Ulysses S. Grant – Exhale on the Water

Joseph Christian Chestnut is the weiner king of Nathan’s Hot Dogs, again!

On Friday, July 4, Chestnut, 41, scarfed down 70.5 hot dogs [with buns] during the annual Coney Island Mustard Belt, winning for a record 17th time. The feat was close but not close enough to beat his own record of 76 franks set in 2021.

For me, the thought of eating even one dog is a barf moment in my book, but hey, Joey is fun to celebrate, he’s famous without a scandal!!

4th of July trivia [according to wallethub.com]: 150 million hot dogs are consumed each July 4^th. With or without ketchup!

St. Michaels, Maryland

We ventured to St. Michaels for the long weekend, docked in tandem with Tonto’s Reward at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The marina is at the edge of the very walkable town.

Traveling buddies, Exhale and Tonto’s Reward

St. Michael’s Parish

Are you wondering, was the church named first or the town? Originally a trading post for tobacco farmers and fur traders, the church was founded in 1672; so, yes the town is named after the parish :-)

We were surrounded by blue skies,

and colorful flowers.

Fun facts on the 4th of July:

Authorized by Congress [remember when that was a thing…], 1777 was the first year fireworks were used in an official Fourth of July celebration {marking the one-year anniversary}. China is credited with the invention of fireworks, while Italy made fireworks bright and beautiful by using metallic powders to create spectacular colors. Bravisimo!

On July 4, 1776, there were an estimated 2.5 million people living in the 13 colonies. By 2024, the population of the US was around 340.1 million.

Fourth of July became a federal holiday in 1870, thanks to Ulysses S. Grant.

FRESH tomatoes and basil.

Tomatoes and basil growing on the back deck of Exhale provided a delicious caprese salad. Look at the deep red! It was soooo yummy. Thanks Linda P.

Another lighthouse for Caryl at Navy Point

The Hooper Strait Lighthouse, now standing on Navy Point, was originally built in 1879 to light the way for boats passing through the shallow, dangerous shoals. Now it’s just a fun museum, without the shoals.

In case you are curious, the year round population of St. Michaels was 1,094 in 2023. As you walk around town you might conclude there are more trees than residents. Enjoy the magnificent White Oak, Eastern White Pine, American Beech, Black Cherry, Hickory and Maple; among others.