Philadelphia, PA

We wanted to get an early start on Wednesday, October 16 to take Addie and Lange for a cruise up the Delaware River to Philadelphia. In order to catch a favorable current we left by 9:15 on a chilly morning fortified by a warming breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and coffee.  We bundled up for the first part of the four hour journey and stayed on the flybridge until we sought the warmth of the cabin for most of the remaining cruise.

Arriving at the Penn Landing Marina we were somewhat surprised to see how few boats were there, and even fewer amenities, but neither proved to be an issue for us. There were some colorful swan boats available nearby. 

Penn’s Landing is located in Old City, the most historic part of Philadelphia, with lots to see and do within walking distance. We had lunch onboard and walked a bit along the docks and the nearby neighborhood which was starting to be decked out for Halloween. 

We also showed them some of the elaborate mosaics in the neighborhood bordering the Magic Garden near South Philly.

That evening we met Stephanie and Ryan for a drink at Fringe Bar and walked from there for a delicious sushi dinner at Tuna Bar. It was a very fun and festive evening.

Stephanie and Ryan graciously offered us the use of their car the next day, so we Ubered to their home where Addie and Lange got the grand tour. Stephanie and Ryan also offered to watch Archie that day so he could have a play date with their Corgi, Eloise.

Jonny got to play tour guide all day and drove us through many interesting parts of the city including nearby Naval Square (where we’ve been looking at condos), along stately museum row and the beautiful park along the Schuykill River. We passed the colorful boathouses owned by the various collegiate skulling teams. 

From there we headed over to elegant Rittenhouse Square and strolled through that lovely park stopping at Goldie’s for their famous falafel sandwiches and tahini shakes.  After that we headed over towards City Hall for a 2:00 tour. But first we stopped at Macy’s to see the amazing Wanamaker Organ, the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world.

The tour of City Hall, a landmark building in Philly, was mildly interesting and the best part was going up the tiny elevator to the top of the clock tower with its stunning 360 degree view of the city.

Later that afternoon we met Fiorella Fernandez (the daughter of friends from Miami) and her fiancé for happy hour.  We met them at a most unique setting, a huge ship called Moshulu located on the next dock from Zendo. The Moshulu is the world’s oldest and largest square-rigged sailing vessel that is still afloat and the only restaurant venue on a tall ship today. We were so impressed with the elegance of the dining rooms and event space which, not surprisingly, is also a very popular setting for weddings.

Afterwards, the four of us went to one of Philly’s popular BYOB restaurants called Aroma for a delicious Italian dinner. All in all, it was a very full day!

On Friday we took a long walk through Old City checking out the site of Benjamin Franklin’s home, printing press and the first post office. We also saw Betsy Ross’s home, the site of Alexander Hamilton’s home and various other aspects of our country’s early history.

From there we walked across town to Reading Terminal Market which was bustling at lunch hour. We turned Addie and Lange on to our favorite pork and broccoli rabe hoagies and found a table to enjoy our lunch. 

After that we hoofed it over to the Italian Market about a mile away.  Addie and Lange were very impressed with the DeBruno Bros. cheese shop and the many vegetable stands lining the street.  We managed to find room for a shared cannoli and cappuccinos at an outdoor café.

Returning to Zendo, we had lots of nibbles for dinner sitting out on the aft deck.

Fortunately, the weather had improved dramatically from the cruise up the river and each day in Philly was more beautiful than the previous one.   We all went to bed early that night since Addie and Lange were trying to go stand-by on a 5:30 a.m. flight and Jonny and I wanted to catch the current going back to Delaware City. It was another wonderful visit from the Kings to celebrate my birthday. They have been coming every year since we’ve been cruising on Zendo and we hope they’ll continue to do so!

Delaware City, DE (third visit of the season)

We went for a walk across the bridge in Georgetown on Saturday morning, October 12. We wanted to see the historic home and inn that sits high on a hill overlooking the water.  The home was significant during the War of 1812. The British had reduced most of the nearby town of Fredicksburg to ashes and then crossed the river to Georgetown intending to do the same. But the  owner of the house, one Kitty Knight, apparently was able to convince the British to save her house and that of her neighbor from burning. Theirs were two of the only ten or so homes that remained after the British set fire to the rest of the town.  The home is a local landmark.  We walked all around its grounds and its beautiful setting overlooking the river. 

By 9:30 we left Georgetown bound for Delaware City.  We first cruised back down the Sassafras River for about an hour before we re-entered the Chesapeake Bay.  We then cruised the C&D Canal which is very well-protected. It was a pleasant journey and we caught glimpses of some of the trees just starting to show their colors.

We cruised past Chaesapeske City arriving back at our favorite Delaware City Marina by 2:15.  

We were awaiting the arrival of our friends, Adelaida and Lange King, who were coming on Tuesday. We are definitely slowing down as we near the end of our journey and we spent a fairly relaxing couple of days walking Archie along the canal path and doing various boat and “household” chores including getting Zendo ready for our guests. 

