Don & Rachel's Great Loop AdventurE

Tuesday morning the lock opened at 8:00 am and we were in the first group to go through. The first few locks are referred to as the flight of 5, as they are all less than a mile apart and you go through them in quick succession. After getting through those 5, boats started dropping off at different spots. By lock 11, us and ‘Grand Life’s were the only ones going through.

We had been aiming to dock at this park just after lock 10 but when we got there it was full. So we went up lock 11 and tied up along the wall on the other side. The lock master told us about a 100 year old Italian restaurant just up the road that he said we should try and recommend the lasagna. Didn’t have to tell us twice 😄.

We headed over there with ‘Grand Life’ for dinner and I did get the lasagna. It was pretty darn delicious!  When we got back to the boats the sun was just setting, and while I thought it was quite lovely, a little bit later the sun said “hold my beer”.

The only drawback to this spot was that there was a train crossing right here. So several times in the middle of the night we were woken up by horn blasts.

Wednesday morning we set off continuing through more locks. The Erie Canal has 35 in all. Locks 12-14 had super low walls at the top. It felt like we were going to spill out of the bathtub!

Lock 17 was the tallest one on the canal, with a lift of 41 feet. It is also the only lock where the gate is lifted straight up and you pass underneath it.

We were aiming for Little Falls Canal Harbor for the night, where there was a nice free dock, but once again it was full. So we went through lock 18 and came to Ilion Marina. The wall here was a little higher than we like, and Don had to help Skia off and on the boat.

It had been drizzling on and off all day and by the time we got set up it started pouring. Trying to eat up the rest of our supplies on the boat, it was the perfect day to have soup and grilled cheese for dinner.

Thursday was a nice sunny day. Going through six more locks we came to Sylvan Beach. There was another free wall here, this one actually had space for us and the wall was a nicer shorter height. It was a cute little town with a small amusement park set right along Oneida Lake.

This was the biggest lake we’d have to cross along the canal, and while today was nice and sunny today, it was also very windy. We took Skia for a walk, saw how choppy the water was and were glad to have decided to wait a day.

Friday was much less windy and Lake Oneida was flat as glass. We stopped at Winter Harbor Marina for our final fuel up. From here the rest of the locks are more spread out and we only went through 2 today. We came to Baldwinsville where there was a nice floating dock. We planned out the rest of our stops and figured out we’d be back to Buffalo on Monday!

Saturday we got up and got moving. Another nice day we went through 5 locks and arrived at Newark. There was a nice dock here as well along a park. There were also two other Ranger Tugs docked in front of us. The park had a nice mural of the Erie Canal, with some painted descriptions of how it came to be.

Sunday we pulled off the dock in the morning and continued on. When we got to Fairport there was an asymmetric bridge with one side being higher than the other. With no physical signs along the water, the chart listed it at 15 feet. We stuck to the high side but as we were going under halfway across the mast struck the bridge. It broke the light and cracked the fiberglass at the base.

Don was able to get it lowered and we got out from under the bridge but the damage was done. Two freaking days away from being done. Raging mad doesn’t even begin to describe my state for the rest of the day. When we got to lock 33 they wanted to get our information about it. Then when we got to Spencerport and had to wait for a lift bridge, they wanted us to fill out an incident report, which took longer than it needed to because the lift operator had to drive down to the next bridge to open it and then come to open this bridge. I was beyond annoyed by this point.

We finally made it to Holley and tied up for the night. This morning the bridge opened at 7am and we followed two other boats through. Once clear they went a lot faster than us though and we got stuck at the next lift bridge. Again the operator was working two bridges. So we had to wait for her to go open the next one for the other boats and then come back to open this one again.

Luckily this was only the case for the next two bridges past this one. Then they started opening pretty much upon our arrival which was nice. Coming into familiar territory, we finally arrived at locks 34 & 35 in Lockport NY, the last two! I’ve seen them throughout my life many times, but from down in a boat they looked very tall.

As we were coming up the first chamber we had some special visitors ☺️.

Once through both locks, we were able to dock just around the side of lock 35. We went up to the street and came out right at one of our favorite local places.

Don’s Aunt was waiting for us up there as well and we all got to enjoy one final stop on the Loop. Lake Effect Ice Cream is always good, it’s just hard trying to pick which custom flavor to get. Conveniently they offer a Flight of 5 flavors, so you don’t have to struggle with your decision as much 😄.

After a delicious stop, we set back off towards North Tonawanda. Today is exactly day 300 of the Loop!

Coming into the North Tonawanda area was really fun in the boat. It was neat going by places I’ve only been by car before. Exiting the Erie Canal, we came out into the Niagara River, around Tonawanda Island and back to the Niagara River Yacht Club, officially crossing our wake!!!

We had the best welcoming committee too! My dad, Don’s mom, Uncle, Grandpa, Joy and Claire. It is definitely nice to be back 😊.

We unloaded some things off the boat and then went to dinner at Mooney’s.

This past year has been quite the adventure! In 300 days we went 6,290 nautical miles, through a total of 128 locks, and met a whole bunch of great people! It is definitely a trip we will never forget!

For now, on to our next adventure, getting ready for our wedding in September! 💍

Tuesday morning we were up early. We made our way through the notorious Point Pleasant Canal. A narrow channel lined entirely by solid rock walls, it is known to get very rough with lots of traffic. It’s advised not to go through it on the weekends at all costs. Thankfully, this was Tuesday and going through first thing in the morning, we only saw two other boats and it wasn’t bad at all.

We made a pit stop at Captain Bill’s Landing right at the edge of the Manasquan Inlet. Here it was already quite choppy, with tour boats starting to go by churning the water up even more. We fueled up and got out of there as quickly as possible.

Going through the inlet and out into the Atlantic the water was actually very nice. It was a relief to see that the prediction was accurate. Long gentle rolling waves that you didn’t even really feel. We saw so many more dolphins along the way too, probably the last of the trip.

When we came around Sandy Hook the water got a little choppy but it calmed down again once we reached the upper Bay of the Hudson River. We had seen on Nebo that another Looper, ‘Crab Shack’ was on their way to NYC as well and coordinated with them to take pictures of each other passing the Statue of Liberty. Seeing her from the water on our boat was really awesome.

It was still fairly early as we came into the city and there was a slight haze, which at the time we chalked up to typical morning weather. It was still such a cool view from the water.

We went a little ways up river, passing Ellis Island, the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier, under the George Washington Bridge and the little red lighthouse to Dyckman Marina.

It was right along the river with no breakwall. The water was somewhat calm up here, but with barges and ferry boats going by we knew we could get some good wakes.

It was definitely not the most restful night we’ve had, there were a few decent wakes in the middle of the night. NYC is crazy expensive though and this marina was more than half the cost of the ones downtown, so that is why we were staying here. Wednesday we hopped on the subway, which was just up the street a block, and rode into the city.

Our first stop was at Zucker’s Bagel’s & Smoked Fish 🥯. We both just wanted to try just a bagel on its own, so no smoked fish, but I did get blueberry cream cheese on mine. Oh it was so good! The bagel itself was fresh and delicious, and the cream cheese had whole blueberries in it.

Then we went to the Flat Iron Building, where we had an appointment at Brilliant Earth Jewelry to look at wedding bands 😄. I hadn’t necessarily planned on getting my ring in NYC, but I have been seeing this company online since we got engaged and really liked their selection. There just isn’t a store in the Buffalo area. So I figured, when in Rome, and we were able to get in and check them out. Our consultant was actually from Cheektowaga and agreed they should open a store in Buffalo.

From there we hopped back on the subway and went down to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It was surreal to be standing there, they really did a beautiful job with the fountain and honoring those who were lost in the tragedy.

The museum was extremely impactful as well. Walking around the remnants of the base of the tower and seeing some of the mangled steel was incredible and a lot to take in.

When we came out of the museum, the whole city was Sepia toned. The smoke from the Canadian fires was really intense.  We walked past the Ghost Busters Fire Hall, which is still an active fire hall. 

Then, ready to try some more of NYC’s finest cuisine, we went over to Little Italy and got some slices of pizza from Manero’s 🍕. It was very delicious! The forecast had said it was going to be in the mid 70’s but with the smoke cover and strong breeze, it was actually a bit chilly. So we picked out some souvenir sweat shirts and wore out tourist badges proudly.

