Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, Oriental, NC (Oct. 8-16)

The after effects of Hurricane Matthew had more of an impact on our travels than the storm itself.  Power outages and high water levels closed the waterways to navigation for an extended period.  Thankfully, our stay in Portsmouth was without drama and we had the opportunity to enjoy both it and Norfolk.  We took advantage of the inexpensive ferry service to make multiple trips to Norfolk.  Jim visited the battleship Wisconsin and Naval Museum and Debby enjoyed the MacArthur Mall.  We met a delightful couple from Erie, PA with a sistership to PARADISE, and enjoyed exchanging experiences.

Battleship Wisconsin

The flood gates were finally opened on Oct 12, so there was a mass exodus of boats heading south.  Our objective was to get to Oriental by Nov. 14 where we had long standing reservations coincident with the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival.  We stopped overnight in Coinjock and Belhaven.  In Belhaven we had dinner at Spoonriver, a well known and popular farm-to-table restaurant.  The night we were there was the first they were open since the hurricane.  Unfortunately, we were disappointed with our meal and expressed it to the waitress.  Almost immediately the husband and wife owners came to see what could be done to make us happy.  They went beyond all expectations to make up for the chef’s failure which included a bottle of wine to take home.  As we were the last to leave we got a picture with the entire staff.

Staff of Spoonriver
Owners are at each end

Sunrise in Belhaven

On arrival in Oriental we were saddened with the news that one of our long standing friends in town had died in July.  Bob and Betty Brown were the first couple we met in this town on a trip in 2009.  Bob was fixture at the Tiki Bar, and a friend to all he met.  He is missed.

It is amazing that one week after Matthew its effects are still being felt throughout North Carolina.  Sections of I-95 and US 70 remain closed due to flooding and the water level in Oriental did not crest until Saturday, one week after the hurricane.

Flooded street in Oriental

Can you pick out PARADISE in the flood?

The third annual “Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival” was all it was hyped up to be.  On Saturday 33 musical groups performed on 20 different porches throughout town.  Playing everything from gospel to bluegrass to rock it culminated with a great performance by The Carmonas at the end of the day.  For further enjoyment there was a classic car show, food court and village market.  We love Oriental!

Mt. Zion Choir

The Del Rios

Gumbo Lily

Harbor Sounds

Salty Paws

Moores Creek Bluegrass

The Carmonas

WEATHER, WEATHER, WEATHER: Cambridge, Solomons, Deltaville, Portsmouth (Sept 27- Oct 7)

Since our departure a year and a half ago we have, in general, been blessed with very few weather related travel delays.  That good fortune came to a halt this September.  We waited in Staten Island for one week for the effects of Tropical Storm Hermine to dissipate.  We spent an extra 2 days in Cambridge waiting for calmer seas, then sat at anchor in Solomons for five days waiting for calmer winds/seas, and now we are spending at least 8 days in Portsmouth, VA to avoid the effects of Hurricane Matthew.  Considering what has happened in Florida we are not complaining, just making an observation.

Our extended stay in Cambridge turned out to be interesting as Russel Baker, the gentleman we met at the yacht club, came by and offered to take us on a tour of his farms.  Not sure how much land they actually own, but he and his son farm a total of 2000 acres.  They have all the latest equipment for planting, fertilizing, irrigating and harvesting corn and soy beans.  We saw the original farmstead of his ancestors as well as the farm he lived on up until a few years ago.  Interesting to us was the fact that when they moved out of the farm houses they just closed the doors and left everything intact.  Utilities are active, but no one occupies them.  At age 90 he and his wife of 66 years live in condos in town now, but he still drives every day and is very active in the business.  Note the use of plural.  His wife lives in one condo and he lives in another in the same complex.  They join each other each evening either at the yacht club or in his condo for dinner then go their separate ways.

Russell and Jim
Grandpa's 1930 Barn

Russell and Debby
Most Recent Farm House

Eventually we were able to move on to Solomons where we anchored and commuted by dinghy to see the sights and do some reprovisioning.  The reprovisioning involved a dinghy ride then a one mile walk to the store.  Unfortunately, on the return trip it poured down rain.  Debby was a surprisingly good sport about it.  We spent one evening at the Solomons Island Yacht Club for drinks, and as with most clubs found them very friendly and accommodating.  LYC could learn a few things with $3 wine and $5 martini pricing.  Again the weather delayed our departure, so we had to bypass Tangier Island, one of our intended stops, and move directly on to Deltaville and Portsmouth to await Hurricane Michael.

Choptank River: Oxford, Cambridge (Sept 20- 26)

James Michener used the Choptank River area as the basis for his novel, Chesapeake.  He did some of his research and writing in the charming village of Oxford.  Settled in 1663 and founded as a town in 1683 it is one of the oldest towns in MD.  In 1694 it along with Annapolis were named as the only ports of entry for the province of Maryland.  It was a booming town up to the Revolution, but slowly declined afterward as British ships no longer called and tobacco was replaced by wheat as a cash crop.  It has gone through boom and busts since, but is now a small genteel village with well maintained houses and little in the way of commerce other than numerous marinas and a fleet of commercial waterman’s boats.  Situated on a peninsula at the entrance to the Tred Avon River, it has a very well protected small harbor.  It has the oldest continuously operating ferry in the US transporting goods and people to Bellevue across the river for 350 years.  Not much to see and do, but a very pleasant place to spend some time.