We ate all our meals onboard as there are just a few restaurants nearby and we were saving our dining out until they arrived.

Late Wednesday morning we drove to the Philadelphia Airport to pick them up. On the way back to Zendo we brought them to historic New Castle, next door to Delaware City.  New Castle is a lovely town with many historic red brick homes and cobblestone streets.

There is a tavern there called Jessup’s that has an outstanding beer collection. We knew how much Lange loves beer so we thought they would enjoy this very old and authentic restaurant which, of course, they did. 

We had a great time hearing about their recent trip to Nepal and sharing our travels with them. Addie and Lange have made it a tradition to come and stay with us to celebrate my birthday very year that we have been cruising on Zendo.  This time they were unable to come closer to my birthday but of course it didn’t matter and the day they arrived we started a three day celebration!

That night we ate onboard enjoying lamb chops with spinach and a rice dish. The next day we would be cruising up to Philadelphia to continue the celebration, part of which will include dinner with Stephanie and Ryan on Wednesday night.

Georgetown, MD

We left Baltimore on Thursday, October 10 at 8:30 for the five and a half hour cruise up the Chesapeake Bay to the Sassafras River. It was a chilly day, sunny, and quite breezy.

I wore four layers of clothing to stay warm and I managed to stay on the flybridge with Jonny for the duration. We’ve been wanting to cruise the Sassafras to Georgetown and we were given a gift certificate for two nights at the Sassafras Harbor Marina so this was the perfect time to take advantage of it.

Once we turned onto the Sassafras River, it became less breezy and we were able to enjoy this very beautiful river. The Chesapeake Guide Book called  it one of the prettiest rivers on the bay and we definitely agree.

We arrived by 2:10 and tied up to the T-dock. There were several marinas nearby but this one appeared to have the most boats in it, by far. We had the impression that Georgetown itself was easily accessible and very much worth visiting, but if there was a center of town it was nowhere near where we were. The marina itself was very well maintained with a big ship’s store and nice facilities. 

We went for a walk with Archie to explore the somewhat pastoral surroundings.

 Afterwards, Jonny washed down Zendo to maintain its pristine condition after the big detailing job. That evening we ate onboard - we’re trying to use up our food and we ate the cabbage and sausage casserole that was in the freezer.

The next day, Greg, the MTOA operations director for the Chesapeake, came by to pick up the several boxes of  Rendezvous materials that we were storing. He came aboard with Glen, another MTOA member who keeps his boat at Sassafras Harbor Marina and we had fun chatting with both of them. 

They had recommended the early bird special at a local restaurant called the The Granary.  So I made reservations and we headed over there with Archie for an early dinner. We were surprised at how busy the restaurant was. Instead of taking advantage of the early bird special we chose an array of delicious sounding items including oyster stew, an appetizer that included three types of roasted oysters, the swordfish special with a crab cake added on and a delicious pork roast special.  That, along with a half price bottle of wine and blueberry pie a la mode, caused us to have a very filling dinner experience.

We wrapped up the evening nice and early and the next day we planned to return to Delaware City.

Baltimore, MD (return trip)

On the morning of Saturday, October 5 while I was having my Spanish lesson, Jonny walked Archie and brought back breakfast pastries from a little bakery that he found. We had delicious crispy croissants and a cherry pastry for our breakfast, a nice treat!

We left Annapolis by 10:30 bound for Baltimore. It was a sunny day but a bit cool. We passed an array of kids racing their little sailboats which is always fun to watch.

It was also pretty windy which made for a somewhat uncomfortable passage.  The bay settled down some once we got to the Patapsco River.

This time instead of staying at Anchorage Marina where we usually stay, we stayed at Lighthouse Point Marina just down the waterfront a bit. We chose to stay here because it is an Oasis Marina and we had won a large gift certificate for Oasis Marinas at the last MTOA Rendezvous and we wanted to take advantage of the free dockage before our cruising season ends.

Upon arriving after our four hour cruise, we were surprised to see how few boats were in the marina. We were quite pleased, though, to see a sign welcoming us at our designated slip. That was a first for us!

It turned out the marina had recently been totally refurbished and that and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resulted in less business for them this season. The dockmaster was very friendly and helpful and the marina had fine services and accommodations.  Our plan was to stay here for four or five nights nights because Jonny had scheduled a team to detail Zendo and we find it very comfortable staying along Baltimore’s attractive waterfront. 

The cleaning crew arrived bright and early on Monday morning and spent four plus hours with five workers cleaning and polishing every nook and cranny on the outside of Zendo.  It has never looked so clean in the ten years that we’ve had her! The team was friendly and professional and the price was less than what we we had ever paid in the past. Needless to say, we were very happy! 

That night we returned to Ne Ha for another excellent Chinese dinner. This is the restaurant that Stephanie and Ryan had found when they visited us a couple of weeks ago. 