We checked out China Town right down the street then took the subway uptown to Times Square. We walked around a bit, and then we were ready to relax. We went back to the boat to recharge for day two.

Thursday we didn’t get up quite as early. I tried to shower in the marina facilities but it only had one temperature, scalding! We hadn’t turned the water heater on the boat, and though it is also heated from the engine while we’re moving, by this point it had cooled. So I would have to wait one more day.

We took the train back downtown, and headed to another bagel place for breakfast. We ended up walking back through Times Square to get there, but coming from the other direction, this time we noticed the New Year’s Ball. It had the lights on and was cool to see.

We went to the Bagel Market, and this time got breakfast sandwiches. I got an onion bagel, with an over easy egg (they let you pick how you wanted your egg cooked), bacon and cheddar cheese. It was very good!

Nice and full, we walked over to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, which we had passed traveling up the river on the way to the marina. The Intrepid had some very cool planes on the flight deck, even some we haven’t seen before, so I was told. There was also the space shuttle Enterprise and the first Nuclear Submarine, the USS Growler.

That was particularly interesting to see. We were able to go aboard and walk through the whole submarine. It was super confined inside and incredible to think about spending months in there without coming to the surface. I definitely could not do it.

We then headed up town, walking past the Original Soup Kitchen, location of the soup Nazi from Seinfeld, and McGee’s Pub, inspiration for McLaren’s from How I Met Your Mother. We popped in to check it out and they had pictures of the cast visiting.

Central Park was just up the street so we headed there next. We walked around a bit and then took a bicycle tour around the whole park. Our guide was really good, he took us to all the major famous spots, acting as our personal photographer as well. We saw a lot of movie film locations, the Friends fountain, and John Lennon’s apartment. Yoko Ono and their son still live there.

Our guide dropped us off at Columbus Circle, where we got a classic Nathan’s hot dog. It was every bit as good as you would want it to be. After another jam packed day we were ready to head back to the boat. While waiting for our train we saw a rat run across the subway platform, thus completing our NYC experience 😆.

Friday we planned a long way to go. We got up at 5am to get a good start. The current was ripping and we had to move fast getting off the dock. Once out it was annoyingly working against us and made the ride very slow. This section of the Hudson was very pretty though. Nice hills with rocky cliffs and deeper water than we’ve seen in a while.

We passed West Point Military Academy, which originally was an old Fort and very impressive to see. We also passed Bannerman Castle, an abandoned military surplus warehouse. Though it has somewhat deteriorated, it was still pretty cool.

We stopped for fuel along the way, and all over the ramp and ground were these huge 4 sided thorn pods. They turned out to be water chestnuts. The dock master said they get everywhere when there is high water and they are constantly kneeling on them and it is a major pain.

We made it to Hyde Park Marina. A nice little spot, the dock master there told us about a shortcut to the CIA. Culinary Institute of America. Walking alongside the train tracks we took a short path through the woods that brings you to the back of the campus. It was a very expansive place, much bigger than I would have thought.

We went to the main hall where the Apple Pie Bakery and Cafe was. All the restaurants are run by the students and don’t have typical business hours.

So when we arrived they weren’t serving their full menu but still had some pre-prepared hot food and baked goods. We got baked Mac N’ Cheese, which was amazing, and some assorted pastry. All were very good!

We had planned on leaving super early again Saturday morning, but when we got up at 5am there was super heavy fog out. We decided to go back to bed and wait for it to lift a little. At 7am it had lifted enough for us to comfortably see so we set off.

It was a very scenic route, with the hills continuing, I’d even dare to say a few mountain peaks along the way too. There were several island lighthouses that were really neat, just in the middle of the river. Then we finally reached Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina. It was packed!

This weekend was their big pig roast! 🐷 Friday through Sunday there was a whole schedule of events, we arrived just in time for the Beach Party with Deep Eddy Vodka tastings.  There was also a restaurant on site, the Boathouse Grille, that we went to for dinner with ‘Never Home’.  Their weekend special was the prime rib, but I had to go with the bacon jam cheeseburger, which was quite delicious! That evening there was a bonfire at the beach and it was a perfect opportunity to meet a bunch of new Loopers.

Sunday morning the Container Bar was hosting breakfast. Bacon and egg sandwiches with potatoes. Very yummy! 🍳🥓

We had signed up to take the courtesy car to the grocery store, and ‘Witness’ asked us to grab a few things for them since we were going. When we went to leave however, the car would not go into gear and there was a funny burning smell. So that was a no go. There was a second courtesy vehicle, a minivan, that one of the other Loopers had signed up to take. They were taking another couple too and invited us to come with them as well.

With it already pretty full just Don went and then I could attend the Ladies of the Loop Networking Mimosa’s and Danish event. Though for whatever reason where the marina was there was zero cell service. The marina had wifi that we were able to pick up but it was very minimal. So Don ended up only receiving 1/3 of the grocery list I sent. He came back with the important things though, including a dessert to share for the pig roast this evening. By mid morning Nebo showed there were 44 AGLCA boats at the marina!

The pig roast was a giant pot luck, with everyone having brought something to share, it was quite the feast! Everything was excellent, especially the pig! By the end I felt like a Turducken, but a Rachel stuffed with pork, stuffed with various potato and pasta salads, stuffed with various beans and rice. Totally worth it 😄.

That evening we all rolled ourselves back to the beach for another bonfire. One of the Loopers had Pandora playing music and went around the circle taking requests. It turned into quite the eclectic playlist but they were all good songs and it was a very nice end to a super fun day.

This morning we set off for the Erie Canal. The last stretch towards home! A little past Albany there is a free dock in Waterford, right at the second lock. We got here with a few boats already docked but still plenty of space. There was a grocery store less than a half mile away so we walked there to grab the missing stuff from the list, and when we got back the dock was completely full.

Along the sidewalk they have the length of the canal displayed in brick. Marking each town where a lock is and the height of the lock. It is a really clever design. This evening the whole group of us docked here gathered for a dock party after dinner.

Tomorrow we start our way along the Erie canal back to Buffalo!

Our last night in Philly was a windy one. I kept waking up from the boat being bounced about a bit. Tuesday we made our way back down the Delaware River to Delaware City, DE. Which is the jumping off point to get down to Cape May, NJ. Along the way we continued our passing tour of NFL stadiums. We hadn’t noticed it on the way up, but on the way down we had a clear view of the Philadelphia Eagles stadium.

At the bottom of Delaware Bay, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, it can get pretty rough, so we’d have to wait for a good weather window. When we arrived at the Delaware City Marina we fueled up and then they helped us get turned around onto the dock.

The marina is in a narrow channel off the main canal. There is a super low fixed bridge (even too low for us) just past the marina, so it’s one way in and out. The current is also particularly strong through here and there is just one big long dock that everyone lines up on. So to get you facing back out in the right direction to leave, they use a line off your bow and pivot you around like a slow moving tetherball. The dock hands were very practiced at this.

By the end of the day the entire dock was full, with every last one being a Looper 😄.

The dock master here gives a nightly briefing of information to get you down to Cape May. He talked us through getting out of the canal with the current and what markers to follow out in Delaware Bay. He also pulled up the weather and reviewed the next few days forecast for wind and waves.

It looked like tomorrow was going to be the day to go, so we all coordinated when we’d be pulling off the dock. There were many boats here we knew so we chatted with them and discussed our next bit of travel plans.

This is also where our friends on ‘Tug Bussle’ started their Loop and crossed their wake. So that evening Russ and Janet came down and met us for dinner. We walked over to Kathy’s Crab House, which did have very good crab cakes! They were Maryland style with more meat, less filler. We came back to the boat and all hung out a little longer before they headed back home. It was nice to see them again and chat about their completion of the Loop.

Wednesday morning the whole line of boats were up somewhat early. One by one, the fleet made it’s way out of the canal and headed down Delaware Bay. Most of the way was perfectly pleasant, nice relatively calm water. The last 15 or so miles was a different story. Once we got closer to the bottom the waves picked up, coming from the side of course, and rocked us around a bit.  It wasn’t the most fun but we made it into the Cape May canal.

