Natty Boh Rapsody

 Natty Boh Rapsody

On Friday, after a short 20-mile cruise from Rock Hall, we cleared the Key Bridge and pulled into Baltimore’s inner harbor area. We tied up at the Anchorage Marina in Canton, just a short walk from the Fells Point area. It was pretty overcast and looked like it could rain at any time. The attached picture of the Key Bridge was actually taken on our way out today.

   I know what you all are thinking, as was the Admiral, “Baltimore? Have you seen the news lately?” Well, truth be told, I was a little cautious myself. The good news is we felt very safe. The rule to follow, that was told to us by the dock master, was to stay within 5-6 blocks from the waterfront. The really good news is we loved the inner harbor area. There is a bar and/ or restaurant for every day of the year within a two-mile walk on the Promenade. Baltimore really got it right when they put in a 20’ wide brick walk/bikeway all along the water. You can ride bikes for over four miles in one direction and never cross a major road.

Baltimore has retained its industrial roots by converting many of the buildings into stores, restaurants, museums, and living space. So once we got settled in, I jumped on the bike and went exploring. As biking can make one a little thirsty, I wandered into an old place called “The Horse You Rode In On”. The bartender shared with me that its claim to fame is that it is the oldest continuous running bar in the country. He said that back in Prohibition, Maryland did not adopt the federal law banning alcohol. I guess back then the states could get away with things like that because they were not as financially dependent on the federal government.                                              

We also were very fortunate to have our first guest on board. Sue’s cousin and his wife, Ed and Laura, drove over from Philadelphia and spent the night. We had a blast going out to dinner in Canton Square and enjoying after-dinner cocktails aboard Next Chapter. 

We were planning on leaving Baltimore on Monday but decided to stay in port as a strong line of thunderstorms we forecast to cross the upper bay with lots of wind, hail, and lightning. The captain does not like those conditions on the high seas. So we stayed and went to an impromptu Looper docktails. We were able to pick the brains of a couple that had completed the Loop, called Gold Loopers. Lots of valuable information. 

We cast our lines this morning and had a beautiful trip

up the Sassafras River all the way to Frederick Town. 

Note to self: there truly is no town here. However, we were treated 

to a bald eagle catching a fish and landing on a tree next 

to the river. We watched him eat his dinner as we ate ours.  

 

So as I waited for my cousin Ed and Laura to arrive from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, to be our first “visitors on the loop”, I found my thoughts revisiting a childhood memory of going to see Ed and his family in the Philadelphia area in the 1970s. This was going to be a very exciting visit for my then 7-year-old self. The sequel to “Planet of the Apes,” called “Escape for the Planet of the Apes,” would be on TV at 8:00 on the weekend we were visiting. The Sunday night arrived, and the four Cassell kids (Sam was a baby) gathered upstairs with my three cousins to watch the highly anticipated movie. If you recall, the theme was generally that the humans would destroy their own planet with a weapon THEY made. That evening, Cousin Ed reminded me that I was the youngest, which we all know I was on snack duty. The movie began with me downstairs making Jiffy popcorn, a bowl of Nerds (that disgusting, tangy, crunchy candy), some ding dongs, and Cheese Wiz. Up the stairs I went making my snack delivery. At this point in the movie, Cornelius and Zira reveal that they can speak “human”. Now, Cousin Ed gave me drink orders…I guess with all that Jiffy Pop popcorn, the cousins were thirsty. Some Tang was made, Hawaiian Punch poured, and a few cans of Tab to keep everyone hydrated. Would I ever get to watch the movie? Would Zira have her baby ape? At some point, Ed pointed out that my brother Mike had hair under his nose, and perhaps he was growing hair like Cornelius, the leader of the apes. By now, I was jacked up on punch and terrified that my oldest brother might be, in fact, part ape. I went to bed early that night. I still had a great time seeing Ed, who always had a way of making an evening fun, and just like those many years ago, I again served my cousin some snacks and reminisced about anticipating a visit with the cousins.