Final week on the Potomic and return to Cincinnati 10/20/10

On October the 9th we attended an Oyster Roast in Lottsburg for the benefit of the local Republican Party. It was held at a local seafood company and featured baskets of freshly caught Chesapeake Bay oysters. Pictures show how they were steamed in wire baskets in large kettles. Real butter and hot sauce were provided: we brought our own fresh lemons.

The oysters were then dumped on a long concrete table were we "went to town" with our borrowed oyster knifes.

Live music, hot dogs, chips and ice cream were also provided for our enjoyment. We stayed till the end so we could meet Rob Wittmen, the gentleman running for congress from this region. His competition was a lady named Krystal Ball. What mother with the last name Ball names her daughter Kyrstal?

Now our journey winds down and we prepared the boat for winter storage. Over nine hundred miles from Florida's west coast to the Potomac River in Virginia at an average speed of ten miles per hour. Every mile was awesome. Filled with new sights and wonderful people. Now we're home in Mason to enjoy the holidays and spend the winter thinking "Spring" and new adventures.

Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina, Chespeake Bay, Va. 9 /27-?/10

We have settled into the rhythm of life at Olverson's Marina easily for it is a very friendly place. Many of the folks are members of the boating organization MTOA; some we have met before and some are new friends. Almost every evening people gather in chairs on the dock and share experiences and tell stories. Lots of laughter and good fun. Many are also members of the Tea Party and Mike and the gentlemen exchange like perspectives and views with much gusto!

Olverson's is located in the area of Virginia known as the Northern Neck situated between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers and reminds us of "Up North" in Michigan. Historic attractions abound in every direction: colonial settlements, fishing villages with maritime museums, Revolutionary War and Civil War sites.

Yesterday we visited Stratford Hall Plantation the 1768 ancestral home of the Lee's of Virginia. After touring the house with an elderly and very animated African-American guide, we stay for a concert of 18th century music. We thought it would be "interesting"; we didn't know it would be fabulous. The group, The Four Nations, were four world class musicians and the setting in the grand hall of the home was perfect. There were intriguing comments before each selection by a most charming musicologist. There had been a day long symposium prior to performance for some in the audience. At the concert itself there were probably forty in attendance. At the conclusion, there was thunderous applause and a sincere and prolonged standing ovation. What fun!

Norfolk, VA. (0) 9/24-25/10

We spent two nights in the Hampton Roads area. Hampton Roads refers to the metropolitan area surrounding Norfolk, VA. The first night on the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River and the second night on the Norfolk side.

Mike had been e-mailing his sister, Kris, who lives in the area in Virgina Beach. Mike and Kris reached each other by cell phone. It just so happened that Virginia Beach's largest festival, The Neptune Festival, was the next day. Miles of vendors along the boardwalk, a huge parade, a sand sculpture contest that draws artists from as far away as Russia and a ball on Saturday night. Kris had volunteered as a parade Marshall, and her and her husband, Rob, came to the boat and picked us up for a grand day at the beach. While Kris kept order on the street, the rest of us watched the parade from our comfortable canvas chairs and then took off for lunch to Wanda the Witches', Boneshakers Grill, a biker bar. The Boneshakers had ridden in the parade, along with the Shriner's in those little cars, circus performers, the national champion cheerleader squad, many high school bands and all branches of the military.
The treat of the day, by far, were the sand sculptures. Unbelievable in their detail, originality, and beauty. We got back to the boat in the evening just in time to see a wedding party board the neighboring sailboat and sail off into the sunset to be married aboard! As luck would have it, they had a beautiful night. The next day dawned gray and stormy.

One cannot pass through this area and not mention the Navy Shipyards. There are zillions of ships of every shape and size, most of them huge. We were an ant among elephants.

And, now we have arrived at our destination, Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina on a river off the south end of the Potomac. We'll be here until the middle of October.

Coinjock, NC. (StM50) 9/23/10

We said a reluctant goodbye to Elizabeth City and headed south to Coinjock. Coinjock is a place you "go" in order to get "there". A sparsely populated area to say the least. Just the place you'd expect to find a great restaurant, right? Right! Our friend, Capt. Linda Howe, said "if you go to Coinjock have the prime rib." And we did! Just after we dock another trawler pulled in flying a MTOA flag, a boating organization Mike recently joined. We introduced ourselves and asked if they'd like to join us for dinner. We spent an enjoyable evening dining on superb food and engaged in good conversation. We just had to take a picture of Harrison's Marina when we pulled out in the morning.