As we came into the Cape May Bay, we passed by the US Coast Guard Training Center, where Don came for basic training.

Not initially knowing when we would be coming down here we hadn’t made reservations anywhere. I had done the research and picked the top places we wanted to go to based on location and dock type. Floating docks taking priority, especially with our injured fluff (though she is doing better).

The whole way down I was trying to call different marinas to see if anyone had availability, knowing there was a whole gaggle of us heading to the same general area. We ended up going a little further up the New Jersey ICW to Schooner Island Marina. On the way there the wind was just howling and even the ICW was a little choppy in the more open areas. The marina was tucked behind a couple islands though and was much calmer, so we were happy with our choice.

The marina did have a pool but it was too cool out to want to go in, which was for the best since it was closed anyway. Although there were a few rebels who didn’t care.

The New Jersey ICW is notorious for not being well maintained. With extreme shallow sections that haven’t been dredged and sections where the channel markers aren’t accurate because the current has moved things around. Because of this, many people choose to go out on the Atlantic up the coast and come back in at various inlets for the night. The only problem with that is, ocean big, us small. And with the wind having been constantly blowing for many days now, the reports were showing 7ft waves ocean side. No thank you!

So Don went through our route in the ICW on the Waterway Guide website and made a list of any reported trouble spots. Also because of these issues it is recommended that if you choose the ICW route, you leave on a rising tide about an hour after low tide. Unfortunately that meant not leaving until almost 2:00pm. A much later start than usual.

Even though we were at a marina, I showered and washed my hair on the boat. Hoping to use up some water and lighten our load. Thursday afternoon before we left we got a waste water pump out to help with that as well. So at 1:45 we started up the ICW. Trying to make it all the way to Atlantic City was a race against the sun. There were soooo many ‘No Wake Zones’ that we had to idle through. Checking off the noted trouble spots as we passed them we’d go slow in those areas too. Luckily we didn’t end up having any problems.

Though it was a slow, winding path, we made it to Atlantic City a little after 8 o’clock, just before sunset. There was a Looper boat docked two spots over that we went and said hello to, and then just because we were where we were, we went up to the casino to check things out. The marina we were at was actually part of the Golden Nugget Casino.

Things were pretty quiet on a Thursday night. We saw on Nebo that ‘Never Home’ and ‘Yes Dear’ were here as well just a few docks over from us. After breezing through the casino we went to find them and say hello. We found them together on ‘Never Home’, they invited us aboard and we hung out for a little while.

Arriving so late today we decided to try it the other way around tomorrow. We planned to leave very early in the morning close to high tide. The next section of the ICW didn’t have as many problem spots to worry about.

So Friday morning we were up a little after sunrise and headed out. We were met with heavy fog and it was incredibly difficult to see the channel markers. The chart plotter shows them on the screen, so Don knew the general area we should be in and as we came up on each marker we could spot them.

After a little while the sun burned the fog off and we could see clearly again. All in all this was a much easier section to get through, and the last really. We came to Trader’s Cove, just south of the Point Pleasant cut that brings you to the last inlet for the Atlantic. From here there is no more ICW, you have to go out into the Atlantic to get to NYC.

So from here we will watch the weather and wait for a good day to make the jump. Saturday was certainly not it, it was a crazy windy day! The waves were just blowing right in at us, bring this foam with it. It would collect along the side of the boat, stick to the fenders and lines, and blow all over the dock. It was gross. Don kept rinsing it off but more just kept coming 🫤.

I took a walk to the local convenience store to get some extra supplies to make enchiladas and Don did laundry. The staff here is super helpful and even got us more quarters from the bank.

The weather forecast has been back and forth so we are still undecided on when to leave. In the meantime, the marina has a very nice lounge area with cable tv. Don was interested in watching the NHL finals game, so we hung out in there for the evening.

Sunday was much calmer. We took the fluff for a walk in the morning. She has been getting a little better each day and today she actually ran around in the grass 😃. Though she still favors her back leg when jumping in and out of the boat. The rest of the day we just hung out and did trip researched past NYC.

Having been debating whether to leave either this morning or Tuesday morning. The conditions on the Atlantic looked okay for today, but Tuesday looks even better so we made the call to wait until tomorrow.

Today the wave reports showed around 2.5ft swell height with a 5.9 second period. Whereas on Tuesday it is supposed to lessen to 1.9ft swells with a 7 second period.

Basically, the longer the time period is between the swells means wider smooth waves rather than steep sharp ones, more rolly, less bumpy.

So since we were sticking around today the fluff and I took a walk. She found just the best patch of grass ever apparently and was very excited about it.

We plotted out where to stop between NYC and the start of the Erie Canal and made a few marina reservations. From there it’s more or less a straight shot home 😄. The timing did work out to put us up the Hudson River at a certain marina that hosts a special event each year that I’m excited we will be there for. It’s supposed to be one of the Looping highlights. You’ll just have to stay tuned to hear all about it.

So here’s hoping our last major water crossing goes as smoothly as possible! 🤞

Tuesday morning we took the dinghy with ‘Razors Edge’ and ‘Odyssey’ back down Ego Alley (an inlet off the main water with docks & the surrounding streets are the main area lined with restaurants and shops). We went to the Naval Academy where you can walk around on your own but we all had booked a tour for the morning. Our tour guide was very good and we learned a lot about the buildings, student life, history and present day procedures.

Bancroft Hall is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the US. It is home for the entire brigade of 4,000 midshipmen, and contains some 1,700 rooms, 4.8 miles of corridors, and 33 acres of floor space 😲.

After the tour we walked down to the football field along the water. The Blue Angels were doing practice passes and flying right overhead.

When we got back to the boat they started their rehearsal for the air show tomorrow. Though their aerial maneuvers were centered over the Naval Academy, as they came around and set back up they flew right over our boat!

That evening Don’s Uncle, Aunt, cousin and her boyfriend came down to meet us for dinner. We went to the Boatyard Bar & Grill. They offered two different types of crab soup. Maryland crab soup, a beef broth loaded with bacon, veggies and chunks crabmeat. And Cream of Crab, a thick creamy soup, full of crabmeat and laced with sherry. They offered a Ying & Yang serving, portions of both soups in the same bowl. I am not a food mixer, and being two very different soups I wanted to be able to taste them separately to compare. The waitress assured me that on their own they don’t blend too much and only if I wanted to, I could stir them together, which apparently is a popular thing to do.

So I got the duo and could indeed taste each soup on it’s own. Both were very good! The bacon jalapeno jam smash burger I also got was quite delicious as well! Second best burger I think I’ve had on this trip.

Wednesday morning we had plans to go to breakfast with ‘Faith’. They took us to Chick & Ruth’s Delly. ‘Maia’ came with us and then ‘Yachts of Fun’ ended up being sat next to us. It was a super quirky little place but the food was very good.

‘Razors Edge’ had been anchored just in front of the mooring field but wanted to get closer for the actual air show today. They left their dinghy hooked up to their main anchor to save their place and then found a spot to anchor in front of the Academy. They invited us to come out and join them so we dinghy’d out to watch the Blue Angels demonstration.

It was absolute pandemonium out there! I’ve never seen such a gaggle of boats. When the performance started we seemed to be in a prime spot. The planes flew directly in front of and over us! It was incredible to see!

We came back to our boat and then over to ‘Faith’ for a cookout and to play cards.

Thursday we worked on our next bit of travel plans. It looked like we’d get one good day and then the wind was going to pick up again. So after much back and forth trying to figure out the best course of action, we decided to make the short side trip up to Philadelphia. It’s not a very common Loopers side trip, which is surprising because it is only 35 miles from the end of the C&D canal that connects the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River.

After we got that worked out, we went and walked around Annapolis. Saw the Maryland State House and checked out some of the shops. We went into this super eccentric book store and funky souvenir shops. We came back and took the fluff for a walk. The whole town is very charming with immaculate gardens.

That evening we went to dinner with ‘Faith’ and ‘Odyssey’ for our last night here. Everyone was planning on making a run for it on Friday when the weather looked decent. The ice cream shop next door was making fresh waffle cones that lured us in after dinner. Luckily I just got a steak salad so I had plenty of room for Ice cream 😄.

