It’s Been a Grand Adventure

Bob and I started the Great Circle Loop 4 years ago on a warp-speed boat delivery trip of 1500 miles in 3 weeks from the upper Chesapeake to Lake Superior with only 2 handheld GPS units, paper charts, and a lot of enthusiasm and naiveté. We’ve updated our Grand Banks 32’ trawler, Baby Grand, considerably since then and slowed down the pace since we departed Lake Superior on 9/5/08. Today (6/27/09 at 12 noon) we are crossing our wake at the Bohemia River and rejoice and hug each other.

What has the trip been like? It’s the little things you remember like seagulls perched on a break wall as the sun rises through the fog in the Great Lakes; the last rays of the sun glinting on a lighthouse in the Chesapeake; the quietness of a secluded anchorage after riding the sea all day long in the Gulf--there are so many little moments like these everyday.

Every day is different. We might have a planned destination, but the weather and sea conditions change often so flexibility is paramount. We like the challenge of that-most of the time. The electronic Chartplotter and the paper charts show us the sea, land masses and navigational markers, but it is up to us to make sense of these so that we can find a safe harbor for the night.

There is the rhythm of the sea, the hypnotic rise and fall of the waves and how your body echoes these movements back and forth. There is a rhythm that we have as a couple on our boat as we are more interdependent and literally can not leave the dock unless we are working as a team. It brings out the best in each of us.

Through this trip, we are more open to new possibilities and have found that the chance encounter and taking the less traveled route makes life more interesting and adds spice. We have learned that our large country is really a collective of small, medium and big towns connected through beautiful waterways and good people.

Doing the Great Circle Loop means gliding over the wakes left by Loopers before us, to be followed by the next Loopers -- maybe you. The Great Circle Loop is a collective experience that we share together and it all starts with the white AGLCA burgee. You know that you have a friend and a like-minded adventurer who also wonders some days if they are up to the often-daunting task. Planning and dreaming about the Loop usually has blue skies and calm seas but the reality sometimes can be stormy. As Loopers, we help each other out, share the load, laugh at ourselves and always pass the food and wine at 5pm Captains Meeting.

We want to thank you for your help and support. We will pay it forward so look for us as gold Loopers next year in our permanent cruising ground in the North Channel/ Georgian Bay area. Right now we will continue slow-poking up the east coast and look forward to jumping into the fresh, clear, cool water of Lake Champlain.

Chesapeake-Rock Hall 6-26-09

We waved a sad farewell to Kate as she boarded the shuttle to fly back to Denver, but she left the sunshine so we readied the boat and cast-off for the eastern shore and Rock Hall, a journey of 26 miles but a step back in time. The past 6 days have been jam-packed with activity so we wanted a place where we could kick back and relax and that’s just what we found here in the fishing village of Rock Hall.

This is the real deal here with fishing boats everywhere. I figured that this would be the best place to have a Maryland Blue Crab dinner. Here’s a picture of me really getting into it at Waterman’s Crab House—absolutely delicious although Bob was a little grossed out. That’s not a bib I’m wearing but an REI Kool Tie neckerchief filled with crystals that expand when wet and it is amazing how it cools you down in heat and humidity. I probably should have taken it off for dinner as it now has a distinctive fragrance of crab cologne. We’ve needed the neckerchiefs as we’ve been riding our bikes all over town. It’s not every town that we’re willing to lug the bikes off the flybridge, but with flat terrain and bike paths, this town is "bike worthy."

This town will probably get developed when the economy improves but right now, houses are small to medium size and there is not too much evidence of conspicuous consumption. There is a town beach and a new town pool ($2.00) with showers and restrooms located close to the free City Dock where we are tied up. We even have free electric so we are lovin’ this town and are repaying their hospitality by shopping at Bayside Grocery and eating some meals out.

I have been forgetting to introduce you to our mascot, Cranky. We found him in a museum store and he is a windup cutie that looks like a drunken samba dancer enjoying carnival. I know that it would surprise you to learn that your Looper friends occasionally have days when one of us may have our cranky pants on. Sometimes that means that more alone time or some problem-solving is needed but often a good laugh does the trick. Our Cranky never has a bad day and is always ready to play.

Chesapeake-Washington and Baltimore 6-24-09

The snotty rainy weather cleared when our daughter Kate brought the sunshine here from Denver for Father’s Day weekend. We were a bit weather-delayed in Annapolis but managed to pull into the dock in Inner Harbor Baltimore with Kate there to catch our lines. It has been too long.

We celebrated Father’s Day weekend at the home of the Father of our Country, George Washington, at Mount Vernon on the Potomac River. There is so much to do here from the mansion tour, his tomb, the gardens as well as an interactive museum and art galleries. His story is one of epic proportions and he did it all while suffering from horrible tooth pain. No, the dentures were not wood but made from gold, lead, ivory, human teeth and hippo tusks held together with metal springs which made his mouth look stiff and peculiar.

We went into DC on Sunday and were amazed that there were no cars around the National Mall area, but then the triathletes came running by in a herd. With the 14 free Smithsonian Museums here, it is hard to decide which ones to tour. Since it was his day, Bob chose the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art and was not disappointed. From the Wright Brothers and Lindberg’s early planes through the Space Age shuttles and moon rocks, it’s all here. We were very impressed with the Gallery of Art and its extensive modern and impressionism collections as well as the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. Our feet were tired but we were feeling pretty smart and cultured.

Parking at Union Station is very easy and economical, and all of the DC tours start here. We took a bus tour on Monday to all the important sites (Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, White House etc.) as well as a secondary bus to Arlington National Cemetery to pay our respects. From President John Kennedy’s eternal flame overlooking the countless rows of tombstones to the Washington Memorial in the distance, you get an idea of how much blood, sweat and tears have been shed to make our country.

We could have easily have spent our entire time in the delightful city of Baltimore and its revitalized Inner Harbor. We toured the National Aquarium there and it was a fun-filled day of an amazing dolphin show, 4D digital movie of the ocean complete with up close and personal encounters with snakes and sharks, and multi-tiered tanks of underwater life. Great walking is to be had in the Fells Point area which has museums, historic row homes and unique shops and restaurants. Did I mention Little Italy---you can not go wrong with any restaurant here! We even went to a movie at a Landmark Theatre just 2 blocks away as well as reprovisioned at Whole Foods. When you don’t have a car, you appreciate these things being close-by. We will not be here for July 4th but we heard that Baltimore has a fantastic fireworks display which is only fitting as the Star Spangled Banner was written here as a battle raged at Fort McHenry.