. Some private homes had manicured gardens which they open to the public for viewing and enjoyment. One could walk into their backyard, sit on their patio, and enjoy their flowers and plants. These homeowners were very proud of their gardens and enjoyed sharing them. Back on the boat we hauled anchor and headed to Cambridge,another small town south on the Chesapeake. As we approached the mouth of the town harbor, the dark skies opened and drown us with rain. Due to the lack of visibility, and not knowing exactly where we were headed, we returned to the bay to wait out the storm. As it let up we headed in to find the town wall on which we moored for the night. Just as we tied, and Short Vacation was about to dock, the skies let loose again and Tom and Colletta got drenched. Another wet adventure.

July 29 Cambridge.

This morning Tom went out for his walk and funny and Colletta headed into town to explore and "get their steps in". The five of us then strolled into town for lunch at Jimmy and Sooks, with the specialty of crap. The girls shopped the few stores and of course the guys went to the hardware store. We then walked to the public marina and visited with Jim and Ann O'Malley, MTOA members. It was a long, eventful day so the captain and crew were tired.

July 30 Cambridge to Annapolis

Another early morning departure in an effort to get to Annapolis by noon. The waters were fairly calm, sky mostly sunny, and Bonnie enjoy cruising while sitting on the bow. Our arrival in Annapolis had the goal of getting a convenient mooring ball close to the downtown dinghy dock and that was achieved. We strolled through the historic district of Annapolis, walked up the Main Street hill, toured the State building and St. Mary's Church, and enjoyed exploring the old backstreet housing and row houses. Bonnie and Colletta then shopped while the others found the local pub, Dockside, with some refreshments. Upon returning to the boat, Tom prepared his famous low country boil of shrimp, sausage, and red rice. The dinner on the back deck was enjoyed along with the red wine and lively discussion. The rain came hard that evening and we were bounced around through the night.

July 30 Annapolis.

We went to church at the First Presbyterian church and enjoy reverend Hathaway originally from Chicago. The three of us then went to brunch at Chick and Ruth's deli. What an experience!! A small landmark deli, people packed in, a lot of servers running around, great subs, and corn beef, and lots of photos honoring famous customers and military personnel. We took a hot, sweaty, dinghy ride and explored the Spa Creek. Back at the boat we relax and eventually transported Bonnie to the marina to catch her ride to the airport. Tom help John with boat issues, what else, then we dinghied crossed the harbor to dinner. We walked three blocks and found a local spot called Davis's pub. Great local place.

Monday, August 1 Annapolis MD.

Parade Grounds at the Naval Academy

Tom and John wanted to experience breakfast at Chick and Ruth's deli so it was our first stop this morning. The creamed chipped beef on toast was to die for. The place was jumping this early in the morning, deliveries being made, he goes up and down three flights of stairs. Entertainment. Not so much for the delivery guy. With passports in hand, we made our way to the Naval Academy for a visit. Pam and Johns's friend, Commander Mike Jelinick, was our tour guide on campus. Mike will be a history teacher this year at the Academy. He showed us the campus and explain military life and training to us. We saw John Paul Jones crypt in the basement of the chapel, and a brief glimpse of a day in the life of a plebe. One of impressive things was the gathering of the plebe class and marching in rank to the cafeteria for lunch. We napped in the afternoon only to rise to an incoming storm. The wind blew fiercely, John lost a fender as it blew overboard, and another boat lost its dinghy as it too blew away. When the 2 foot waves ceased, the rain stopped, Tom went to retrieve lost items. Once again he is saving things. The evening calmed down and we enjoyed the lite skyline of Annapolis on our final evening.