Cambridge, on the other side of the Choptank and 13 miles further east from Oxford, is a larger and more commercial town.  It too has been around since the late 17^th century and has its share of classic old homes.  With many more restaurants and art galleries to choose from it offers more to see and do.  It does have its share of vacant store fronts and offers little for the shopper (much to Debby’s disappointment).  We got here just in time for an event filled weekend.  It started with 20^th Annual Skipjack Races.  Once ubiquitous, skipjacks were used all over the bay to harvest oysters.  They have been supplanted by power vessels, but remain part of the tradition of Chesapeake Bay watermen and certain beds in the bay are reserved for their exclusive use.

Skipjack Fleet awaiting race start

They're Off!

The Finish Line
(with old "Buy Boat" as committee boat)

Later the same day “Crabtoberfest” was held.  Another annual event in Cambridge it is as the name implies a combination crab and Octoberfest complete with Uhmpa Band, costumed dancers and make shift beer hall with an emphasis on crabs.

Crabtoberfest

Uhmpa/Country Band

An art show on Sunday on High Street rounded out the weekend.

High St Art Show, Cambridge

We stayed at the Cambridge Yacht Club which was very friendly and welcoming.  Like LYC, the club was started in 1938 and is a center of social life in the town.  We spent Happy Hour there most evenings and got to meet some interesting people.  One couple, Russell and Ida Baker have been married 66 years and their daughter is the current Commodore.  Their son now runs the 2,000 (!) acre farm nearby that has been in the family for generations.  They spent the last 47 years vacationing in Ft Lauderdale renting a place on Isle of Venice during the month of March, and spending time at LYC, so we had much in common to talk about.  

Baltimore to Chestertown (Sept 12-Sept 19)

Baltimore has become one of our favorite stops on the Chesapeake.  The Fells Point area where we stay is full of good bars and restaurants and is close to the Inner Harbor.  There is no lack of things to do or choices for good food.  We saw the movie “Sully”, and can highly recommend it, particularly to our aviation oriented friends.

After an enjoyable 3 days in town we moved on to the Chester River on the Eastern shore of the bay.  Our first night there we anchored in a quiet bay on Reed Creek.  It was a still evening with a good moon and we were treated to over flights by eagles.  The following day we completed the 28 mile trek up river to Chestertown.

Chestertown is home to the SULTANA,  a reproduction of a Boston-built merchant vessel that served for 4 years in the British Royal Navy.  It was used from 1768-1772 to enforce the “Tea Taxes”.  It is one of the most accurate reproductions of an 18^th century schooner in existence.

18th Century Schooner SULTANA

250 years ago Chestertown was a thriving river port and Royal Port of Entry.  In those times it was a convenient stop for people traveling from Virginia to New York or Philadelphia.  As a result George Washington is known to have stayed here on at least 8 different occasions.  Many of the stately homes built in that era still exist today in well preserved condition.  Washington College was established here at the conclusion of the Revolution.  George was instrumental in its founding and served on the Board for 5 years.  Time has passed the town by in terms of commerce, but it is still vibrant as home to the college and a large contingent of retirees.

 Below are pictures of a small sampling of homes dating back to the 1700s.  The Hynson –Ringgold House was constructed in 1743 and was later acquired by Thomas Ringgold a wealthy merchant and Maryland legislator.  Since 1944 it has been owned by the college and used as the residence of the college president.  The Wickes House was built in 1767.  The mantles of its 15 fireplaces, moldings and floors are all original.  The Nicholson House was built in 1788.  The three Nicholson brothers were prominent members of the Continental Navy.  John was the commander of the sloop Hornet,  James was head of the continental Navy from 1776-1785 and Sam supervised the construction of the battleship Constitution in the 1790s.

Wickes House 1767

Hynson-Ringghold House 1743

Nicholson House 1788

We left Chestertown on a rainy Monday passing through Kent Narrows on our way to an anchorage off the Wye River.  We will spend the remainder of the week visiting Oxford and Cambridge on the Choptank River.

Suinset at the end of a rainy day.
Lloyd Creek off the Wye River

New York City to Baltimore (Aug 30-Sept 11)

We arrived at Liberty Landing Marina, located in Jersey City, directly across from lower Manhattan on Aug 30.  That evening we enjoyed a wonderful alfresco dinner with our friends Andy and Yatze La Stella.  The good food, music, and companionship was only out done by the night time view of Manhattan.

Debby, Yatze, Andy, Jim

View from the bridge of PARADISE
Lower Manhattan

The next day we ventured into the city via a 10 minute ferry ride and once again joined Al and Dorothy Oliver for late lunch at O’Brien’s Pub and Happy Hour at Sardi’s.  Now viewed as “regulars” there we were again recognized by the owner, and enjoyed the bar tender’s views on the latest shows in town.  Debby and Dorothy being two peas in a pod are always great fun in a bar.

