June 30, 2015  Day 10  New York Summer 2015

Penn’s Landing Marina
Philadelphia, PA

What a busy day we have had. We left the marina at 10:00 and caught the “Phlash” bus downtown. This bus makes several stops along Market Street and is free for Seniors!

Independence Hall

Our first stop was the Independence Visitors Center.  While there, we picked up our tickets to tour Independence Hall.  The tickets are free but they assigned us a specific time of 1:30.  The crowds would not be manageable without this system.  So, we arranged our schedule around that assigned time.

We took the bus further down Market Street and got off at 12th street and walked over to Macy’s.  Macy’s (located in the original Wanamaker’s Department Store Building) has one of the largest pipe organs. It was built for the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and was purchased by John Wanamaker in 1909 and expanded to have 28,500 pipes.  We knew that the organist plays at noon and we did not want to miss it.  We have heard it before on a road trip to Philadelphia, and wanted to hear it again.

Looking up at some of the pipes that are visible
of the Wanamaker organ at Macy's




Independence Hall - the Rising Sun Chair is original

After Macy’s we found a good deli for lunch and then walked back down to Independence hall for our guided tour.  It was a very special feeling to stand in the room where both our Constitution and Declaration of Independence were written, especially as we quickly approach the 4^th of July.  Our tour guide was excellent, knowledgeable and had a very quick wit.

From there we went back to 12^th Street and went to the Reading Terminal Market, a huge building full of vendors and merchants selling prepared food, fresh cheese, meat, produce, baked goods, flowers, chocolates, and more. There are several eating establishments within the terminal as well. It really is a destination of its own.  We have been here before, but wanted to experience it again.

We caught the bus and rode it the entire length which included Fairmount Park,  the Franklin Mint, the Art Museum, and more. We got off back at Penn’s Landing where we started our day.  We decided to duck in the Seaport Museum because it was starting to rain.  However, at that point Bill realized he had left his cell phone on a chair in an outdoor eating area of a restaurant downtown. Joyce called the restaurant and they found it! So, back we went again!  By the time we got there, the rain was very heavy and everyone was running for cover. We got drenched in the process.  But, we were able to retrieve the cell phone and that was worth it.

We caught another bus back, but since it was the last bus of the day it did not go all the way back to Penn’s Landing. So we got off on 2^nd street, found an Italian restaurant and had dinner. We needed to relax anyway!  Then we walked back to the marina and stopped to visit the Irish Memorial on the way. It is a meaningful memorial to the Irish immigrants who came to America.

We finally got back to Carried Away about 7:30, exhausted but happy to have experienced some of the history of Philadelphia.

We will depart early in the morning and head back down the Delaware River to an anchorage near Reedy Point and the C & D Canal.





The Irish Memorial

June 29, 2015  Day 9  New York Summer 2015

Penn’s Landing Marina
Philadelphia, PA



L'Hermione

Kalmar Nyckel

Coast Guard Eagle

Today was a great cruising day and also a day of photography. We left the Delaware City marina at 0800, entered the Delaware River and cruised past Pea Patch Island. We immediately saw L’Hermione, the first of ten tall ships that had departed Philadelphia after being in the Tall Ship festival the past three days.  We were just happy to see them as we made our way up the river!

The Delaware River is industrial, home to ship yards, factories, and many large ships come here to load and unload their wares. The river passes cities in Delaware and Pennsylvania to the west and New Jersey to the east.  There are several bridges such as the Delaware Memorial, the Walt Whitman, and the Ben Franklin that allow easy access.

We reached the marina at 12:45, found two more tall ships, and went to our assigned slip.  Late in the afternoon we walked to South Street to Jim’s Steak house, known for its Philly Cheesesteak.  The dockmaster recommended Jim’s and we were not disappointed. Then we stopped for ice cream on our way back to Penn’s Landing.

It has been a good day.  We will do some sightseeing tomorrow!

Tree of Life

Hindu

Philadelphia skyline



Other types of boats at Penn's Landing



June 28, 2015  Day 8  New York Summer 2015

Delaware City Marina
Delaware City, DE

We were happy to have a sunny day after having a great deal of rain and wind yesterday and during the night.  We got more work done – dusting, vacuuming, filling the water tank, laundry (there is always laundry), etc.  Bill also had time to practice his fiddle.

Carried Away on the dock in Delaware City

We talked to the dockmaster and then took a short walk.  Many of the boats left today but Bill did talk to the people on the large yacht behind us. They bought their boat in Alaska 1½ years ago, brought it through the Panama Canal, and are heading to their home port in Rhode Island! That is a long trip!!

We will leave in the morning and cruise 40 miles to Philadelphia and dock at Penn’s Landing for two days.

June 26-27, 2015  Days 6-7  New York Summer 2015

Delaware City Marina
Delaware City, DE

We left our anchorage on the Bohemia River Friday morning and cruised up the Elk River and passed Hollywood Beach, Bill’s summer home as a child and teenager.  We eventually reached the C & D Canal at Chesapeake City, MD.  We did not have much boat traffic on the canal, and had the current with us.

We entered the Delaware River and shortly found ourselves at the Delaware City Marina which is located on the old narrow canal. We stopped for fuel first and then went to our “spot” on the long wall, which is a long floating dock.  This is our third trip here!

