August 16, 2012 - St. Michael's, MD to Annapolis, MD to Baltimore, MD to Chesapeake City, MD to Cape May, NJ

Today is a milestone in our trip – we have left the Chesapeake Bay for the first time since the trip began.  We are on the C&D Canal at the top of the bay - it's about 15 miles long and connects the Bay to the Delaware River.  We have now completed the Bay  - about 200 miles north to south, plus the 200 miles of the round-trip up and down the Potomac, plus numerous side ventures in and out of rivers, bays, coves, etc.   Maybe we didn’t conquer it (it’s not exactly a John Smith sort of accomplishment), but it didn’t beat us either.  Debi just calculated that we’ve had 22 overnight guests in this span (since late May), plus a few day trippers.

Since we last spoke, we left Solomons (scene of the punctured fuel tank), spent a few days in a resort on the western shore (Herring Bay) where we relaxed, kayaked and watched Olympics.  Then to St. Michaels, the cute beyond cute historical resort town over on the eastern shore, where the money people of D.C. have their summer homes.  Bill and Gigi Barnes joined us there and for the trip across the Bay to Annapolis.  We stayed at the City Docks for three days – an area otherwise known as Ego Alley for all of the cruisers parading up and down the waters in front of the many waterfront bars and restaurants.  We had a ringside seat for that show – and on a beautiful weekend no less.  I enjoyed the Naval Academy beyond my expectations – beautiful architecture and interesting history/traditions/stories.

While in Annapolis we had to say good-bye to Bill and Gigi – but they left an important legacy, the word game, BananaGrams – which is now an integral boat tradition.

We had two hours of solitude before the next guest arrived, Andrea Solarz and Shelley and David Chavis.  All three were our first two-timers, having spent 4^th of July with us in D.C.  (though Andrea has yet to spend the night).  Shelley and David made it with us up to Baltimore, a nice ride into the beautiful downtown harbor.

We spent a full day biking through multiple Baltimore neighborhoods, looking at some possible new homes for David and Shelley, and ending up in Little Italy for dinner (for those of you who were there – it was the restaurant where a young lady named Sakima once worked – they actually remembered her).

Yesterday Debi and I went to the Visionary Arts Museum.  If you ever get to Baltimore, go DIRECTLY to this museum – it is unlike anything you have ever seen.  Jaw-dropping.  http://www.avam.org/ gives you a feel for it, but you won’t believe it until you see it.

Last night David and I walked from the boat to Camden Yards – it was my first trip there since it’s opening week 20 years ago.   The Orioles won and I got to go back to Sliders, a sports bar with a special history for a few people getting this email.

That brings us up to today and our 47 mile trip to Chesapeake City, a Victorian town with more than the usual number of galleries, B&B’s, etc.  A nice surprise.  And as I type, Debi is working the bar band hard.  As the lead singer announced, “It’s all Debi request night!”

p.s. - All of the above was written last night.  Today we completed the Canal, headed south down the Delaware River into the Delaware Bay and down to Cape May, NJ - about 60 miles which is a long day for us.  We're in our first state other than Maryland and Virginia in almost three months!