Friday we made our way out of Annapolis and headed all the way to the top of the Chesapeake. It was finally a nice day out there. The water was perfectly calm and it was much more enjoyable. We went halfway across the canal to Summit Marina. This place was huge, and they had a nice restaurant with lawn games and a band that night.

After eating out so much in Annapolis we had planned on making dinner on the boat, but while doing laundry something was smelling amazing! I made the mistake of looking up the menu and the moment I saw pork belly tacos the decision was made. The restaurant was hopping and the wait would be close to an hour. Luckily they did “to go” orders and by the time the laundry was done our food was ready. And it was worth it, the tacos were delicious, I’d put them in a close third place.

There were some locals hanging out on the dock that were interested in the Loop. So we chatted with them a bit and they gave us some local knowledge about the next part of our journey.

Saturday we came up the Delaware River. As views go it was not the greatest. Completely industrial the entire way, factories just lined both sides of the river. It was a little scummy too and I ended up fishing three mylar balloons out of the water. We made it to Philadelphia and came to Penn’s Landing Marina. We had been told by the locals last night that we were lucky to get in there as they are usually booked up.

Penn’s Landing is a very bustling boardwalk. There are permanent food trailers, a green space with hammocks, peddle boats, restaurants and the ferry that takes you across the river to New Jersey. We were told there would be fireworks that night too. They ended up being set off a barge right by the bridge and we were in the perfect viewing spot.

Sunday we went out and about the city. We started at Elfreth’s Alley, the city’s oldest colonial neighborhood. Then over to Betsy Ross’s house. We walked through China Town to the Masonic Temple and City Hall. Both were massive, extraordinarily ornate buildings that were extremely impressive. They just don’t build things like this anymore.

We then went to the Declaration House where Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence.

We went to the site of the first Presidential residence before the Capital moved to D.C. We saw Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell originally hung, and then the bell itself which is now kept in its own exhibit. Ya know, since we broke it the first time we used it. This is why we can’t have nice things 😆.

We passed by Carpenter’s Hall, the First Bank of the U.S. and the Second. At different significant locations of history around the city there are theatrical speakers that tell you a tale about different important figures. We learned about John Barry, founder of the US Navy as we know it today. Don checked out the Revolutionary War Museum, and then it was time for the main event! 😄

What else could we possibly get for dinner in Philly besides cheesesteaks!? The difficult part was choosing which of the endless different restaurants to try. We ended up at Sony’s Famous Steaks. I got the “original”, with cheese wiz, fried onions and peppers. It was quite delicious!

This morning we started with breakfast at the Eggcellent Cafe, which was true to its name. Then we took the ferry across the river into New Jersey to tour the Battleship New Jersey. It is the largest battleship in the world and the nation’s most decorated battleship. It is 887-foot long and 45,000-tons, built at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.

Of the many ships we have toured this was our first battleship. It was impressive to say the least. They kindly had guide lines on the floor in different colors so you could self tour different parts of the ship. It is always fascinating to see the inside of the big ships like this and just how creative they get with the placement of everything. Some definitely had better sleeping accommodations than others. Obviously the higher ranking you are the better bunk you get, but how low on the totem pole do you have to be to sleep next to the artillery shell loader? 🫤

When we came back Don wanted to go check out the other ship docked right across from us and I went to see the sight of Benjamin Franklin’s house. Not knowing just how important he would be to our Nation’s history, his grandchildren, also not wanting to maintain the property, sold it and the house was then torn down to develop a street with a row of modest houses.

Building the road actually preserved the foundation underneath and in more recent years it was excavated. Don and I reconvened at the boat and decided that to get a well rounded experience we needed to try a different cheesesteak restaurant to compare. So tonight we went to Oh Brother Philly. With the same cheese and toppings options, the bread was the noticeable difference. This one was definitely heartier to hold everything together, but we both agreed it was maybe too much and detracted from the filling.

All in all I’m glad we took this little side adventure. If you’ve never been to Philadelphia I definitely recommend coming for a weekend. A lot of history and delicious food!

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

With it looking like the wind wasn’t going to quit for the next several days, we decided to take our time getting back to the Chesapeake. So we stayed another day, Tuesday, at Belmont Bay. Don has been looking for the time to do an oil change on the boat and there were few stores in town I wanted to go to, so it worked out. One store brought a taste of home 😊.

Literally a taste, as they have my favorite fruit tarts! 😋

When I got back I took the fluff for a walk through the nature preserve and did laundry. While waiting for that I also ordered our wedding invitations 😄. The only hiccup with them is not knowing the exact delivery date, or where we will be when to have them sent to…. Luckily I have the awesomest maid of honor ever, who graciously said I could have them shipped to her and she would send them out for us.

All in all it was a fairly productive day. Wednesday we moved down to Colonial Beach. It was definitely a little windy and the water was pretty choppy in some sections, but we made it to the Boathouse Marina.

We docked on a t-head right behind another Looper, ‘Love on the Locks’. They have just started their Loop. We had docktails with them that evening and shared what we have learned so far.

The marina also has a resident cat that was super friendly and all about getting love. She hung out in the lounge waiting for people to come in and offer scratches. I was very happy to oblige and get a kitty fix.

It was a pretty rocky night with the wind, and Thursday morning it looked like it was going to continue. I took Skia for a walk, we went along the river side of the peninsula and the waves were kicking!  It is a very small beach side town and the marina has a golf cart you can take around town. When the fluff and I got back, Don and I took it to the Post Office so I could send stamps to Joy for the wedding invitations, and while out and about we stopped at Food Lion for a few extra things.

Later we took the cart again to The Huasteca Mexican Restaurant for dinner, which was pretty good. On the way back we took the scenic route along the river, which was still ripping. We checked on the weather and it didn’t look like tomorrow would be a pleasant travel day either. So we decided to stay here one more day.

Overnight was a little calmer wind wise and we got a better night’s sleep. Friday morning we both went for a walk with Skia. The river looked better than yesterday but still not great and we were glad not to be out there. When we got back a different boat was parked in front of us, ‘Changin’ Latitudes’

The marina asked if we would slide around the dock and into an actual slip to make room for a sailboat that was coming in this evening. They helped us reposition, then we had docktails with the new boat.

Saturday finally looked like it would be a decent weather day to travel. We woke up to heavy fog but the waves looked calm. So we headed out with limited visibility, but enough to see the ever present crab pots.

We stopped at Cole’s Point Marina to fuel up and headed back out into the Chesapeake. The fog started to lift as we left the marina and by the time we reached the mouth of the river we could see the land on either side again.

The Bay was a little choppy, but certainly not the worst we’ve been in and it was perfectly tolerable. We came to Solomon’s Island, which was nice and protected from wind. I took the fluff for a walk to stretch both our legs and we just had a chill evening.

Once again the wind is supposed to blow so we decided to stay here for two nights. Monday’s weather looks decent again and we want to make the run up to Annapolis. ‘Faith’ is on a mooring ball there and said it was a great spot. Having had a bad experience in Chicago on a mooring ball I am sceptical, but Linda assures me that it is very nice, and calm. They have a dog too and she said there were tons of dinghy docks to run to shore.

Sunday we prepped for being on the hook for at least four days, which means doing laundry and filling water. Also that evening would be a hair washing shower using the marina facilities. With only a 40 gallon fresh water tank I try to avoid washing my hair on the boat.

While waiting for the laundry I walked just down the road to Grandmother’s Store, a little antique shop. I found some throwback cookbooks from the early 90’s that give all the nostalgia vibes. One was written by sailors of recipes for cooking on a boat. I look forward to trying some of them out.

When the laundry was done we took the dinghy across the way to go to the Calvert Marine Museum. They have a dinghy dock you can usually tie up to. This time though there was a mini sailboat race going on and the dock was blocked. We were meeting up with ‘Rose Cottage’ who was docked at the marina on that side, so we tied our dinghy to the dock by their boat and then just walked to the museum.

We have been to a bunch of maritime museums on this trip but this one was particularly impressive. Along with having a bunch of cool boating artifacts and information, they also have a lighthouse, several aquarium exhibits, including an otter habitat, and fossil display.

