New York and Hudson River

We have a glimpse of the NYC and the Statue of Liberty.

Now we are off to New York City. We are a bit leery of our last adventure on the Atlantic Ocean. We deciced on the day of if we were crossing the twenty two miles of open seas. It looked daunting but the waves were not crashing. We measure our rough days by how many bells we hear. There is a bell under the captain's seat. It didn't ring once. It was all swells. Quite a nice crossing. We watched miles and miles of New Jersey shore. So much beach!

Miles before we arrive, we were greeted by the New York skyline. What a sight! Not long after we turned at Sandy Hook, we could see the Statue of Liberty. She is hard to miss. To think that so many people were greeted by her on their arrival to America. First you see the Verrazano Bridge. It looks like the San Francisco bridge. It is a double decker bridge. When it was built in 1959, it was the largest suspension bridge. It has 13 lanes, seven on top and six on the bottom. Now it is the eight largest in the world. Once you pass under the bridge, the flood gates open. What a sight! Boat traffic and air traffic of all kinds, at all speeds. Buildings of all sizes and shapes and colors. Being in our boat makes all those buildings appear so much bigger.

We drove our boat by the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island. It is quite a sight up close and it was the highlight of our Loop. We were lucky that it wasn't too busy and we had two other boats with us so we could get this amazing shot.

We proceeded to our marina across from Manhattan. Now we were just a quick water taxi ride there from the Big Apple. We met several Loopers at the marina. Not too much time to socialize as we were there for some serious touristy stuff. First we have to celebrate our ninth month on the Loop.

We started early in the morning with a quick walk thru a mall on our way to the 9/11 Memorial site. The Memorial is beautiful but it was a very somber experience.

We walked around and decided to take the HopOn-HopOff Bus. It's a quick way to see the city highlights. That is all the time we had.

We saw Battery Park, the United Nations Headquarters and Brooklyn Bridge. It has been converted into a walking bridge. We didn't have energy for that.

We wanted to see the Waldorf Astoria Hotel but it is closed down for two years. We got a glimpse of it's size and a window.

We walked thru Central Park and rested our feet by watching a softball game instead of sleeping on a park bench. I found the park nice but smaller then I imagined it to be. It is quite impressive to see all that green space inside the city.

We continued our walk to Time Square and saw so many giant tv screens. We walked on Broadway and looked at the many plays playing but reminded ourselves that we only had two days.

We also went to Macy and got a bit of shopping in. It is really a huge store. We continued onto the Empire State Building. We planned on going to the top but it was pouring rain by then. We would not have had a view.

We returned downtown to see the 9/11 Museum. When we arrived we were soaked and the outside lineup was long. We decided to walk thru the Mall and return to the water taxi. We missed out on some sights but we got a taste of it. Yvon had a New York hotdog and I had lunch at Pret. And we snacked on a Belgium waffle. We felt we had a taste of New York. Hope to return one day. But we talked to another tourist who said she drove two miles in two hours. That does not appeal to us. Now we are off up the Hudson River. It was a bit nerve wracking and quite the experience as when we left the city. So many ferries and water taxies. Can't believe how many people go to work by ferry.

We travelled up the Hudson. It is rated on of top 20 places to see by National Geographic. It did not disappoint. We following the commuter trains on the right and freight trains on the left. The marina on our first stop is next to the train tracks. We also ride by Rockefeller estate, by Sing Sing prison and th West Point Academy.

Our first stop was Newburgh. Lots of restaurants on the waterfront. Unfortunately, the downtown is up this step hill. After a long day on the water, climbing the hill seemed too daunting. It is a 19th century seaport for whaling ships.

Our second stop was in Catskill. Catskill was home to the icehouse industry in the 19th century. They shipped natural ice cakes measuring 22x32 inches all the way to India and the Caribbean. This contunued until the invention of artificial ice.

Catskill was also home to Uncle Sam from 1817 to 1823. Interesting fact if you are an army person.

It was a great stop. We could walk to Walmart or downtown. We chose Walmart. It was an easy walk, then we returned by taxi. Now we are off to the Erie Canal. It will be interesting and I will save the details for our next blog. Here is our journey so far. The loop is nearing its completion.

While we were in New York, Philip Roth a famous American writer died. Here is his quote: "Writing is frustration—it's daily frustration, not to mention humiliation. It's just like baseball: you fail two-thirds of the time."

C&D Canal and Barnegat Bay

Here we are entering the Atlantic Ocean for the last time on this trip. We are at Barnagat Inlet on the Jersey Shores. Well we left the Chesapeake Bay knowing we only got a taste of it. We are now making our way East to the Atlantic Ocean. We have two options to reach New York City. Our first stop was in Summit, Delaware. It is a quaint place with very little around here but the bike path thru the state park along the C&D canal is superb. We walked it for a mile. It is all paved and two way. We saw the biggest vulture ever on the trail. We spent two days because of inclement weather.

