Today we drove over to Tilghman Island. It’s reached by drawbridge. Normally you would think the cars would have the right-of-way with the drawbridge opening on an hour or half hour schedule. Not so, here. The bridge opens on demand by the boats. These were the busiest bridgekeepers ever! The bridge was up and down every 10 minutes or so.
Month: July 2009
A Poplar Restoration
Well, it was pop’lar with us. We boarded a boat and took the 25 minute ride over to Poplar Island. Poplar Island used to be over 1200 acres in the 1800’s and had eroded down to about 5 acres by the 1980s. Various agencies came together to restore the island by using material collected while dredging the channel in the Chesapeake Bay. The project is partially done and we were given a bus ride around the island while we learned all about the different phases of reconstruction.
Bust a wheelie
All was going smoothly until there was an odd smell, smoke and ka-bump we had blown a tire. Luckily there were other service vehicles on the island and we were all transported for the rest of the tour in assorted vans and utility vehicles. I lost my cell phone during one of the transfers but it was later found and returned.
I just included this turtle picture that I took at the Poplar Island Restoration Offices because I think he’s (or she’s) cute. There are lots of nesting turtles on the island.
John gets crabby again
And seriously, what would a day be without a picture of food. More people looked at the CBCL sandwich yesterday than any other picture so I figured I’d keep the food theme going.
Today John had a soft shell crab sandwich. It seems disturbingly like eating a whole crab in a bun because that’s exactly what it is. No thanks, I don’t want my food eyeing me as it makes it way into my digestive tract.
July 9, 2009 Grasonville, MD
Today we toured Annapolis, the capitol of Maryland. We took this picture in front of the State House. The Maryland State House is the oldest one in continuous use in the United States. Here John, Peg and Ted are posing by a cannon that was brought over by the settlers in 1634.
The Paca House and Gardens
Annapolis is a really lovely colonial town. It is full of historical buildings. We toured one that was built in 1763-1765 and owned by William Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. (John was sad that it wasn’t owned by Al Paca.) In this picture is a view of the gardens and summer house. The dome in the background is from the chapel of the US Naval Academy. Before the house was restored, it had seen use as a hotel with a large addition in the back. Coincidentally, Peg had eaten at the hotel when she was on her 8th grade trip to Washington in 1958. It was chosen for the meal because it would allow the black students to eat there as well.
Lunchtime!
We went to Chick & Ruth’s Deli for lunch. I thought Peg was taking us to Chicken Ruth’s, maybe a place for down home food. But no, it was a great deli.
Yum!
We ordered our favorite, a CBCL, that is, a corned beef and chopped liver sandwich. Boy, was it good!
John Paul (Jones)
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know, John Paul Jones’ real name was just John Paul and he added the Jones later. The crypt of John Paul Jones, who kept the British navy at bay practically one-handed and espoused the creation of a national, trained navy, is in the chapel at the United States Naval Academy. Jones fit a lot of stuff into a life which spanned only 45 years. He was born in Scotland, joined the navy when he was 14, emigrated to the colonies, and rose quickly through the ranks. He must have been an incredible naval tactician because he was able to defeat much more heavily armed British ships. After his stint with the fledgling U.S. Navy, he was a highly ranked and decorated officer with 4 other countries. He died and was laid in an unknown grave in Paris where he was later discovered and brought back to the U.S. in the late 19th century.