From there we went to the Bugeye Grill for dinner. It was such a nice spot along the water and I had a very delicious Maryland crab cake sandwich. It was a little different than others I’ve had, with larger chunks of “meat” and less filler.

This morning we got ready to leave for Annapolis. Skia had done something to her leg last night and this morning she was limping and not wanting to put weight on her one back leg. Poor fluff 😟.

We headed out of the harbor and back out into the Chesapeake. As we got further out it started getting choppier. It was definitely a little bigger than when we came in on Saturday but still tolerable. ‘Faith’ was keeping an eye on the mooring balls for us, and as we got further North the water calmed down a bit.

We came into Spa Creek, right past the Naval Academy, and found the mooring field. We hooked up to a ball right behind ‘Faith’ and then took the dogs to the park in the dinghy’s. They have been here a few days already and showed us all the docks we can use to get ashore.

Skia was still hesitant to put weight on her one leg but as she walked a little bit it seemed to be better. Don manipulated her paw and leg and it didn’t seem to cause her any discomfort. So we’re thinking she wacked her leg jumping onto the dock or pulled something and it’s sore today. We will watch her over the next day and see how she is.

‘Faith’ had made dinner plans with another Looper boat, ‘Maia’, who was also tied up here, and invited us to join them. ‘Razors Edge’ and ‘Odyssey’ also arrived and tied up here and were invited as well. Though we haven’t formally met ‘Odyssey’ we have seen them when traveling in the rivers.

So we set a plan for 5:15 to meet in the dinghy’s. Then our little parade puttered to the main town dinghy dock. Linda had made reservations for us at Mangia-Italian Grill. They had fresh baked bread with garlic olive oil, and lasagna that was delicious!

The sun was starting to set on our way back to the boats and the reflection off the water was so pretty.

Dan and Deb from ‘Razors Edge’ had made reservations to do a walking tour of the Naval Academy tomorrow, and we decided to join them. It will be fun to explore the city over the next few days.

Overnight last Monday we were woken up by surprise thunderstorms. Tuesday morning the radar showed more storms on the way. So we decided to stay here at Cole’s Point one more night.

A little later ‘Knot N’ Kansas’ arrived and docked next to us. That evening we played cards with them and Jona gave us some delicious chicken she made in her Insta-Pot, which I enjoyed for lunch the next day. She was not the first to say how handy it is for cooking. I may have to look into one.

Wednesday we were again woken up early, this time by a fishing boat and a group of guys who were waaaaay to perky and exuberant for 5am. Seriously, the expression “it’s 5’oclock somewhere” refers to 5:00 in the evening!

As we headed up river there was a ton of debris in the water and we had to keep a sharp lookout. Further up we got hailed by the Navy. They had a dive team in the river doing live explosive drills. So the guide boat that hailed us led us through the area and told us what markers to follow.

Although we were on the other side of the river we definitely knew when they set things off. It was quite jarring! We could feel it from underneath us and the sound was incredible. It felt like we were hitting something and scared the crap out of us each time. There were at least four explosions as we went through the area.

We came to Belmont Bay Marina. It was very nice with a wildlife refuge nearby to take Skia. While meeting all the new wonderful people on Loop has been a highlight, it’s extra special when you get to see a familiar face that lives nearby where you’re traveling through 😊.

It was so nice to catch up and we went to dinner at Dixie Bones BBQ where I got a loaded pulled pork potato the size of my face. It was very delicious 😋.

Thursday morning as we headed out we had to go through a lot more debris. It was a veritable mine field.

We made it to Mount Vernon, the property and home of George Washington. The estate was originally 8,000 acres, today it’s only 500 acres. It was still very impressive and beautifully maintained.

We continued on to Washington D.C. As we got closer we could see the Washington monument and Capital Building from the water. Our marina was right across from a joint military base and there was a steady stream of aircraft flying overhead.

Friday we took the scooters to downtown D.C. We started at the National Archives. It was really incredible to be able to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and too many other documents to name.

We then went to the White House Visitor Center. It was interesting to learn about the different stages of construction and additions it went through to its current state. There were also many items on display that were once kept in the White House by different Presidents.

Back to Constitution Ave. there were food trucks lining a whole block. We grabbed a quick lunch before heading into the Museum of Natural History. Such a massive space, with soooo many different fascinating things to see. My favorites were the fossils, rocks & minerals. So cool!

They even had rocks from the moon brought back from different shuttle missions, and the Hope Diamond, which was definitely impressive 😲.

Going through the whole museum took most of the rest of the day, and by the time we were through we were ready for dinner. We headed over to The Wharf. Located along the Washington Channel of the Potomac, there was a nice boardwalk with a bunch of restaurants. We picked Lucky Buns. A burger restaurant with very fun artwork and delicious burgers 😋.

Before heading back to the boat we stopped at the Praline Bakery and picked up some desert. Including this scrumptious rustic apple tart.

Saturday we took the Metro as far as we could out of town towards Dulles. Don’s Uncle Greg lives not too far from here and was able to meet us. He was kind enough to pick us up from the end of the Metro line and we went to the National Air & Space Museum at Dulles Airport.

This place is huge! The size and number of aircraft they have in here is incredible! The space shuttle Discovery was particularly impressive

For lunch Uncle Greg took us to Good Eats Emporium. Living up to its name, the food was indeed very good, especially the almost donut-like rolls! On the way back to D.C. we stopped at a most intriguing Walmart. We have seen similar set ups in other big cities where space is at a premium. This one was located within a parking garage. You had to take an elevator or escalator to get to the store, and there was an escalator for grocery carts too. Call me easily amused, but I’d never seen one before and it made grocery shopping a little more entertaining.

Uncle Greg was nice to give us a ride all the way back to the marina with our groceries, and let us borrow his reusable bags. Unfortunately there was a soccer game that evening, and the marina is right next to the stadium, so traffic was a little extra.

Sunday we hopped on the Metro again, over to Arlington National Cemetery. We got tickets for the tram that takes you all around the grounds and stops at all the major viewing points. The cemetery is over 600 acres. The first stop was the Marine Corp Memorial.

From there we just walked to the Kennedy family grave site, which led us passed Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s resting place, along with Abraham Lincoln’s son, daughter in law and Grandson, who are all buried together.

Back on the tram and over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The marble amphitheater was gorgeous and seeing it in person you can definitely understand why it is a favorite ceremonial spot.

We got to watch the changing of the guard ceremony along with a special wreath presentation ceremony with the Phoenix police department. Watching the guards performing their duties with such precision and dedication was a sight to see.

After that we went to see Arlington House. The grounds of the cemetery were first purchased by George Washington’s step (and eventually adopted) son, John Parke Custis, the son of Martha Washington and her first husband. When his son inherited the property, he decided to build a Greek Revival-style mansion there as his home and a place to display his large collection of George Washington heirlooms and memorabilia (furniture, silver, china, family portraits).

His daughter (Washington’s great granddaughter) would marry Robert E. Lee, in June 1831. When he became commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War (awkward) the family had to abandon the property. The possession remained with the US government after the war and became the military cemetery we know today.

With that the tram brought us back to the visitor center at the entrance of the cemetery. We could see the Lincoln Memorial from here so we decided just to walk over the bridge. Once there we went to see the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean War, and WWII Memorials.

After a jam packed three days, this morning we left D.C. and started back down the river. Along the way we passed another Looper heading up to D.C. and they snapped a photo of us as we passed.

Most of the debris had cleared thankfully, and we came back to Belmont Bay Marina. Don took a scooter ride to the auto parts store for boat stuff and I took the fluff for a walk through the wildlife refuge nearby. There were nice paths and a few ponds where Skia was intrigued by the turtles.

Once again the weather looks iffy for the next several days so it seems we will be taking our time getting back out to the Chesapeake.

Tuesday morning was a bit gloomy. I did some laundry and made deviled eggs with the already peeled hard boiled eggs 😃🥚. Larry the marina owner, let’s guests borrow his car, so Don made a run to the hardware store for some extra supplies. I worked on travel plans up to D.C. and that evening we went over to ‘Faith’ and played cards. We both planned to leave for the Dismal Swamp early in the morning.