Elizabeth City Docks (StM10.7) 9/20-22/10

Elizabet City, Harbor of Hospitality, and it lives up to its name! There is a gentleman who comes to the park at the city docks each day and catches lines to help the boaters dock at the complimentary town wharf. The second morning a different gentleman knocked on the boat just to make sure we had everything we needed. Even the Jehovah Witnesses stopped by to give us the Watch Tower and pray with us!

The city has the full compliment of facilities and attractions: museums, restaurants, music in the park and free rides to the store. Even a wine bar/deli combo that took our order for fresh baked bread by the loaf. Mike has been looking for oysters to feast on since we embarked and here we found them. On the lunch specials of the local seafood restaurant for $5.95! They were worth the wait!! The situation in the Gulf this summer coupled with the very cold winter has had them in very short supply.

We have been so fortunate in the weather with sunny skies and warm temperatures for a full three weeks.

Elizabeth City has been so pleasant, we've decided to linger an extra day and just "hang out".

Alligator River, NC. (StM.178) 9/19/10

Our third and last blog of the day and we are all caught up! We leave Belhaven going down the Pamlico River, through the "cut" connecting to the Alligator River in a stiff wind that is often abeam. Occasional waves of water on the upper deck. Just give me a large piece of canvas and I'm protected from wind and waves!!

Going down the wide Alligator River, Mike and I are trying to make out this structure in the distance. Oh my, its a long, long bridge with a "swing" at its center. Now, the guide book said we would need to open a swing bridge with a twelve foot clearance that opens on demand. Our experience to this point has been to anticipate a lightly traveled road in a rural area. This is a major route to the Outer Banks at Hatteras. We can see they are working on this bridge and have it down to one lane on this warm and lovely Sunday. Long, very long lines of traffic back up as they let each side through alternately. We approach and call the bridge. The tender responds, he will open when the traffic clears and, now, the drama begins. When the time comes, the bridge does not work. The workers are painting the bridge, not working on its mechanics. Several of the workers are carrying marine radios and we'd have to say, not particularly well train in radio etiquette. The workers, Ramon, in particular, attempt bridge repair. While Ramon is trying to get the bridge to swing, traffic is backing up for miles in both directions. Angry motorists are out of their cars pacing the bridge. We can hear the workers and bridge tender talking. "You'd think they'd have something better then a rope to move this bridge" Not the exact words used! "I've got something better in my truck." Next thing we know, Ramon comes streaking across the water in a boat. Tries again. No go. "We've got to let this traffic clear" Tender calls the city. Repairman is on the way. We watch a yellow truck make its way across the bridge. Workman on radio, "Why you think they're painting this piece of ......., if it doesn't work?" City maintenance works his magic. They all begin to make plans for what to do if this doesn't work this time. It's swinging!! We pass through to cheers and shouts from the workman. Just an hour and a half after the first call!

Belhaven, NC. (StM.135) 9/18/10

Before leaving Florida, we had dinner with long time friends, Capts. Howard and Linda Howe. Linda gifted us with a scrapbook and journal to record our adventures. Both of which have been put to good use!! We knew they would be delivering a boat from the Chesapeake to Florida in September during the time we were headed north. We decided to keep in touch, maybe we could rendezvous along the way. We got the word they'd flown north and were on the water. We left Beauford and Mike headed to a free town dock at Oriental. In one of the guide books, I had read that there was a bakery in Oriental that made sticky buns and olive bread on Saturdays. A treat not to be missed. Upon arrival we discovered the free dock was already full. Cell coverage was absolute "0" and we couldn't contact Howard. Mike says lets not go in and pay for a marina when we don't know where the Howe's are and what the next plan might be, so we anchored out. Next morning we hit a pocket of cell coverage, reached the Howe's, and agreed to meet that night in Oriental. Sticky buns and olive bread were back in the plan! Just as we reached the harbor entrance at Oriental, we get a call from the Howe's. They've encountered some unexpected delays, and now have consulted the charts, calculated the distance and they can't make Oriental. Goodbye sticky buns and olive bread!! Maybe next time! They continued south; we continued north. In the afternoon, we decide to meet up at Belhaven and Linda suggested the River Forest Marina, a marina known for their fine food and lovely 1860's home, now a Bed n Breakfast. We arrive to find the owner has had his trials lately. He went away for a few days and his freezer went down and he lost all his food. Business had been slow, the restaurant was closed, he was out of both gas and diesel, but he would give us a golf cart to ride into town. The Howe's arrived. Howard was surprised to find that we had all the very precise and particular ingredients for his most favorite cocktail, even a fresh lime. We had hors d'oeuvres, a drink, and fun conversation before boarding the golf cart and heading to Fishhooks for a fine seafood feast. It was such a fun time. We saw them off in the morning and continued to wind our way north.