We toured the Naval Academy grounds, including the impressive crypt holding John Paul Jones' remains in the basement of the chapel. The sarcophagus was quite ornate with carved dolphins supporting each corner.
We had a short drive to Andrews Air Base, which was our camp for the next two nights. We were disappointed to find lots of sediment in the drinking water. A neighbor warned us that we would need a sediment filter if we were going to consume much of that water. Another disappointment was learning that the Museum of the Bible was going to be closed for the next three days, due to a music festival being held near the National Mall. Angie was really keen to see that museum which just opened a few years ago.
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After exercising the dogs, we rode our bikes to a coffee shop in town to work on the blog and trip planning. After lunch, we took the dogs paddle boarding on the Severn River. We had a lot of wind and a bit of current, but the water was warm and calm, with an occasional boat wake. Hank got a great picture of the Naval Academy and chapel dome from the water.
We returned to the same dock-side restaurant where we ate the day before to watch the entertaining parade of watercraft in the harbor. The charm of this town does not wane. We crossed the Chesapeake Bridge-Tunnel to reach the Eastern Shore. As we were driving north, Hank noted how similar the terrain was to land he had driven a few years prior to visit high school/college friends Steve and Debbie White in Maryland. A phone call confirmed that our route to Annapolis tomorrow would bring us within an hour of their home in Wolford, Maryland. We made plans to meet for lunch.
We set up our dry camp at a pull-through site at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and headed to the beach. We found a quiet spot where the dogs romped in the surf with their floating toys for an hour. After dinner of pulled pork and salad at the trailer, we inflated a paddleboard and headed to the bay. The bay was very shallow and the wind was howling. Angie wadded out nearly 250 yards and was still knee deep. Hank found slightly deeper water to paddle through, but the direction of the channel was perpendicular to the strong wind and he could make no progress to windward. Streak also enjoyed chasing the kite on the beach. The bugs were the worst we have experienced. It took two or three coats of our DEET-free repellent to deter the noseeums and mosquitos. They feasted on us all night in the trailer! We crossed the Chesapeake Bridge-Tunnel to reach the Eastern Shore. As we were driving north, Hank noted how similar the terrain was to land he had driven a few years prior to visit high school/college friends Steve and Debbie White in Maryland. A phone call confirmed that our route to Annapolis tomorrow would bring us within an hour of their home in Wolford, Maryland. We made plans to meet for lunch.
We set up our dry camp at a pull-through site at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and headed to the beach. We found a quiet spot where the dogs romped in the surf with their floating toys for an hour. After dinner of pulled pork and salad at the trailer, we inflated a paddleboard and headed to the bay. The bay was very shallow and the wind was howling. Angie wadded out nearly 250 yards and was still knee deep. Hank found slightly deeper water to paddle through, but the direction of the channel was perpendicular to the strong wind and he could make no progress to windward. Streak also enjoyed chasing the kite on the beach. The bugs were the worst we have experienced. It took two or three coats of our DEET-free repellent to deter the noseeums and mosquitos. They feasted on us all night in the trailer! We attended Boat Church on the beach at The Narrows in First Landing State Park with Angie's friends, Christy and Barbara. It wasn't quite the same as the scene from the TV series "Ozarks". A guitarist, singer and pastor stood on the stern of a beached pontoon boat to address the crowd seated on the beach. A dozen other boats were beached along side the lead boat and a couple other boats were anchored in the river. There was also a couple who attended on their paddleboard. For a percussion session, they had about 10 plastic buckets from Home Depot and drumsticks. Drummers of all ages joined the ensemble! The church handed out free t-shirts, bottles of water and breakfast tortillas. A different pastor preaches every week. They had prayer and baptisms after the service. What an amazing community outreach! Our last social event was brunch at Leaping Lizards in Chix Beach. Betsy, who was feeling much better, joined our group along with Kris and Christy. We enjoyed a delicious meal and drinks under a corrugated plastic roof on their porch during a downpour complete with thunder and lightning. Charlie and Streak were cowering in the car. Angie and I got some chores done to get ready to hit the road tomorrow and watched a movie at Alex's house before turning in early. We visited the shores of the Chesapeake Bay at Ocean Park where Angie used to live. We were met by Kris and her sweetheart Alex (not to be confused with our female host). They brought their cute chihuahua/terrier mix, Arthur, who romped in the sand and water with Charlie and Streak.
