Cruising on a Road Trip
I was driving from my home in Santa Fe, across the country again. This time, to pick up my daughter in Cincinnati, and then off to a Bermuda cruise. It was a present for her 21st birthday.
But first, I had to get through Kansas. It’s the flattest state. So flat that if your dog ran away, you would see them for three days.
The cruise departed from Baltimore, so we enjoyed a few days in the city before. After checking into the hotel, we spotted this golden statue from our window.
Out of curiosity, as we were on our way to the harbor, we discovered it was the National Katyn Memorial. It’s dedicated to the victims of the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish nationals carried out by the Soviet Army.
If you’ve been reading my journal (thank you!), you realize that I’m a history nerd.
Some highlights from the Baltimore Harbor:
A must see is the National Aquarium which holds 2,200,000 gallons of water and over 17,000 animals. Highlights include a multi-level shark tank, hands on exhibits, a rainforest, and dolphin shows.
A thirty minute drive from Baltimore is the Hampton Estate, which was owned by the Ridgely Family for almost 200 years. The Georgian style manor was completed in 1790. It rests on 62 acres of land, including gardens, farm buildings, and the original stone slave quarters.
I could not find what happened to the greenhouse pictured below. It’s not listed on the grounds any longer. Maybe a storm?
Dinner at a crab house is a mandatory Baltimore experience. There are dozens of dedicated crab houses to choose from. We ended up at the legendary L.P. Steamer’s. The LP stands for Locust Point, a nod to the former working class neighborhood.
We finally boarded the cruise ship to celebrate Brittany’s 21st birthday.
It was only a three-day cruise squeezed between terms at her pastry school. We found ourselves lounging at Horseshoe Bay, the most beautiful beach on the island, in the morning before the tour groups arrived.
Tip: Plan beach visits carefully if you don’t want to share the pink sand with 5,000 of your closest friends.
The lore of the pink sand is actually true. Tiny red organisms called Homotrema rubrum (a type of algae) live under the ledges of coral reefs. When they die, their skeletons sink and then mix with white sand.
After returning to the boat and washing the sand from every nook and cranny, we strolled the shops near the port and slurped down a bowl of Bermuda Fish Chowder. It’s the national dish. There are variations, but the main ingredients are red snapper, tomato based broth, a swig of rum, and a dash of pepper sauce. I can still taste this beautifully balanced soup years later.
An anchor made into a fountain served as a welcome sign.
Disembarking in Baltimore, I hugged my daughter and dropped her off at the bus station. I ventured onward to Chesapeake Bay to explore the small coastal villages and fresh off of the boat seafood, at a leisurely pace.
I couldn’t spend as much time as I wanted and knew one day I would return. But that’s a future post.
Crossing into Delaware, I stopped at Rehoboth Beach, known as "The Nation's Summer Capital," to stroll the lengthy boardwalk.
Driving across the Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, was nerve wrecking. Four miles of high winds. White knuckles all the way.
Washington DC was my destination because I hadn’t seen my cousin in several years. She had married a military official who was stationed in the White House.
He served under Bush II, Obama, and didn’t reenlist under Trump.
There are so many monuments taking up real estate on the National Mall, and dozens of notable museums to explore. My favorite was the National Museum of American History.
To my delight, my visit coincided with the cherry blossoms blooming!
Then off to Jamestown, a replica of the original settlement. It was established by the Virginia Company of London, and it was the first permanent English colony, predating Plymouth by 13 years.
Replicas of the two ships that brought the settlers from England.
It was a cold, windy day when I visited the Wright Brothers Monument in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright were born in Dayton, Ohio, and started a bicycle shop before inventing the first “plane” (1903).
Every school age child in Ohio, including myself, took a field trip to the shop at some point in their life.
My final stop before a very long drive was Biltmore. The line to visit the 250 room French Renaissance chateau was endless, so I only purchased tickets for the garden.
It was time to return home to Santa Fe…
Where am I now? You can find me on Blue Sky.