Up at sunrise Wednesday, we headed for the Dismal Swamp Canal. The locks only open on a set schedule at certain times of the day. We got there for the first, 8:30 am opening. There is a visitor center halfway through the canal that we both planned on stopping at and staying overnight on the dock right there. The plan was to spend two nights in the swamp. One night at the visitor center and one night at the other end of the canal on the dock right before the second lock. The weather in the Chesapeake didn’t look appealing until Friday.

As we made our way through the swamp canal, ‘Faith’ was in communication with the boats that had left the day before, intending to go straight through in one day and get to Norfolk, VA. They were now saying that because of the weather they were going to also spend two nights in the swamp, and since the other end wasn’t far, they were having a lazy morning and were going to wait a while before leaving the visitor center…..I do believe we all had this discussion back at the marina and that’s why we stayed there another night. But I digress.

While the swamp canal docks are first come first serve, it is common practice and courtesy to spend one night at each location and move on to make space for the next group of boats traveling through.

So when we arrived at the visitor center, the dock was full. Typically when that happens boats will just raft together. Well the other boats didn’t want to do that because they still planned on traveling to the end of the canal. Mind you it was after 11:00 am when we arrived, not super early, and they knew the first lock opening was at 8:30 am. One boat was just pulling out and ‘Faith’ was able to squeeze in-between two boats, then we rafted to them. It wasn’t too long until the other boats decided they were going to move on to the other end of the canal.

So we untied from ‘Faith’ and scooted back along the dock. It’s easier for Skia to get on and off that way. After all the rigamarole trying to find space by the end of the day we were the only two boats at the visitor center. There were actually two visitor centers, one on each side of the canal. We went into both, got some maps and information.

There was a boardwalk on the other side that goes through the swamp. We took the fluff for a walk over there to check it out.

The boardwalk was cool but not very long. On the side we were docked on, there was a paved path that ran for several miles along the canal. So we walked a bit further down that way. We saw a few snakes and on the way back there was fresh bobcat scat in the middle of the path (the visitor center had a whole display on scat found in the swamp), so we quickly made our return to the boat. That evening we played more games with ‘Faith’.

Thursday morning the boats at the other end told us they didn’t intend to leave until the last lock of the day, 3:30 pm. We wanted to leave the visitor center dock to make room for new boats coming through. There is another small dock in front of the next bridge before the lock. It is along a busy intersection, so not the best spot, but we figured we could at least have a place to tie up while we wait for the other boats to move out.

That morning going along the canal was beautiful. The sun was shining through the trees and the water was so calm it was hard to tell where the water ended and land began.

Along the way we crossed into Virginia. The canal was nice enough to have a welcome sign 😄. I’ve said throughout this whole trip that I wish the States would have signs along the water like they do on the highway. So I was excited to snap a pic.

When we got to the next dock there was a giant sailing catamaran already tied up there on the end. It was an awkward and tight squeeze fitting in front of it. Then ‘Faith’ had to raft to us, but at a funny angle as not to bump their bow on the piling bundle in front of us. It was a pretty amusing looking situation we ended up with.

It was indeed a busy and noisy section of town here. Right next to the dock was an empty lot that a work crew was clearing with weed wackers and leaf blowers on top of it. We ended up with debris all over the back deck. We also soon realized that it was a convict work crew, with several armed sheriff officers supervising them. Even better.

Now the boats docked down by the lock were reporting that a railroad bridge with only a 5ft clearance just past the lock was having mechanical issues, that they didn’t know when it would be working, and if it wasn’t fixed soon they were just going to stay another night on that dock. Which would mean we’d have to stay where we were 🫤. Not ideal.

There were a few restaurants just across the street so we decided to go get lunch and come up with additional back up plans. We went to El Puente Mexican Grill. It was very good! We ordered guacamole with our chips and a guy came to our table with a cart and made it fresh right there! I’ve never experienced that before, and it was delicious!

While sipping on a much needed cocktail, we discussed other options for the night. There was a marina after the lock just down another branch of the river. We figured we could go through the last lock of the day and to that marina if need be. I called them to make sure they would have space for both of us which they said they did. They also said though that they got word the train bridge was back in working order. We messaged the other boats and let them know. After confirming, they indicated that they would be going through the lock and on then.

So we were back to plan A. When we got back to the boats the work crew was gone and so was the giant catamaran. The lock tender came over to talk with us. The bridge only opens after the lock so he let us know that after the 3:30 lock he would come open the bridge for us and we’d have room to park on the dock at the lock. Perfect. There was also a grocery store next to the restaurant and we had been able to grab a few things before the bridge opened, plus having had a delicious lunch. So in the end it all worked out.

When we got down to the other dock it was a much nicer spot. There was nothing but a park right there that we took the dogs too and they could run around. That evening we played more cards and I discovered that Linda says kielbasi the same way my family does, she is the only other person I’ve heard say it that way. She said that’s how her family has always said it too 😄.

Friday morning we were ready for the first lock opening. We got through and made our way to Norfolk. Passing the Naval shipyard there were so many large Naval vessels lining the river.

As we got out into more open water the engine panel gave a low turbo pressure alert, decreasing the amount of power the engine was putting out and the speed we could travel. We hoped the water conditions would stay decent the rest of the way to Yorktown so it wouldn’t be an issue.

We made it to the York River Yacht Haven and got set up in our slip. The bar was having a Cinco de Mayo party and gave out some festive wear.

Don checked on the new engine issue while I took Skia for a walk.

Saturday we met ‘Faith’ at the Eggshead Diner for breakfast. They had a whole selection of specialty waffles that all sounded delicious, and I went with the very berry. From there we set off to see downtown Yorktown. We took the free city trolley to the American Revolution Museum. It had a lot of interesting information centering around the Battle at Yorktown, the last major battle of the Revolutionary War, which spoiler alert, we won.

Outside they had a camp set up exactly how it would have been during the war. We got to watch a live musket firing demonstration too.

From there we went to the actual battlefield. It is mostly a driving tour but the rangers gave us a short hiking trail map that took us to the main battle points where the Americans and French took the two major Redoubts: a temporary or supplementary fortification, typically square or polygonal and without flanking defenses.

We were close to the main part of town from here so we just walked back, passing the Victory Monument, erected to celebrate the Yorktown victory.

We also passed by the Nelson house. Home of Thomas Nelson Jr. One of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Nelson was one of the few citizens that stayed during the battle of Yorktown but General Charles Cornwallis of the British Army appropriated the house for his headquarters during the siege.

We got back to the main waterfront area and grabbed dinner at the Yorktown Pup. They had a nice outdoor patio with a view of the river.

Sunday morning we left the marina and were aiming for the Potomac. The York River was pretty calm but when we got out into the Chesapeake the wind had kicked up the waves a bit. Though they were coming from behind us we were still getting pushed around a little. The low turbo pressure alert came back on so we decided to stop sooner in Deltaville.

We went to the first marina inside the breakwall, Walden’s Marina. They were very friendly and helpful. The owner came down to talk with Don about our issue and let him know they do have a diesel specialist mechanic that would be in tomorrow if we need further assistance. Don found a kinked hose that he hadn’t noticed before which he believed to be the problem. He replaced it while Skia got lots of attention and treats from the dock neighbors.

Afterwards we took the marinas smart car to the grocery store. It felt like driving a fully enclosed golf cart 😄.

Luckily the local market wasn’t far and on the way back we stopped at Nauti Nell’s Nautical Gifts. I got my kitty fix from a very affectionate resident who liked my jeans.

We came back and took our own fluff for a walk. I had to call and cancel our next few marina reservations because we were not sure where we would be when now. Hopefully I can rebook them on the fly as we once again try to get up to the Potomac River.

So today we set back off towards our intended destination for yesterday. Once out into open water Don tested the boat. We were back to working at full power and speed 😄. The water was much calmer out on the Chesapeake this morning as well. So it was a much nicer days journey. We made our way into the Potomac River to Cole’s Point Marina.

This is an interesting area, where the whole river is considered Maryland, but landing on the West side of it we are still in Virginia. So one day behind our planned schedule, we are back on track for D.C.

