Great Loop & Cruising Adventure Blog

We took three days on our return from the Capitol to Solomons.

As we were passing Mount Vernon the 220-foot boat named White Cloud, which was docked with us in DC and now traveling a ways with us down the Potomac, pulls alongside of us on the glassy slack-tide water and slows to a crawl. We watched as the family entered their personal helicopter and took off from the landing pad on the deck of the yacht. It was fun to see, but with 15 crew members one can only imagine what the overhead is on such a large yacht.

Later that day we settled into our anchorage at Port Tobacco River, not far off the Potomac River, for the evening. Since it was a fairly open anchorage we were lucky that it was not a windy night. As dark night sky settles in and a storm appears on the horizon we’re treated to one of the most spectacular electric light shows we’ve ever seen. Lighting, thunder, dark clouds and then a downpour of rain. The good news is the boat never budged, our new Beugel anchor held us securely in place.

A second nights anchorage at Long Cove off the West Yeocomico River puts us just shy of the Chesapeake Bay and our return to the Solomons. We were extremely pleased with ourselves for waiting for the weather to clear so that we could enjoy the good weather window we eventually experienced while traveling on the grand, historic Potomac River.

On the calm and peaceful Saturday afternoon, we went out exploring in the dinghy and at the nearby sandy point we came across a few pirates and their ship while they were taking a little break from looting and pillaging the neighboring community.

Being from the Great Lakes one of the hardest things to become accustomed to while living in the Chesapeake Bay area are is the multitude of jellyfish present in the water. We are used to swimming, as soon as the water warms up a bit in the early summer, in the fresh waters which surround our homeport of Charlevoix, Michigan.As we travel by boat in this, new to us area, we are continually amazed that for all the varied coastline and waterfront homes - NO ONE IS SWIMMING IN THE WATER.

Click HERE for more info on jellyfish:

As we’re retracing our steps so we can tour the Holocaust Museum we come across a road block. We looked up and down the side streets and we saw police blocking traffic at all the intersections. This can only mean one thing, the Presidential Motorcade is close at hand.

We stopped on the curb just two blocks from the White House, and here comes the twenty-vehicle motorcade… motorcycles, ambulances, assault vehicles, a tricked out communications vehicle and of course two Presidential Limo’s and they come within ten feet of where we’re standing. Ok this is twice, once by helicopter and now by Motorcade, that the President has zoomed us… I think he may be stalking us!!!

It was exciting to experience the motorcade while touring the nation’s capitol it almost felt like it was a planned event on our tour schedule.

We started day two with a visit to the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials, both powerful displays that represent and define our country’s history.

The permanent display at the Holocaust Museum is a three-hour tour that chronicles Hitler’s Nazi Germany. How could anyone ever forget? And that’s the message that’s delivered each and every day to help minimize the chance of such atrocities from happening again. Powerful experience (again no photos allowed).

Lunch today was at the famous Old Ebbitt Grill which is located close to the White House. Established in 1856, it was a favorite of Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Harding and Theodore Roosevelt and is still a popular meeting spot for political insiders, journalists, celebrities and theater-goers. All this and good food to boot.

Next, on to a less intense venue and Lisa’s favorite, the Smithsonian American Art and Portraits Museums, but only after we tour the American History Museum, located in one of the half dozen or so impressive Smithsonian buildings. The good news is that not only are the exhibits great but the admission is free. What a deal!!!

We’re up early and off the boat to catch the subway to the Capital Building where we have passes to visit the House and Senate Chambers. We got lucky in that all the Senate members were in attendance for an impeachment of a Texas Federal Judge. We heard it was only the 14th Federal impeachment in U.S. history and we were witnesses. So we saw all the usual suspects including Lieberman, Kerry and McCain who all spoke while we were in the chambers gallery. Sorry, no photos allowed here.

We had another interesting lunch at the Rayburn Building cafeteria, just across from the Capitol Building. Good food and an interesting mix of people. On the way back to the boat we toured the awe-inspiring Jefferson Memorial.

His words are still powerful today as they were so many years ago.

The Capitol Yacht Club was our home for three days and since we had such a long day we decided the Tuesday spaghetti dinner put on by the Yacht Club was just the ticket. No need to cook tonight. This is a Yacht Club that’s open to everyone. All the members we met in the boater’s Lounge/Bar, our first night, introduced themselves and asked if they could help us in any way and gave us many useful tips on sight seeing, transportation and area specific boating recommendations. It really felt like home, boating is funny that way.

After dinner we’re back to the boat to rest up for our marathon sightseeing days in DC and can not help but notice all the helicopters flying back and forth every few minutes. Apparently the marina is located in the flight path for all of DC’s helicopter flights. We notice that several have US Gov’t  labels and lettering and we can not help but think that maybe the President is flying by.

The old Presidential Yacht, Sequoia (below) sits near our marina.

As well as this handsome yacht with sleek lines.

We passed this mega yacht, White Cloud (below) on our way up the Potomac today as it sat anchored in front of Mount Vernon, and watched it come into our marina at sunset.

This outdoor seafood market sits right next to the Capitol Yacht Club marina.

We’d been at dock so long we felt like kids at Christmas when it came time for our seven-day cruise up the historic Potomac River to Washington, DC, a 270 mile round trip. After cruising around Lookout Point, we spent our first night, after a short 40-mile day, anchored out in a cove off of Canoe Neck Creek. It was peaceful night surrounded by farm land, a dozen grazing deer and dramatic stormy skies.

Up early for the final 80-mile run to DC, what a perfect day. The Potomac River is about four miles wide at the Chesapeake and gradually narrows the closer one gets to Washington.

About 15 miles before setting our sights on Washington DC we see Mount Vernon (below) sitting perched on a bluff overlooking the Potomac and the Maryland countryside. One can almost picture George and Martha Washington sitting on the front porch watching us cruise by. A short while later the DC waterfront materializes with the familiar Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials in plan view. It’s nice to finally arrive as this stop has been on our bucket list for a long time.

Well, we’re all caught up on boat maintenance and web updates and ready to enjoy summer and the Chesapeake Bay and it appears by the way our calendar is filling up it will be a busy time and busy is good.

As we make this post to our blog it’s the first day of summer so let the fun begin. Because we’re not constantly traveling our summer will be a welcome change and it all begins with a week long trip from Solomons to the Potomac River and up to Washington, DC where we will visit the DC Museums and sights along with Mt Vernon.

Shortly after we return my sister Denise, her husband Mark and their son Gavin (that’s who we really want to see) will come down from Philadelphia to spend the July 4th weekend with us in Solomons. Pool time, cookouts and fireworks. Mid-July we’ll make a road trip to Michigan to visit family and friends and see if anyone has actually missed us. Mark, Denise and Gavin will return with Jim’s parents towards the end of July, a visit we’re really looking forward to.

August and September will be spent taking short trips from our base in the Solomons to places like Crisfield, Oxford, St Michaels and Annapolis. After the Trawler Fest in Solomons, Power Boat Show in Annapolis and a road trip to the AGLCA Rendezvous in October it will be time to head south on Kismet for the winter.

More to come as each of these visits, events and travels unfold.We feel fortunate to be able to spend the summer in the Chesapeake Bay, it is a wonderful place and it’s another chapter to add to our traveling adventures but it’s not home. With that said we both agree that we miss being with the many people we’ve traveled with on the Great Loop along with our family and friends from home where we have so many fond memories. Lets face it we get homesick!