Al, Jim, Dorothy, Debby
Sardi's

Our Friendly Sardi's Bartender

With Tropical Storm Hermine threatening the area we decided to stay in the hurricane hole of Great Kills Harbor in Staten Island.  Although the highest wind we experienced there was only 25 knots the off shore seas were so tumultuous we could not move on to Cape May, NJ for 7 days.  The time was well spent as we got to make friends with several other transients.  One young couple, Mirko and Courtney Vuksa, were traveling on a 36’ sailboat with their 10 month old son Vincent.  They were on their way to Newport before turning around to make their way to Ft. Lauderdale in November.  We were able to restock the boat with provisions, and more important, Debby was able to get her hair done.  This was our 4^th stay at the Great Kills Yacht Club.  The members there are very welcoming, going out of their way to provide transportation and help of any kind.

Mirko, Vincent, Jim
Cole's Dockside

Debby, Vincent
Cole's Dockside

Hermine finally moved on and left us with the perfect “weather window” to make the 137 mile, 8 hour open ocean trip to Cape May on Sept 8.  The next day was equally fine to venture up the often rough Delaware Bay for the 72 mile trip to Chesapeake City where we enjoyed a quiet night at anchor.  Finally on Sept 10 we moved on to Baltimore.

Southbound on the Hudson River (Waterford to NYC; Aug 23-30)

Locks, Locks, Locks

After traversing 52 of them thus far with their slimy lines and numerous bugs there is threat of mutiny from the crew.  The Captain must now do it alone, holding the boat against the lock wall with engines and thrusters.  Leaving Schenectady there are 6 more to go, 5 on the Erie Canal and one on the Hudson River at Troy.  The last 5 on the Erie drop us 150’ in a lateral distance of 1.5 miles.

Erie Canal Lock 6
Begin Waterford Flight

Erie Canal Lock 2
End Waterford Flight

Sharing Troy Lock with a barge

We spent the night of Aug 24 on the canal wall in Waterford, NY.  Once a thriving port town at the juncture of the Erie and Champlain Canals and the Hudson River, it now gives the appearance of a town well past its prime.  The Visitor Center is well done and people welcoming, but the town itself had little to offer.

Our next stop, Catskill, was a different story.  Here we found a main street with some interesting shops and attractive restaurants.  One antique store had a Columbia bicycle that was a match for the one Jim owned as a kid.  They wanted $500! (And it wasn’t in such good shape)  We stayed 2 nights and had a great lunch at The New York Restaurant.

Bear Mountain Bridge
Built in 1924
At the time the largest suspension bridge in the world

Piercing the Allegheny Mountains
Hudson River

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse
1871
Catskill Mountains in background

On to Poughkeepsie Yacht Club.  Seven miles north of Poughkeepsie this member run club was friendly enough, but the interconnected floating docks were a challenge to walk on in the numerous wakes from boats on the Hudson.  In addition the birds made good use of them for their toilet.  We stayed 2 nights so that we could visit the Roosevelt Homes and Museum.  One of the great leaders of WW II, FDR was an interesting character.  Many now question his handling of the Great Depression, but he did leave us with Social Security and the FDIC among other things.

The original family farm house had 17 rooms.  FDR expanded it in 1938 to 35 rooms.  At one time the estate consisted of 1600 acres.  FDR had "Top Cottage" built in 1937 as an "escape from the mob".  It was built to accommodate his disability.  A very simple and austere cottage he never slept there.  Rather it was used as a daytime retreat high on a hill several miles above the main house. He did entertain the King and Queen of England there in 1939

FDR's Family Estate "Springwood"
Hyde Park, NY

FDR's "Top Cottage"

Two more days of travel brought us once more to New York City.  Based on the weather forecast it looks like we will remain in the area for at least a week.

Jim’s 75th. Lenox, MA (Aug 20-22 )

We left the boat in Schenectady, rented a car and drove to Lenox, MA to visit our friends Dan and Madeline Hajjar.  They have a family cottage on Laurel Lake where they spend each summer.  We have been there several times before and always enjoy the area and the company.  Situated in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains, the area is well known for its natural beauty, arts and entertainment, and availability of good restaurants.  Beginning in the 1800s it attracted many luminaries from the art and literary world as a place to spend the summer.

Our long weekend there consisted of fine dining, kayaking on the lake, visiting the art fair in Stockbridge, and enjoying a ride on the newly refurbished carousel in downtown Lenox.  The visit culminated in a birthday celebration for Jim at a good Italian restaurant, but not before spending the afternoon at the Hancock Shaker Village.  This is a remarkably well restored and preserved village showing Shaker life in the mid to late1800s and on into the early 20^th century.  The Shaker cult was devoutly religious, devoted to efficiency and innovation, and progressive in their farming methods.  If they had changed one central tenant in their creed they would probably still be around in greater numbers today.  They were committed to celibacy.  (Not sure how they thought that was going to work long term.)

 

Debby and Jim on the Carousel