May 7 - Annapolis, MD

On the Move
Annapolis City Mooring Field

No blog yesterday because there wasn't much going on around here...cloudy and cool most of the day. We spent another night in Harness Creek. We did get a little sunshine first thing this morning; it quickly went downhill from there. The wind picked up and the clouds rolled in. The first thing on our agenda today was to figure out where the closest grocery store would be to our location in the next few days. Our son and his wife will be joining us this weekend and we needed to stock up on a few things. We figured it would be easier to go back to the store from here, so we took one more ride through the beautiful park. We even saw a deer on our way...very nice. Our original plan for today was to have lunch at Mike's Crab House and then find a new anchorage off the South River. We went up the river to the restaurant, docked the boat on their pier (lots of restaurants in this area have docks) and had a nice lunch...that's as far as our original plan went. After lunch we checked the weather reports and decided today would be the best day to move to Annapolis. It wasn't the best day to be on the Chesapeake, but better than what the next few days will bring. The wind speed was 15-20 mph with four foot waves...luckily we didn't have far to go. Steering the boat in these conditions gave Stan a real workout. Otto (auto pilot) doesn't do well on days like today.

This is our second time to come into Annapolis harbor, which is very picturesque, and the second time we've come in with cloudy skies. I was hoping to get some better photos this time. Hopefully when we leave we'll have better conditions. At the moment we are on a mooring ball in Spa Creek...a little further from the historic part of town than we had first planned, but this area is better protected from the wind. We should be more comfortable here while the next front moves through. We are moored next to a couple on Rickshaw, a DeFever 44, they belong to MTOA and are just starting the loop. We got together for happy hour and had a nice time getting to know them. We'll stay on the mooring until Thursday...then move over to Ego Ally in the historic section of Annapolis.

Scenes along the South River

Even a few normal size homes

Mike's Crab House

My soft shell crab sandwich...very good

May 5 – Hillsmere Shores, MD

Busy Anchorage

Harness Creek – Anchorage

I woke up this morning to a strange light in my face, for a moment I thought I'd slept till noon...first time I've seen sunshine in the morning in almost a week. What a wonderful start to the day. We actually got to sit on the flybridge and enjoy our coffee watching the river come alive. I could get used to this. This anchorage is very popular...kayakers, rowers, sailboats and small boats came and went all day. It was very entertaining...especially this evening. Some boaters have a hard time deciding where they want to drop the hook, for us it was fun to sit on the deck and watch all the action. It was a zoo in here...luckily it settled down before sunset and should be peaceful tonight. There are three large sailboats close to us, one very nice waterman type boat and three or four more sailboats close to the park's boat dock...just a fraction of the boats that were here earlier in the day.

We took the bikes ashore and rode around the park. The paved trails are wonderful, they wind through the woods and although going uphill was a little tough the first day, it has gotten easier. Going down the hills is extremely fun and worth the effort it takes to get to the top. Quiet Waters Park overlooks Harness Creek and the South River…from the south end of the park you can see the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a wonderful place, they have a little something for everyone and it was full of visitors today. 

The parks Visitor Center

The fountain that is used for ice skating in the fall and winter

There are seventeen sculptures throughout the park

Our anchorage from another part of the park. Not too many boats when I took this picture, we had more company by the time we returned to the boat.

May 4 – Hillsmere Shores, MD

Work Day

Harness Creek – Anchorage

The day started out like it has for the last week…rainy, foggy and hazy. Today it just kept getting worse all morning, good morning for cleaning house (boat). We checked our weather apps and could see we were going to get a storm around 1:00. Just as predicted the storm rolled in, but it fizzled out very quickly and the skies cleared. We had a wonderful afternoon and evening. We (Stan) loaded the bikes on the dinghy and docked at the park, from there we rode through the park to town. Right outside the park are all the stores boaters need…West Marine, liquor store, pharmacy and grocery store. We stocked up on a few things and spent a little time wandering around West Marine. It’s a must stop whether you need anything or not!

We enjoyed a wonderful evening on the boat…great weather, a beautiful sunset and a huge bright moon. We were joined in the anchorage by three sailboats and one small trawler…it’s a great spot.

Here comes the storm

Hydrangea - Every plant and tree seems to be blooming right now. Very pretty and the air is very fragrant. I love it!

Tulip Poplar Tree

Maybe we need a sailboat again...this looks pretty nice

Our night view