One possible way is by following the coast but not going outside. The alternative is to go outside in the Atlantic Ocean for the 120 miles journey. We didn't decide until we got there and read the weather forecast and the observations from fellow Loopers. The inside route can be shallow and is affected by the wind, shoaling and tides. The outside route can be treacherous with little protection, stronger winds and higher tides. Because of the weather, we chose the inside route from Cape May to Atlantic City. It was a pretty ride with new and old homes and resort communities. There are several bridges and we were lucky to have those that needed opening there was no waiting. We lucked out too on the chosen route. It required our full attention but we had no problems.

We could see the city twenty miles before we arrived in Atlantic City. It is the Las Vegas of the North but not as impressive. The majestic casinos guided us in. We stopped at the Farley Marina at the Golden Nugget Casino. There is a gorgeous boardwalk on the waterfront.

We played a bit, visited some of the sights and met up with other Loopers. It was a great stop. We stayed longer then we wanted because of the rain. On a clearer day, we again took the inside route via Barnagat Bay. This route is more daunting and we called Seatow before taking it. We rode in light fog and drizzle. Not a great day but no problems. We made two stops on this route. It's only sixty=five miles but it's four eyes on deck. Also, it tested our navigating skills. Having to plan our departure as well as our arrival, with tidal currents and levels. Our first stop was at Forked City at Captain's Inn. It's a bar and restaurant but it was a great stop. The manager was apologetic because we did not take the better docks so she did not charge us. We met some great local Jersey Gals and Guys.

We had a wonderful meal there. Four Looper Boats, eight Canadians. Yvon tried the Flaming Grog. It has seven types of liquor that they prepare at your table. Fun to watch.

Our second stop was at Point Pleasant. It was a great stop as it's an easy walk to town. The docks were a bit rocky but it was fine once we tied all the lines. We met some future Loopers Barry and Gretta and she drove us to the grocery store. Hope to see them in Britt some day soon.

Now we are off to New York City. What a sight! Saving the details for later. Here's our journey so far.

Don't wait for tomorrow, for what you can do today, because tomorrow may never come.

Virginia, Maryland and Delaware = Chesapeake Bay

Well since leaving North Carolina, we have been in three states. Virginia, Maryland and Delaware are all on the Chesapeake Bay. This is where we spent the week. We have been to Virginia as we drove thru Florida, but only once to Virginia Beach. It was a beautiful visit. This time we crossed the Virginia border by boat. Quite a difference. The Dismal Swamp was a great way to enter into this State. We saw a deer, a snake and a Canada goose. We did one more lock before arriving into Portsmouth.

What a difference from the laid back North Carolina. We are in the largest Naval complex in the world. The largest naval hospital is here too. There are one million people living in this area. Portsmouth was established in 1752 by William Crawford. The Norfolk Naval shipyard is housed here. It is the only shipyard that can drydock a airplane carrier. We rode past one and they are huge.

Norfolk is across the river and they have ferries to take us across. We didn't do this but it could have been fun.

My little sister and her husband visited me here. It was so nice to see family. They also delivered my very appreciated mail. We visited the historical district and the farmers market together. We had lunch, then off they went to the Hatteras. We continued are reprovision and clean-up. Now we are ready to enter the Chesapeake Bay where we will be cruising in an active navy port. What an array of ships, ocean ships, cargo ships, military ships, airplane carriers and even a Red Cross ship. This is us behind the war ship. It's very impressive to see.

Our first stop on the Chesapeake Bay was Deltaville, Virginia. We stayed for three days for boat maintenance and we toured the village. They have a beautiful maritime museum with a lot of outdoor space. It is built on a nature preserve. They have F.D. Crockett a 'buyboat' on display in the water.

Our next stop was at Solomons Island. It isn't an island. We are now in Maryland. It is a town of 2500. It is a very pretty place. We met up with fellow Loopers at the Yacht Club. We had travelled with them for several days in the Fall. It was nice to see Ken, Ruth and Sparky again.

Our third stop was at St. Michael's. It is an island. The population is is 1000. Very pretty downtown and an awesome maritime museum. They have several boats on display and many on the water. Most impressive is the lighthouse.

Our last stop on the Chesapeake was also in Maryland. It was in Worton. There isn't much here but it is a beautiful sheltered bay. It reminds us of home. The staff were very welcoming and the only restaurant was excellent. I felt the attraction to the Chesapeake here.

All of the Chesapeake reminds us of Lake Nipissing back home. The landscape, the expanse of water, the small towns and the boating. The only difference is it's size ( about three times bigger and 190 miles long), salt water, tide and ships.

Now we are on the upper half of the Chesapeake. All the buoys are occupied by nesting bald eagles. We are off to the C&D Canal and I will explain in my next post.

Here is our journey so far... moving up quickly.

Captain John Smith wrote this in 1609. 'There is but one entrance by sea into this country, and that is at the mouth of a very goodly bay, 18 or 20 miles broad. The cape on the south is called Cape Henry, in honor of our most noble Prince. The land, white hilly sands like unto the Downs, and all along the shores rest plenty of pines and firs ... Within is a country that may have the prerogative over the most pleasant places known, for large and pleasant navigable rivers, heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation.'