A Day in Annapolis and Onwards to Delaware Citry

What I had omitted to tell you, in yesterday's blog, was that we decided not to go into the town center at Annapolis, until the next day (Saturday).
The boat was covered in thick salt, after our choppy and windy passage up the Chesapeake, and it needed cleaning. Unfortunately, we couldn't wash her down, as we were on tank water, so a wet and soapy cloth and dry cloth did the job, together. I also got the cleaning bug further and did some spot stain removal...most satisfying, and kept me busy so that I wasn't stressing about the idiots going too fast in the slow wake zone.
We ate dinner on the fly deck with the sun going down and more idiots came out to play, the later it got.


We rose early again on Saturday morning and didn't feel like breakfast immediately, so decided that we would seek out somewhere special, locally, for our first meal of the day.

We called channel 68 to order the water taxi, which charges $3 each, and were picked up very shortly, just after 8am. We met some other folks on the boat (it goes around to all the boats and picks up the occupants as it is ordered) who told us to go to Chick and Ruth's Delly (note the spelling!!) for breakfast...her father used to go there as a teenager (she was my age!), and said it was an institution. She was right...it was 'something else'!:)

 This is cheek by jowl eating...a real diner kind of place where you become intimate with the people at the next table, coz they have to stick their butts in your faces as they pass to take a seat. As Waz said, he hasn't been this up close and personal to so many 'generous' butts in his life! lol.

 They are obviously known for their Crab Cakes...we didn't order these, but wanted to show you the prices.

 I know this lookds rather disgusting...sorry, I started eating before remembering to take the photo:)
BUT...that is the lump crab cake in the right front (looks a bit like the potatoes, doesn't it?) with eggs and Hollandais sauce (I don't eat them with muffins!)

 This is Waz's mess of a breakfast:) Canadian Bacon Bene. with the House fried potatoes.

Waz demolished the whole plate!..well, maybe not the china! I still don't understand why he likes his eggs HARD!



Waz didn't take his camera with him, this once, so our only photographic equipment was the little canon Elf, which I use all the time. It was a bit hot to be carrying around a heavy SLR.


Once we got off the water taxi, we walked to the end of EGO ALLEY and took this photo looking back down to the entry. The ducks had a ball with all the willing feeders sitting in the park.

 On our way to Breakfast....up the hill

 The flower baskets were gorgeous, and of course smelled great...petunias!..looking up hill....

 ...and down to the water.

 The trees are stunning, and very welcome on this really hot day. It was humid, but not sticky, if you know what I mean.

 It is hard not to keep taking photos of this spire...from every angle, it seems:)

 I LOVE wrought Iron, and there were so many fine examples around.

 A bit blurred, but the only one I have, so squint when you look at it!

We walked all over the town and took photos of the very British looking buildings. We also went into an Antique store, which Waz groaned about when I made my way to the entry...well, it went kind of like this...
Waz: "NOOOOO Don't go in there!!!!"

Me: "Just a moment....I want to take a look at .....!"

So...half an hour later, we walked out with a VERY expensive lamp...purchase made by Waz! Well, not just ANY lamp...this is a  3 chime Steam Whistle with Valve  that has been made into a lamp! So, as I said...not just ANY old lamp! lol. He thinks he could get it working without too much trouble! we will see!

He is delighted...we just have to find a bulb and shade for it now. Not sure how we are going to affix it in place...all logistics on hold till we find the other parts for it.

So, we left the lamp at the Antique store while we continued onwards...got ourselves a really good Latte each and continued exploring the inner workings of Annapolis. All roads lead back to the waterfront which was a ZOO by the time we surfaced at around 2pm..starving. We opted for a side street Crepe...Waz got an apple cobbler crepe, while I went with a Reuban...saurkraut, corned beef and cheese...very good! We sat on someone's front porch and ate it....eventually some Chinese people came and joined us, which wasn't very nice...they sat REALLY close to me!

I forget the name of this shrub, but aren't the berries stunning?

 

Thurgood Marshall was the author of the Equal Justice Under Law, bill...he was a fine man. This memorial is a fine testament to him and the law.

 The excellent statuary in the square.

The Appeals Court.

 I love Shingle clad homes. This is a fine example...love the chimney!

 Looking down one of the cobbled streets...

 Tour leaders dressed in period costume

 One of the Historic Homes on the circle.

 The side of the shingle clad home above...love the details!

...and looking down a private driveway...how lovely:)

Original Siding!

 Original Foundation!

 These plaques were on all the Historic Homes...of which there were a gazillion.

We had been starring down this lovely little alley, and the owner came out of the house on the left. We greeted her and got into a conversation, as we do...She has lived here for three years, and loves living in Annapolis, and indeed, this historic home. We told her we had been admiring the alley, and she agreed that she does the same thing herself, from time to time...it is hers to admire, after all:)

This wrought iron was at her front entry

 ...and on her back door....hmm... how did we get to take this photo, you may ask??
Well, she invited us out back to see the REST of the garden and patio.:)

This is the side gate...she had it resored as best they could, but some parts are missing still. Lovely!

 ...and here are the roses we could see down the alley. She found the large wrought iron cross, underneath, at a yard sale.

The  back patio was lovely, with a neighbors tree overhanging, giving plenty of shade. She has turned a back 'shed' into a self contained rental unit. It is gorgeous! She also has very old grave stones set into the paving...marble ones at that! They are the gravestones for very young children, which is always a bit sad. Lovely that they have been saved!