Tuesday morning we were up early and headed to Oriental, NC. It was nice and calm through the intercoastal water, until we had to cross the Neuse River. Which is just a wide inlet from the ocean with no protection. That was very choppy! The last stretch was 1-2 ft short interval waves, making it a very bumpy ride.

We made it to Oriental Marina & Inn. While it was a nice protected marina with no tides, the docks were short triangles at the back and pillings in front. So to be able to get off the boat we have to back in, and loop lines around the front pillings to secure the boat in place. I’m a little rusty on my rodeo skills, so that was fun 🙄.

There were a bunch of other Loopers here, a few we’ve met before, and few new people. This is a very quaint small town, and we got a local recommendation for dinner of the two restaurants that were open. A group of us went and had a very delicious dinner. I got sucked into that night’s special, pork belly sliders 😋.

Everyone was planning on going to the same place tomorrow so we made travel plans together for the morning. Wednesday morning however, Mother Nature had other plans. We were the first ones to pull out of the marina. When we got out into the river the wave conditions were worse than the day before. We did not make it very far before deciding to turn around and go back to the marina.

We got set back up in the slip, it was a little easier the second time, and let the others know what we encountered. The others were bigger boats and decided to still try and make the 16 miles across the river to the next section of ICW. I got texts from a few of them later saying we had made the right choice, that it just got worse further out, and they were taking wave spray up to the fly bridge!

Looking at the weather forecast it seemed we would have to stay here a few more days before the weather cooperated again. We took a walk to the Piggly Wiggly for some extra groceries. I was excited to find they had already peeled hard boiled eggs! 🥳

Thursday was a rainy morning. When it stopped we took the fluff for a walk, when we got back some new boats had arrived. They also said crossing the river was a little spicy. We met up for docktails that evening.

We had been made aware that a bicycle event was coming to town, and some 1,800 participants would be arriving! As if that doesn’t already sound like a lot, to put it in further perspective, the 2021 census lists the population of Oriental at 896. Apparently this is an annual event and the whole town knows the drill. There were tents lining the entire river side and down side streets in people’s front yards. Porta potties were set up on every corner.

Friday morning the tiny coffee shop right across from us had a line going down the street. Luckily the weather looked good for Saturday and we could get outta there before the event actually began and it just got busier.

I took Skia for a walk in between rain showers, although we didn’t quite make it back in time 🌧️. Being named Oriental, the town’s mascot is a dragon, and the whole town really embraces it. People had lawn dragons, mailbox dragons, driveway entrance dragons, etc. There were even protective signs for the local wildlife…

Saturday all reports said it should be a good travel day. So we were up early and tried again. Thankfully it was indeed MUCH better conditions out there. We stopped at another well known place to get fuel, Re Mayo Seafood. It’s a seafood wholesale company right on a narrow section of the ICW canal where you can purchase fresh seafood and fuel at lower prices.

While standing on the swim deck (wearing jeans), some jerk wad comes flying past, way too close and sent out a wake that went up to my knees. Thanks guy 😡.

We made it to Belhaven where we had reserved a spot on the town docks. When we arrived though, there were a bunch of small day boats taking up most of the space and there was nowhere for us to fit. It was still early in the day and the water was so calm we decided to push on up to Alligator River.

When we got up to that section the wind was coming from the south and the water started to get a little choppy. We snuck under a causeway bridge and 99 total miles later, we pulled into the marina. That makes the second 100 mile day we’ve done on this trip. At our average speed of 8mph, it makes for a long day.

Part of the reason we decided to go further today was so we could make it to Elizabeth City tomorrow. The weather was going to get annoying again and if we didn’t get across the Albemarle Sound on Sunday we could be stuck at Alligator Marina for a few days. This marina isn’t even in a small town. It is along the waterway of a nature preserve and there is literally nothing else there. The waves were going to start picking up on Sunday so we planned to make an early exit.

Sleep was hard to come by that night, and having an alarm set for 5:45 was almost unnecessary as my nerves had me awake at 3. Sunrise was at 6:14 Sunday morning and we left as soon as we could see. Coming out of the marina we were beam to the waves and it was a rocky start. I had preemptively taken down the things that have a tendency to tip over in rough conditions, except for the vacuum…I forget the vacuum. Dust and dog hair everywhere.

Once we turned North the waves were following us, coming from the South and Don was able to find a comfortable speed so the boat almost surfed the waves. There were still a few times the boat got pushed at an awkward angle, but overall it wasn’t too bad.

Once across the Sound and we turned into the Pasquotank River the water was perfectly flat again. We came to Lamb’s Marina & Seafood. A popular pairing here it seems. A nice little marina, the owner was super friendly and helped us tie our lines. Once again there were the short triangle docks with pillings. Giving me practice at my lasso skills. We were also advised that several cottonmouth snakes have been seen swimming around in the marina. Jack, the marina owner, killed one just yesterday. So, yay 😐.

There were several other Looper boats here, all of whom were new. New to us and to the Loop. This is the time of year to be traveling in this section of the Loop, so there are many new Loopers from this area just starting out.

It looked like it was going to be a rainy day, so we decided to meet up in the lounge for docktails. Everyone brought snacks and it was nice to be able to share our must stop locations and helpful tips we’ve picked up along the way. Once the thunder started rumbling we made a mad dash back to the boat.

Today Don wanted to do some maintenance on the boat so I went up into the lounge and did some trip planning up to DC. While in there I saw a take out menu for a nearby Chinese restaurant, yes please 😁😋. That evening we all gathered again in the lounge for docktails.

Tomorrow most of the other boats plan on leaving for the Dismal Swamp. The weather on the other end in the Chesapeake doesn’t look good until Friday, so we are going to stay here one more day then spend two days in the swamp.

Tuesday in Georgetown we went up to the main drag to check out some of the places we had seen on the map. First stop was the Indigo Bakery. A husband and wife team, they were pulling trays fresh out of the oven when we walked in. I got a scrumptious blueberry stuffed croissant.

From there we walked the shops a bit and went into the Georgetown Maritime Museum. It had some interesting information and artifacts from some of the notable ships to come through the area. Most of the shipping industry revolved around the rice and indigo cultivation, which were the dominant crops here before cotton.

All that walking around can make a girl hungry, so Sweetie’s Homemade Ice Cream was just the thing to satisfy. I then went over to the Gullah museum. It was particularly interesting to learn how the different African tribes had combined their different languages to be able to communicate with each other and the culture that has been passed down to their existing descendants, the Gullah Geechee.

I also went to the rice museum. I never knew rice was such a prominent crop grown here in the States. The process of utilizing the fresh water rivers using special dams was quite specialized for the area and very labor intensive. Just prepping the land took years. Indigo also became popular at that time and was another lucrative crop but tricky to grow as well.

We went for an early dinner at one of the restaurants on the boardwalk along the water and took the fluff for a walk. Wednesday morning we were up early. It was only just over 20 miles to our next stop, Wacca Wache, but we had an airboat tour booked for 11:00 am.

The main reason for stopping here was their fuel prices, they famously have the lowest fuel prices maybe of the whole Loop. So we made sure to fill up before getting set up in our slip. The airboat tour was right down the dock so we headed over just before 11:00. Neither Don nor I have ever ridden in an airboat before and it was a lot of fun!

They just skim across the water, the guide said the shallower water the better the boat performs. He had us going right over some of the grassy areas.

We went up some narrow creeks and saw a ton of turtles, most of which were very skittish and dove in the water when we got near. We also saw a few baby alligators who were just the opposite. They were actually very curious about the boat and came right up to investigate.

When we got back we walked around and met some other Loopers also staying here. We made plans to go to dinner with Pamet, who we had actually meet in Savannah, and Pharm Life. They were Gold Loopers, just starting their second trip, having done their first Loop a few years ago.

They had a car here so we all went to the Marsh Boardwalk and a restaurant called the Dead Dog Saloon. All the walls were covered in pictures of old pets, inside and out on the patio where we sat. The food was excellent, I got one of the best burgers I’ve ever had anywhere! It was so tender, topped with braised pork belly, smoked Gouda, fried onion strings and BBQ sauce. Delicious doesn’t begin to cover it!

