Cruising the Potomac

Spring Cove, Maryland

The run from Annapolis to Spring Cove is roughly 6 hours. Boater’s Tip, the marina offers a courtesy car (nearby grocery) to be returned by 6 ish. We opted to eat dinner on board. Sorry, no photos.

Colonial Beach, VA

Thanks Patrick and Laura Magers for the suggestion to stay at the Boat House in Colonial Beach, VA. About 8 hours from Spring Cove, the town is so adorable we stayed two nights.

Permanent population hovers around 3,600, this sweet beach town is a VERY popular stop for a summer vacation rental. Small beaches like this are plentiful, extending 2.5 miles along the Potomac River banks. A rare find!

On our second day, we were surprised by a visit from Florida friends Tom and Faye Turke, who are exploring by automobile this summer, rather than cruising the waterways in their lovely North Pacific Yacht, Treble in Paradise. Thanks for making the journey!

Local Restaurants in Colonial Beach were wonderful. We strongly recommend the Sunflower Cuisine (click here) – Sushi Thai fusion with French flair. Worth the walk. Flavors are extraordinary, and presentation is elegant.

Washington DC

From Colonial Beach we cruised up the beautiful Potomac to Washington DC. Exhale is spending a total of one week in our nation’s capital. Boaters, we recommend the Capital Yacht Club (as suggested by Ray and Caryl). We booked the marina reservation about 4 months in advance, note there are very few transient slips. Zoom in, Exhale can be seen on the left, notice the Washington Monument in the near distance. Within walking distance of the monuments, the location is superb.

Craig Adford and Maureen O’Gara flew in from LAX, to join us in Washington DC for a week of exploration.

July 20 is National Ice Cream day – put it on your calendar!

soft ice cream preferred

Lincoln Memorial

One of my favorite photographs of my mother, Laura Jo Straley, dates back roughly 80 years ago. She is relaxing at the reflecting pool, with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.

Visiting DC for the very first time, we attempted to reenact the photo. Thanks Craig Adford for the black and white photo.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was designed by Henry Bacon, completed in 1923. It is approximately 2,030 feet long and 167 feet wide.

You may recall that heartwarming scene when Forrest Gump and Jenny reunite in the pool (click here) :-). For those of you who don’t swim, don’t worry, the depth is only 18 inches on the sides.

Here are a few fun facts about President Lincoln and the memorial

• The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in 1922, 58 years after Lincoln’s death. My mom was there in the 1940s.
• The statue of Lincoln is 19 feet tall and weighs 175 tons.
• The memorial has 36 columns, each representing a state during Lincoln’s time.
• There are 87 steps leading to the memorial referencing Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (four score and seven years).

More Fun Facts about President Lincoln – he was the first bearded US President, the first to hold a patent and the first to be in an inaugural photograph.

Did you know – The bill to create the US Secret Service was on the President’s desk the night of his assassination? One of the principal purposes of the Secret Service is to protect national leaders, such as the President. Would their presence have saved Lincoln’s life? Unknown.

Washington Monument

The opposite end of the reflecting pool faces the Washington Monument. Completed in 1884, the phallic obelisk was built to commemorate President George Washington, like Lincoln, was dead when his memorial was created.

According to Wiki, it is the world’s tallest predominantly stone structure and it is the world’s tallest obelisk, standing 554 feet 7+¹¹⁄₃₂ inches tall [how’s that for precise!] , according to U.S. National Geodetic Survey measurements as of 2014.

The tallest building is found in Dubai (right, Craig?). The Burj Khalifa is 2,717 feet tall; the New York One World Trade Center ranks 7th, at a meaningful 1,776 feet high.

Vietnam Women’s Memorial

Thank you Danielle Ginsburg for sending me this historic book, “The Women” by Kristin Hannah. It is a perfect explanation to the real story behind the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall.

It was a common misogynist perception that there were “no women serving in Vietnam.” Tragically, the VA denied benefits to women who served in Vietnam, refusing any form of help. But as stated in “The Women”, if you served in Vietnam, and did not see a woman, you were one of the lucky few who never needed medical care.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is dedicated to the US nurses and women who served in the Vietnam War. The emotional memorial depicts three uniformed women with a wounded male soldier. Dedicated on Veterans Day in 1993 by Vice President Al Gore. 

Closing with an exquisite sunset from Capital Yacht Club.

Celebrations and Milestones: Birthday: July 22, Ray Houle; Julie Hildebrand; July 26, Barry Hildebrand; July 28, Diana Giraldo;

Anniversary: July 22: Matt and Michele; July 26, Larry and Laura Straley

What’s Next? We will continue to tour the DC area and the Potomac River with Craig and Maureen until Saturday, July 26