Christy also joined us at the beach. The three of us headed to the Back Deck, a waterside restaurant, for lunch. Lissette joined us there with her pug, Cyrus. While we were praying for Lissette's 93-year-old grandmother, Gladys, who is battling a brain hemorrage in Puerto Rico, Cyrus escaped his collar and wandered the restaurant. A nearby patron waited patiently for us to finish our prayer before informing us of the escapee. After a short nap, Angie and I toured Fort Henry, where the Jamestown settlers first landed in 1607 and erected a cross before moving up river to Jamestown. This was also the site of the decisive naval battle that led to George Washington's victory at Yorktown. Thank you Admiral de Grasse and France for denying resupply to General Corwallis. Otherwise, we might all be having afternoon tea, instead of Starbucks. We met Barbara and Christy for dinner at Buoy 44 at Chix Beach. The sunset, the food, the vibe and the company were outstanding! On the way out of town, we stopped at The Wright Brothers Monument at Kill Devil Hills. We walked up to the top of the hill where they first tested their glider controls. Then we walked down to the flat where they built the rail where they launched their first powered flights. We toured the visitor center which had exhibits and plaques that explained the backstory and many details. Their parents encouraged their imagination and experimentation and commitment to their dreams. I learned a lot!
The brothers chose the site in the Outer Banks not only for the consistent, strong winds, but also because of the sand, which offered a soft landing. They had to have a bicycle mechanic build an engine with an aluminum block, because no auto maker would accept the challenge. They used a lot of trial and error, persistence and calculated risks, in addition to the scientific method. For instance, they learned that the two propellors had to spin in opposite directions for better stability. As an engineer, Hank was fascinated. Arrived late afternoon at the beautiful home of Angie's friend, Alex, who lives in the Croatan neighborhood across the street from the Ocean. Her wide driveway was easy to park in. Alex graciously offered us a downstairs suite in her home for our three-night stay when our original host, Betsy, came down with COVID. We joined two of Angie's girlfriends, Kris and Barbara, at the Mermaid Winery in Chix Beach for happy hour. Then we moved down the road to Froggy's Bar for drinks on the deck and live music. Another of Angie's friends, Lissette, joined us at Froggy's, which was founded by a retired Navy Seal (frogman). Angie had a large circle of girlfriends (eight women) during her 16-years of residence in Virginia Beach. Between her wonderful friends and her fond memories of the area, Angie felt quite homesick for Virginia Beach. Hank rose early to walk the dogs around the campsite. Then we drove all the way to the end of the Southern Beaches at the town of Corrolla. Angie drove her truck about a mile up the beach and parked it.
On a warm overcast day, the dogs enjoyed playing in the surf and chasing other people's kites. We walked about six miles on the beach. We saw a herd of wild horses on the beach on the way back. We were happy to make it back through the deep sand to the paved road. Rose early to take the dogs on the beach and to see if they ocean had returned our floating toy, as it approached low tide. No joy. Went to a coffee shop to work on catching up on our blog. Met Hank's high school stoner friend, John, who grew up to become a pastor after retiring from the coast guard and a electrical contracting company he founded and operated until the death of his wife of 30 years.
John is happily remarried now for three years, but we didn't get a chance to meet his wife, Judy. Nevertheless, we had a great time reminiscing with John and exploring Nags Head and Manteo on Roanoke Island. We are very grateful that John drove two hours to meet us in Nags Head and spend the day with us. Later, Hank and Angie attended a performance of "The Lost Colony" at an outdoor waterfront musical theater performance on Roanoke Island. With a cast of more than 60, there were great costumes, music and dancing, including scenes with Queen Elizabeth and her court, as well as a Native American warrior dance. Really fun night! Over 300 miles of driving took us finally across the wide Alligator River and Roanoke Island to the Outer Banks National Seashore, where we camped at Oregon Inlet. Our campsite is just a short walk over the dunes to a beautiful wide beach and Atlantic surf. The dogs enjoyed romping in the water, but we had to be careful not to lose them to the rip current. We didn't lose a dog, but the Ocean claimed one of our floating toys.
This is a dry campsite so we bought a DC-powered fan to help cool the trailer without air conditioning. But we didn't need it the first night, as there was a steady breeze all night long. |