Thursday morning we were headed back up the ICW. As we were going along we kept seeing large dark objects in the water. Some were quite sizable logs we steered around, but several of them were actually much bigger alligators that as we got closer, steered around us. From far away it was hard to tell which was which.

We came to Barefoot Marina in Myrtle Beach, where Shandie was docked. Though Shane and Brandie were out of town. They did leave us the keys for their golf cart and told us some of the places to go. So that evening we went across the canal to this large outdoor dining and shopping complex that encircled a nice pond.

When we got back we met up with Loopers Domino Effect for docktails. We gave them a tour of our boat and while we were out on the dock, one of the marina workers pointed out another Looper boat across from us that was from Tonawanda. He was originally from Amherst himself. Coming from North Tonawanda that was the first we’ve ever seen another boat from so close to our home port.

Friday morning we took the golf cart to the grocery store to reprovision. Came back to unload everything, then got our swim suites on and headed to the beach.

After soaking up some sun we stopped at the Amish Country Living store on the way back. We got this maple bacon jam I am excited to try!

Saturday was a rainy morning. In between showers I did some laundry and took the fluff for a walk. A little turtle crossed our path on his way to a pond, Skia was a bit unsure about him and jumped all four feet in the air when he’d suck his head in when she got too close 😆. We also saw our first Magnolia tree. The flowers are huge!

We made it back just in time for a heavy downpour. I planned out our stops all the way to the Dismal Swamp. We are told it’s much more enjoyable than its name suggests.

Razors Edge arrived today but docked across the canal. There was another break in the weather that evening, so we went over and met them at Tortuga Island. A nice pavilion bar out on a boardwalk over the pond. The neat thing about it was they had some swings for seats all around the hexagonal bar. You couldn’t swing far out obviously, but it was still fun.

Thunder started rumbling so we headed back to the boat and made sure the golf cart was all buttoned up.

Sunday we were up early to make the nearly 60 mile trek to Carolina Beach State Park, which brings us into North Carolina. To put on and take the front windshield cover off you have to lift the windshield wipers. While putting the last one back down it popped off and dropped right into the water.

It was a beautiful day on the water though and there were not as many slow/no wake zones, so we actually made really good time. There was an auto parts store not far away so we took the fluff and walked to see if they had the type of windshield wiper we needed. Luckily they did, and Don got 4 to replace them all as they were way over due to be replaced anyway.

This morning we woke up to a surprisingly gloomy day. It didn’t end up raining, it was just cloudy the whole way, but the water was calm so it was a smooth ride the 66 miles to Swansboro, NC. We have several longer travel days ahead of us, but these last 2 were the longest in a while.

It is a nice quiet marina, even with the pistol shrimp serenading us again. So here’s hoping for a nice calm night.

With everything on the boat fixed 🤞, Tuesday we took a Lyft to downtown Savannah. We stopped first at the Forsyth Park Fountain.

A beautiful park, the fountain has different figures spraying water all around it. We then walked through the historic district down to River Street. There were all sorts of different shops, restaurants and tour companies to take you around the city.

One store we went into had everything peach, this being Georgia and all. We got these amazing peach hard candies.

We went to see the famed waving girl statue. From 1887 to 1931, Florence Martus greeted ships entering Savannah by waving a cloth at approaching ships from the lighthouse on Cockspur Island. Her fame spread and ships would return her greetings with a blast from the ship’s horn. Many still sound a salute to her statue.

Then walked around checking out some of the old houses, of which there were plenty. A few of them have actually been turned into museums.  One we went to was owned by a private collector of military artifacts. He has been collecting since he was a child, his father having fought in WWII and his mother lived in England during that time, they passed some things down to him that started him off.

We went to the Savannah Smokehouse for lunch. They had a two meat lunch special, and though I don’t usually choose it, the smoked turkey was particularly recommended and was an exceptional surprise.

All throughout the city are these little parks that are like community courtyards. They have benches, many of them had fountains, and were very nice to sit and enjoy some ice cream.

That evening back at the boat, we made travel plans for tomorrow with Table Six. We were going to the same next stop and they said they would follow behind us so we could make sure we were fully operational again.

So Wednesday morning we were up early. Everything seemed good shoving off the dock, then when we got out of the marina basin Don eased the throttle up to full speed and it held. So we were good to go. It was a much nicer day out on the water.

When we got to Lady’s Island Marina we docked right behind Table Six again. We took the dogs for a walk and later went up to the Fillin’ Station for dinner. A popular local dive bar famous for their $5 burger Wednesday’s. As luck would have it, it was Wednesday 😄🍔. And it’s a good thing we like burgers, because the quirk of this special was that it was the ONLY thing they served that night. You come for burgers and burgers alone.

They were really good burgers though. They just mass grilled them, you simply ordered cheese or no cheese, got a buzzer, and when your burgers were ready you took them over to the condiments counter and topped them off how you liked yourself.

The restaurant was right on the water in front of the marina, with a large patio and live music. That night’s singer only sings on Wednesday’s, he comes for the burger special too 😆.

Thursday we headed up the ICW, not far, to South Fenwick Island. It was a very nice spot, completely secluded next to a State Park. There were three small docks you could take your dinghy too, perfect for the fluff. As we were coming in there were dolphins following us. Once we set up anchor they were just all around.

We took the dinghy over to the closet dock and walked around the island. There were placards along the trails telling you about the island’s history. It used to be one large island, split by the construction of the ICW. It was also the first piece of land purchased by a former slave after the Civil War.

It got cloudier and cloudier, and we made it back to the boat just in time for it to rain the rest of the day. The current kept us from swinging around though and it was one of the nicer anchor spots we’ve been to in a while.

Friday we were woken up early by more thunderstorms. We pulled up anchor and made our way to Charleston. The weather cleared along the way and the water was nice and calm up to the Charleston inlet. We came to the Charleston Maritime center. There was a lot of boat traffic surrounding us and during the day it was a little rocky. In the evening though it calmed down and was nice. It was close to downtown and that evening we went to check out the pineapple fountain in the park.

Saturday one of Don’s friends from back home, who lives down here now, was coming to meet up with us. We had some time in the morning before he got here, so we took the scenic route to where we were meeting for breakfast.

We met Josh at Ruby Sunshine. The same restaurant we had my birthday breakfast in Chattanooga. This one had seasonal special beignets, almond cheesecake with lemon blueberry compote.

From there we went to the USS Yorktown WWII aircraft carrier & museum.

It was very cool to see all the interworking of ship and the view from the flight deck. There was even a bakery where they had a recipe to make 10,000 chocolate chip cookies! You could purchase the cookies from the gift shop, but we only got 2.

Afterwards Josh had to head back home. He dropped us off back at the boat, and then Don and I walked to the Old Slave Mart Museum. It laid out the very sad history of the slave trade that took place in town and that very building.

On the way back we walked through the city market. It is four city blocks of stalls with a variety of goods. We found some more of the peach candy 😋.

Sunday morning we took a ferry to Fort Sumter, where the first shots that started the Civil War were fired. It is on an island and we were on the first ferry with the park rangers going to open the Fort for the day. Don even helped raise the flag.

Getting to hear the full story of the battle was interesting. The Fort sustained a lot of damage and lost the top tiers which used to stand 50 feet above the water.

When we got back we met Loopers from the boat Imagine at Ru Ru’s Tacos & Tequila for lunch. Fun spot that had a whole list of different tacos to try. I limited myself to three.

Don went back to the boat to do laundry and I walked around the city some more. So many beautiful old houses, many had their own courtyards and fountains. One section was called Rainbow Row. It is the largest cluster of intact Georgian row houses in the United States.

This morning we set off for Georgetown. We left Charleston at high tide, but a long the way it shifted and as we were cruising along the ICW at low tide, many of the floating docks along the water, weren’t exactly floating 😲.

We came to the Harborwalk Marina. A cute little marina, Skia and I took a walk after getting set up. It was right next to a very pretty neighborhood where the cats seemed to outnumber the squirrels. Seriously, there were at least 2 in every other driveway, one house had 5!

The main road along the water had a bunch of shops and restaurants. There are also a few interesting looking museums that should be fun to check out tomorrow.