September 19-20                       Solomon’s Island, Maryland

Weather reports indicated another beautiful day with light wind, followed by a day of high winds, and then a week of great weather.  We decided to change our plans and head south.  We would winter the boat in Portsmouth, Virginia.  Our molding project would wait a little longer.  We quickly made preparations to leave and pulled away from the dock by eleven o’clock.  Our destination was Solomon’s Island, approximately 45 nm from Baltimore.

Approaching Annapolis, we encountered numerous sail boaters enjoying full sails and a smooth sea.  It was a beautiful sight and we carefully maneuvered through and around them.  This area of the bay is very busy with commercial traffic, naval vessels, and all kinds of recreational boats.  We loved being part of the scene.

Harbor Island Marina is a small place with a welcoming staff and a very good restaurant.  We had easy dockage on a face slip with a great view of the surrounding area.  Solomon’s Island is the quintessential East Coast village with a small but charming downtown area, numerous sea side cottages, several marinas, and hundreds of small boats.  Citizens are proud of its colonial heritage when it was an area for raising and shipping tobacco.

The predicted high winds for the next day kept us from continuing our journey but we were pleased to be in such a lovely place.  After a leisurely Sunday morning, we took a long walk into the village and enjoyed once again the special ambiance of this unique place.  Historic churches, numerous gift shops, art galleries, quaint restaurants, and small homes line the main street which faces the Patuxent River and the impressive bridge spanning the distance between the shores.  After touring the small oyster museum (millions were shipped from here for decades), we had a greater appreciation for the hard work entailed in harvesting and processing this delectable seafood.

Again we chose to abandon numerous leftovers in the fridge for more appetizing fare.  Our dinner was at the marina’s new restaurant, Charles Street Brasserie.  Specializing in tapas, this lovely sophisticated place was a delight.  We shared fried oysters Rockefeller, bacon wrapped figs, and ahi tuna in a delicious sauce.  All were outstanding!