On Tuesday, the museum we had wanted to visit was closed so we walked to Fell’s Point to have lunch at Bunny’s Buckets & Bubbles.  But upon our arrival we discovered that it wasn’t open for lunch on Tuesdays.  So instead we went to nearby Cooper’s Tavern which turned out to be quite good. We sat outside at this historic tavern which was creatively decorated for Halloween.  Jonny had a terrific burger and I had my first soft shell crab of this trip.

We had a relaxing rest of the day and skipped dinner as we often do when we have a big lunch.

On Wednesday we took an Uber to go to the Baltimore Museum of Art where we spent a couple of hours wandering through their very large collection. They had a particularly extensive collection of Matisse’s works along with many other Impressionists.  In addition, they had a fascinating Native American collection, a large African collection and some very interesting modern art installations. It was a lot to take in and it was well worth our visit.  

That evening we finally got to Bunny’s, Buckets &Bubbles for dinner. Stephanie and I had been here for lunch a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It’s very kitschy and it features excellent fried chicken and other goodies and emphasizes pairing them with a large selection of champagnes.  It sounds like an odd combination but it works. We shared a smoked trout appetizer, a fried chicken dinner and delicious shrimp and grits and of course, a bottle of champagne. It was a lot of fun!

After dinner we walked back to Zendo along the waterfront with a beautiful sunset lighting the way. The next day we will be heading up the Bay to the Sassafras River where we were given another gift certificate for two nights to a marina there. Lucky us! 

Annapolis,MD

We left Anchorage Marina in Baltimore on Tuesday, October 1 at 9:15 for the four hour cruise to Annapolis passing by these ever-present Navy ships.

The first part of the trip was pretty uncomfortable due to rain and a northeast wind which made the bay somewhat choppy.  We spent time in the saloon until we crossed under the Bay Bridge.  And as often happens, the waters calmed down considerably and we were able to go up on the fly bridge for the remainder of the trip.

We arrived at the harbor in Annapolis and headed for the drawbridge to get into Spa Creek in search of a mooring.  Not surprising due to the Annapolis Boat Show, we found that all the moorings were taken but it was not a problem as this is an easy place to drop a hook. By 1:15, under Archie’s watchful eye, we were comfortably situated in a spot very close to shore where we had anchored before.

We love staying in Annapolis because it’s such a pretty and historic town. Staying here is very affordable and very easy with Archie. Here in Spa Creek the surrounding neighborhoods have attractive homes and the streets lead down to the water with many of them having small docks where we can tie up the dinghy. The landing closest to us also has a lovely little pocket park that is used by locals to walk their dogs and just sit by the water.  We get a kick out of the bronze duck statues scattered throughout the park.

Once we settled in we called the harbormaster who provides a very helpful pump-out service that we were glad to take advantage of.

We had a relaxing afternoon and evening on board as we knew we would be busy the next day. On Wednesday, Jonny met one of his fellow MTOA officers who was bringing him many boxes of MTOA Rendezvous materials that she had stored in the home that she and her husband were selling.  After Jonny found a place to store these items on our boat (!) we dinghied to the Eastport part of town to meet our friends Greg and Lynda Gallagher who had driven up from Alexandria for our annual lunch at Boatyard Grill.  We had a fun afternoon eating crab cakes and catching up on each other’s lives.

After lunch we took them for a ride on the dinghy to look at the ever-increasing gathering of boats in the harbor due to the upcoming boat show.  We headed over to our favorite ice cream parlor where we topped off our ample lunch with delicious ice cream cones.

After dropping them back at their car, we headed back to Zendo where we were able to skip dinner and have another relaxing evening onboard.

On Thursday we got tickets to go to the boat show’s preview day which was perfect because it wasn’t as crowded as it would be on subsequent days. It was also nice to be attendees instead of having to work the show as we do at Trawler Fest.  We spent the day looking at the exhibits and touring many of the boats for sale. Jonny is especially enamored with the Back Cove 37 which is a lobster style boat. We have been seriously considering selling Zendo because it is getting older and Jonny, especially, would like to get something that is newer, with fewer levels and one that can “get up and go” if needed. Going to boat shows reminds me of the guilty pleasure that Stephanie and I share which is visiting open houses that are for sale.

We decided to stay an extra day in Annapolis because we are nearing the end of this season’s cruise and are ready to slow down a bit, plus we really like Annapolis.  So on Friday we visited the Banneker-Douglass Museum which is dedicated to preserving Maryland’s African American heritage.  It’s a very small museum right in the center of town.  It is housed in the former Mt. Moriah AME Church which was originally built in 1874 by a congregation of free African Americans whose roots date back to 1799.  It was an interesting museum with an array of tableaus  illustrating the various aspects of the history and lives of African Americans.

Afterwards we strolled through town stopping at a popular book store where we browsed and drank coffee.

Did I say that we  really enjoy Annapolis?  It’s a beautiful town with lots of history and charm and we never tire of walking its cobblestone streets with its lovely homes and stately buildings.

From here we will return to Baltimore where we’ll stay for a few days. We have some much needed detail work scheduled to be done on Zendo while we are there.