After we got settled in, we walked downtown to a small market.  It was good to get off the boat and get some exercise after being at anchor for five nights.

Today, Saturday is a bad weather day with rain and wind and we are forced to stay onboard. We are getting some things done including laundry, chart plotting, and making reservations for next week. 

We will stay here on Sunday as well and hope to get off the boat and walk into the town again.

 

June 25, 2015  Day 5  New York Summer 2015

At anchor
Bohemia River, MD

Just a short post this evening. This is day two at anchor on the Bohemia River, and we spent the day doing chores.  Bill changed the oil in both engines.  Joyce cleaned and polished much of the stainless steel railings on the boat, and did some vacuuming.  We feel good about the progress!

Tomorrow we will cruise about 35 miles and go to the Delaware City Marina and spend three days.  After anchoring for five nights, we need to have power, water, wifi, etc.!

 

June 24, 2015  Day 4  New York Summer 2015

At anchor
Bohemia River, MD

We decided not to stay in Annapolis so we left the mooring at 0655 and cruised another 50 miles to the Bohemia River.  We passed under the Bay Bridge at 0750, a familiar landmark for us.  At the north end of the Bay we entered the Elk River and passed the Turkey Point Lighthouse, another favorite.  

Approaching the Bay Bridge

Big container ship

Turkey Point Lighthouse



Another incredible sunset

We soon entered the Bohemia and cautiously made our way up the river. It is shallow and we were only a foot above low tide.  We anchored securely at 1:30 and will stay here two nights.  There are lots of sailboats and smaller boats that enjoy this scenic river.

After we arrived, we called our granddaughter, Ashley to wish her a Happy 13^th Birthday!  We cooked dinner on the grill and had a quiet evening.  We have some chores to take care of tomorrow and will hopefully get the dinghy out for a ride.

 

June 23, 2015  Day 3  New York Summer 2015

Mooring Ball, Annapolis Harbor
Annapolis, MD

We cruised another 50 miles on the Chesapeake Bay today to Annapolis. We left at 0700 – early enough to beat the storms and early enough to get a mooring ball – and we succeeded in both. We also had a good cruising day!

On the way into the harbor, we saw two tall ships at anchor, the Lynx and the Picton, both undoubtedly on their way to Philadelphia for the Tall Ships Festival later this week.  Annapolis is a mecca for all boats with its access to the Severn River, the Bay, and scenic creeks such as Spa Creek. And of course it is home to the US Naval Academy.  We saw many sailboats, mega yachts, kayaks, tour boats, and motor yachts.  We were here last year for almost a week and loved it.

The tall ship Lynx



The tall ship Picton

Storm arriving in Annapolis

Rainbow after the storm

We had dinner on board, and because of the impending storm, did not leave the boat.  The storm hit with a force at 7pm and lasted over an hour. We had lots of vertical lightning, rain, and wind. Bill saw lightning strike the mast of a sailboat moored here.  After the storm was over, we moved the boat to another mooring ball to provide greater distance from another boat. We were swinging rather close to it during the storm.

We may stay here another day but will wait until morning to decide.

 

 

June 22, 2015  Day 2  New York Summer 2015

At anchor
Mill Creek, Solomons, MD    

We cruised about 50 miles today to a familiar anchorage at Mill Creek in Solomons.  We had little boat traffic, fairly calm water, and fewer crab pots than expected – so not a bad day!  When we approached the testing range for the Patuxent Naval Air Station, they contacted us by radio and asked us to adjust our course 10 degrees to the east.  We were happy to comply and enjoyed several fly-bys of their P-8 Poseidon and the chase plane, an F-18.

We arrived at Mill Creek at 1545 and immediately turned on the generator so we could have air conditioning.  We had dinner on board and relaxed for the evening.

The Navy P-8 Poseidon and the F-18 running test patterns

Tomorrow’s destination: Annapolis!

June 21, 2015  Day 1 New York Summer 2015

At anchor
Dividing Creek, Chesapeake Bay   

We are finally back on the water! Our planned four week stay in Poquoson, VA turned out to be six weeks. We had an incredibly busy, fun, and productive stay. 

We completed all Doctor appointments, had many visits with family and friends, did shopping, and took care of several boat projects.  We decided to pull the boat and clean, sand, and paint the bottom.  Bill and his brother Bob did all the work, and we are so grateful for his help. It was well worth the extended time to get this done, and the boat looks great. We also stayed at Bob’s house during that time which was perfect -great company, and very convenient!!

Carried Away leaving boatyard
after bottom was painted!

Bill is happy to be underway as we leave Poquoson.
Happy Father's Day!

Sunset at Dividing Creek

So today, we left Whitehouse Cove Marina and cruised over six hours to a quiet anchorage on Dividing Creek.  The first two hours of the cruise were uncomfortable with three foot seas, but once we passed the open Mobjack Bay, it was much calmer.

We cooked dinner on the grill and enjoyed phone calls from our son and daughter for Father’s Day!  We hope to anchor at Solomon’s tomorrow.

We are still on a summer journey to New York, but not a specific schedule.  We don’t even know where we will spend the Fourth of July!