Chesapeake Watermen and Women

First, a few more stops along the Potomac.

Mt. Vernon – President Washington

Roughly 15 miles south of Washington, D.C. you can find George Washington’s Mansion – Private vessels are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. Fortunately for our pupster, you can tie up to the ferry dock for a few hours, allowing plenty of time for her to water a tree.

Restoration is ongoing at the mansion, proof that tourist traffic supports the facility.

Washington’s Tomb is easy to find. Rather modest in size, I was shocked to discover the tomb is beyond CROWDED. In fact, George, Martha and 25 close relatives are buried together. Not a big fan of tight quarters or over-crowded spaces, I say no thanks on the family snuggle.

As you can see, the view from Mt. Vernon is serene.

The museum was well air-conditioned, a welcome respite from the record heat. This musical tribute is for Ynot.

Within sight of the Mansion, we anchored out. It was a quiet night, with little wind.

We returned to Colonial Beach – this sunset is for Dave and Holly Lubs.

St. Mary’s College

First, a throwback to our prior visit to St. Mary’s in 2018. Say hi to Lorrie Swink, M/V Reality, and our original boatdog, Maddie Sue, taken 7 years ago.

– and here are some young sailor’s from St. Mary’s.

Kilmarnock, Chesapeake Boat Basin, Indian Creek

The quaint litte town was founded in 1650, yes, it is named after Kilmarnock, Scotland. Year round population is about 1,500. Immediately adjacent to the marina you find the Perdue Grainary (seen below). Today it is used for storing and processing corn, soybeans, and wheat. 

Boater’s Tip: The Chesapeake Boat Basin marina has a loaner car; take a short drive (about 3 miles) and you will find lots of delicious restaurants and local shops, worth the visit!

Watermen’s Way

Watermen’s Way is a public art project honoring the Watermen and Waterwomen of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. It turns out the project was inspired by a certain pair of boots you might recognize from an earlier blog post – found outside the marine museum at St. Michaels.

The oversized fiberglass boots, measuring 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, are iconic representations of the men and women who make their living on the water.

In real life, the sturdy boots are used by the seafood industry across the world. This blogger wore such boots working in more than one smelly fish cannery in Alaska. In the Chesapeake Bay the sturdy boots have nicknames like “Guinea Slippers,” “Tangier Tennis Shoes,” “Red Balls,” or “Bubba Boots.”

Designs from 15 local artists were selected by Virginia’s River Realm. The vibrant boots are on display in Irvington, Kilmarnock, Deltaville, and Urbanna. To learn more, click here :-) Each fiberglass sculpture is unique, drawing from themes that reflect the lives of the watermen and waterwoman who work on the waterways. Popular themes include harvesting crabs, oysters, and fish.

Irvington, VA; Tides Inn – Church Prong

The resort is surrounded by serene scenery, such as this.

More boots – the chosen artist from Irvington selected oysters and fish as her theme.

Soybeans – crops in VA

We have seen numerous fields like this in VA. After a little research, we confirmed the crop is in fact soybeans. Bravo Capt. Rick.

Soybeans are Virginia’s number one cash crop, bringing in $165.7 million to the state, grown from the Eastern Shore to the Shenandoah Vally.

Did you know that soybeans are used in over 1,000 industrial products, such as plastics, paints, soaps, and crayons. They are also a key ingredient in animal feed, cooking oil, bakery products, and even biodiesel. If you want to know more, here’s a link to the Virginia Soybean Association Uses of Soy. You can’t make this stuff up!

Proud Mama

Congrats to Dream House Press! My phenomenal son-in law has officially opened a new printing business in Huntington Park, CA. We are so proud. Bravisimo, Ynot!

Celebrating Milestones – August 3, Andrea and Carly; August 4, Weston Wayne Sumpter Straley is 12; August 6, Morgan Wasmuth is 8, and Tanja Elliott; August 10, David Hendry.

Up Next – Rappahannock River, home of the BEST oysters. Headed to Urbanna, VA; Since it’s less than 9 nautical miles from our current location (Irvington, VA) I got to sleep in on a Sunday. Whoo Hooo.