Too many people down by the water and in front of  EGO ALLEY, so we went back for the lamp which was further the second time than the first, or so it seemed. We chose an alternate route back, as luck would have it, and found a Realtor hanging out the front of a house (on the National Historic Registry) that was for sale. He invited us in to take a look (after a bit of lie telling...on my part!!) which we did with great interest. The floors were lovely old timber, if a bit sloping, as only old buildings do...you know what I mean?


oops..sorry, I just had to put this photo of a Hydrangea Tree in the mix:) Lovely, isn't it?

 Where were we???
Oh yes, the interior of the home for sale...

Original Radiator! and it works, so he says...

 The back yard. Some not so original items out back...like the screen room! which wasn't actually somewhere you would want to spend a lot of time, even though it is directly off the kitchen

We were told that the shed is an original. This has two street addresses...but no garage. There is an original gate just out of the photo on the left. Pretty shade trees tho!..and original brick path!

 Modern kitchen, but something was missing!!...oh, right...a table! or an island...my choice!

Pretty, modern bathroom with large shower.

 I guessed this was the master bedroom, as it had the en suite.

There was a basement, which I didn't venture down to, but Waz did...declaring it large enough for a workshop, but he would hit his head every time he descended...it is his war zone...his forehead!

 Three bedrooms, and this one looked into the back yard.

 This stairwell went upstairs to the last bedroom...but no bathroom...not good in the middle of the night! and too many stairs for my less than excellent knees, Im afraid.

 Pretty view from the top floor tho!

 ..and the front of the house is typical of the period...1840.

A large house with no garage, but in a great position. It was a steal for just under a million..reduced to $940k! Needed a lot of work, of course, but not bad, for the most part.

Having picked up the lamp, we decided to just go back to the boat, so we caught the next water taxi back, accompanied by a wedding party (guests only). How nice to be back on our little Desert Island.

We chilled for the rest of the day, I got some sausages out of the freezer for dinner, and we read, did some business online and drank tea.
I was very taken with all the activity on the water, and spent a few hours just watching the zoo and parade. There were Optimist (Yacht) races out at the harbor entry and lots of big and small boats coming and going. Fun! for the most part.


Waiting for the next taxi..this one is full already.

 EGO ALLEY...see and be seen!

 It was pretty chaotic, as you can see. This fella with the dogs is off one of the yachts adjacent to us. They are BIG dogs!

 ..and in the middle of it all...paddle boarders...what WERE They thinking??

 We had two too many people in the boat, and the captain wasn't too happy about it, but they pleaded. So who gets the life jackets when there are two short??

 Some of the larger hardware in the water.

The parade of boats culminated around 9pm, with the lovely dark hulled superyacht coming into the harbor for the night. She tied up at the Fuel dock, as the only space available to her.
I took this photo of her the next morning at sunrise...she came in after dark...just a looming HUGE presence alongside of us. This is the one that was parked outside the harbor all day.

I managed to have an hour long conversation with my sister who lives in Oregon, and also my son, whose 27th birthday was imminent.

We went to bed having made plans to leave first thing in the morning.

We were up at 5am, making prep. for the day ahead, just as the sun was coming up. It was incredibly still on the water, and this made it easy for us to untie the ropes on the Ball, and set off out into the Chesapeake once again.

Stunning sunrise!

 Pulling out of the Harbor at Annapolis

 A last look back

 and forward...our first bridge of the day.

Yes, it took us half an hour to get there!

 ..and isn't she beautiful in the early morning light!

 We were followed somewhat quickly by a Carnival cruise ship. This ship had trouble raising one very small motor yacht, on the radio...you would think you would notice a large ocean liner breathing down your stern??? We had a good chuckle at their expense:)

 We are HERE!...well, actually, this is showing you that we are taking the right hand lane up the top of the Chesapeake. This is where we motored into the state of Delaware.

 We came under another tall bridge at Chesapeake City, which was humming with boat and vehicular traffic on this Sunday morning.

 It seemed every man, woman and dog were out in their boats.

 The restaurants were full!

Another couple of bridges further up the channel and we got a bit of a surprise to be confronted with this, coming towards us. Fortunately there was plenty of room in very deep water, for us to pass each other.

 We turned left at the end of the Chesapeake/Delaware Canal...aka C& D canal...and made our way up the Delaware River to the old C & D canal, which isn't really navigable all the way, anymore. BUT it is ok for us to park in, and that's what we did, at the Delaware City Marina. The water was not very deep here, and Im glad I was down hanging out the fenders and ropes, as Waz said it was only 4.6ft at one stage, getting through the entry to the canal. It was also almost low tide! hmmmm...!

 We parked just behind this boat, with the help of the dock staff and the marina Owner, Tim.  We were very grateful for his knowledge and his quiet demeanor...not to mention the lovely bathrooms and garden. They take such good care of the place, it was a real pleasure to be there for two nights.

I do need to make a note here....it seemed that as soon as we crossed over the state line, that the boaters were not as friendly, nor as courteous. No slow passes, Im afraid...they just blatt on past, no matter that their wake is going to turn you over! sheesh.

I am sitting in the Delaware City Marina Laundry Room writing this. Waz watched a movie (One Fine Day, with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer) and showered next door all the while I have been doing this:).

Time for my shower and back to the boat. We are off again tomorrow, if the weather is right...this is VERY technical!

Lots more to tell, but later..ciao for now

This post has been updated with photos and additional information today..Tuesday, in Cape May!