Crisfield, Maryland to Balls Creek off Great Wicomico, Heathsville, Virginia

 We got up at 5:30 am and left Somers Cove Marina and headed out into the bay and through Tangier Island and across to the Great Wicomico River. We cruised into Reedville but we were too early for the Crazy Crab Restaurant to be open for lunch and the wind direction would have made it stinky to stay. So we headed back up the Great Wicomico River to Balls Creek. We went under the high-rise bridge with the fishing pier where we later tied up to walk to Three V's Winery. It was on the main highway but we quickly found their delivery entrance which took us around the vineyards and up to the tasting room. We each enjoyed five dry red wines, a sherry, and a jalapeno white wine before settling on two reds to go making it a free tasting. We headed down the river back to Horn Harbour Restaurant and had an excellent burger and rockfish and chips on their porch. We got back to the boat and moved to Sandy Point anchorage which was more wide open with one sailboat anchored there on Sunday night.

Passing ferry boat on the way ouf to Crisfield

Soft shell crab shacks at entrance to Crisfieled

City dock with some of the dock unsafe for use

Out on Janes Island

Tangier home

Crab traps galore on Tangier Island

A pile of old golf carts ready to be dumped

Great Wicomico Lighthouse

Menhaden fishing fleet at the dock in Reedville

Fish instead of crab on the water tower

Reedville to Tangier Island ferry

Crazy Crab restaurant

Triple V vineyards

Tasting room for vine (wine), vinegar and soon vodka

Pretty porch of the tasting room

The owner was a physicist and sailor

Horn Harbour Marina on the Great Wicomico River

Solomons to Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Maryland

 We cruised out of the Patuxent River and crossed the bay at warp speed of 13.5 knots doubling our usual speed to take advantage of calm seas and the threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon. We cruised past Smith Island and decided to go ahead to Somers Cove Marina since there were chance of rain. We got tied up a slip on the floating transient docks and changed into our bathing suits. We checked in at the office, and got our complimentary slices of chocolate and lemon Smith Island cake that we took to the pool. We sat in the shade end of the pool and enjoyed a summer shandy beer. Nice! Soaking wet we sat on our back bench and enjoyed happy hour snacks in the shade and the breeze. We found that very few towns have laundry so that is one reason to be in the marina as well as enjoying the air conditioning,

Blue crab hanging onto our swim platform eating algae

Major container ships in the ship channel

Target practice ship in the middle of the bay

Solomons hump light near Smith Island

The entrance to Crisfield

Digging into the Smith Island cake by the pool

Tiki barge from Jane Island State Park coming into the fuel dock at Somers Cove Marina

We woke up to rain on Friday morning that only lasted an hour so we headed to the Water's Edge Restaurant for breakfast. We walked the ferry dock and down Main Street to see what had changed in the 20+ years since we were here last. We checked out the laundry facilities and plan to do it during pool time since it is right next door to the pool.

Visitor's center by the ferry dock

Crustacean Station

Crisfield, the blue crab capital

The old post office and custom house

The old bank is now a gift shop

Many ferries go to Tangier Island and Smith Island

On Saturday, we got up and viewed the sunrise and did laundry when it was cool and quiet, We enjoyed our coffee and oatmeal sitting on the benches overlooking the marina. We then checked out the tricycles with baskets on the back and headed to the Food Lion about 1.5 miles away. We then exchanged them for regular bikes to cycle out to Jane Island State Park about 3 miles away. After our ride back, we sat in the pool to cool off and found out that Wheels on the Waterfront was happening that afternoon. We washed down the boat, took a shower, and then strolled down the closed-down main street and viewed the antique cars. The Lyons Club was cooking french fries, soft shell crab sandwiches, and crab cake sandwiches. We ended up back at the boat for happy hour and were invited next door to visit with a couple from Kilmarnock. The dock has filled up with boats for the weekend. We strolled the entire marina and came back to make pizza and get ready to head out tomorrow. 

Sunrise off the stern

Our huge motor yacht neighbor

Trikes to do grocery shopping

Docks at Jane Island State Park with highrises of Crisfield in background

Oyster farming

Beautiful campgrounds and cabins

Wheels on Waterfront with antique cars lining the street

Festuvak atmosphere

Sitting in front of Arts Cou

Cute setup with drive-in movie  set up

Along the docks

West River to Mill Creek off Pataxuent River, Solomons, Maryland

 Ws. headed out the West River and down the bay past Deale and Herrington Harbour where we used to keep our boat. There are no overnight anchorages there so we passed them by to go back to Solomons Island. We stopped at Solomon Yacht Center for diesel, pump-out, and water and anchored this time just up Mill Creek across from the tugboat dock. We have a sailing catamaran anchored on both sides of us. We headed to the CVS Pharmacy to pick up prescriptions and go grocery shopping.

Beautiful classic sailboat

The Tugboat captain honked as Tiki Bar cruised past

We headed ashore and tied up at the public dinghy dock across from the riverwalk. Amazingly there is no coffee shop or restaurant serving breakfast except for the fast food joints. We stopped at West Marine, CVS Pharmacy, Weis Grocery Store, and the liquor store and finished up our shopping trip by noon. The weather looked calm so we pulled anchor and headed across the bay, 

Rhode River to West River, Galesville, Maryland

 We ended up hiking over 6 miles on the Smithsonian Trails and got back to the boat at noon. We pulled anchor and made the short trip into the West River where there are several marinas and waterfront restaurants in Galesville. We were amazed at the number of moorings out from the marinas but found a nice spot close to South Creek next to another anchored catamaran. We hope to be out of the boat traffic in this no-wake zone. More tiny sailors out in West River enjoying the mild breeze. We are in the area on the map with the undesirable air quality due to the Canadian wildfires but don't see the smoke here.

Sailing on the West River

Almost Tiki Bar for half-priced burgers and crabs $100.00 a dozen!

Swan Creek to Sellman Creek off Rhode River near Edgewater, Maryland

 Another hot, still day as we cruised out into the bay with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the distance. We passed under and over to the western shore turning into the Rhode River below Annapolis, We are anchored up Sellman Creek near the YMCA summer camp and a favorite spot for boats pulling inflatables. One other sailboat is anchored across the way in another creek near the Smithsonian Research Center.  We spent a lazy afternoon in the shade.

Sailboats galore at Haven Harbour Marina across the anchorage

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Sailors off from YMCA Summer Camp

This morning we woke up early and ate a quick breakfast and took our coffee over to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center dinghy dock. The education center complex was quiet as it was before 8 am so we found a trail map and headed onto the Fox Creek Nature Trail and then the Connector Trail to the Marsh Boardwalk to Hog Island. We stopped in the Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory building on the Main Campus and then found our way to the Contee Watershed Trail and the Squirrel Neck Loop Trail. We stopped at a bench by the old Tabacco Barn for a picnic lunh before taking the Java Farm Trail badk to where we started. Once we got back to the boat, we pulled anchor.

Tiny birds on the flowers

Beautiful pollinator plants attracting butterflies

Reflection in the flat calm water

Beautiful gravel paths with benches all along the way

Observation decks along the marsh

Wildflower in the marsh grass

Birds popping up from the marsh grass

Off to Hog Island

Smithsonian Environmental Laboratory

Amazing complex once we found the roads

Brick ruins they have held up the walls

Grassy trails and then through the woods

Only a few paths overgrown

Love the lichen

Old growth forest on old farm land

Back to the butterfly garden