July 24-July 30                             Baltimore, Maryland

The oppressive heat wave covered the East Coast south of Maine.  Fortunately, our five AC units kept us cool and comfortable.  We kept occupied with reading, needlepoint, and completing tasks on computers.  Lots of napping also was part of the program!

Tuesday was much cooler and we ventured outside again.  Our expensive freezer (bought by the previous owner) began to show signs of warming.  One more challenge!  The wise decision was replacement not repair.  We began a search on the internet for one to meet our needs and specifications.  We were not successful. 

I needed fabric for my needlepoint project.  We found a Jo Ann’s Fabric store near Towson.  The nine mile trip gave us an opportunity to see more of the surrounding area.  After my purchase, we found a recommended restaurant for lunch.  Pappa’s Restaurant and Sports Bar had a dated brown exterior.  We were greeted inside by worn carpet, plastic flowers, and more brown.  The dining room was very pleasant and the wait staff was friendly and efficient.  Crab cake is the specialty of the establishment.  It was outstanding and easily the best I had ever eaten (Apparently, Oprah agreed and named it as one of her favorite things!)  David raved over his soft shell crab and the accompanying chunky applesauce.  We recommend Pappas’s for an exceptional food experience.  Ignore the plastic flowers that greet you at the door.

Before departing Baltimore, we had to go to the Baltimore Museum of Art.  A previous visit was abbreviated by ongoing construction.  We were eager to see the newly renovated galleries.  They exceeded our expectations.  Entering from the majestic columned portico, one steps into a grand foyer with galleries exiting from either side. The BMA has benefited from the generosity and largess of considerable donors who have donated their wealth and collections that have greatly enriched the museum’s holdings.   The Cone Collection of exceptional art by Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and many others is outstanding.  The breathtaking mosaics from excavations in an ancient Roman city near Antioch are unique and worthy of more time than we allotted.

 Our lengthy visit to the BMA warranted a respite and we found an unexpected treasure in Gertrude’s, the museum’s restaurant.   Almost as elegant as the renowned restaurant at MOMA, we were delighted to dine al fresco overlooking the sculpture garden.  I enjoyed a great spinach salad, lightly dressed with warm bacon, and later cornmeal crusted oysters.  David had a fresh berry salad and duck spring rolls.  We agreed it was a fantastic experience!

                                                        

June 20-22                                    Baltimore, Maryland

After a busy ten days in Fort Worth with family and friends, we returned early to Baltimore and the boat.  The weather was delightfully cool and pleasant. To our dismay, we had a warm refrigerator in the galley.  This had happened several times in the past and we had learned that turning off the power for 24 hours usually solved the problem.  The fan for the motor had probably iced.  Fortunately, the freezer section was working well so we did not have a gross, stinking mess.  Everything in the freezer was placed in our chest freezer on the aft deck and the few items in the refrigerator were discarded.

The marina staff insisted on moving us to a location where we had adequate power supply to run our AC.  We were docked in a space that provided a great view of the Penobscot River with the huge naval vessels on one side and the Inner Harbor on the other.  Despite our limited supplies, we had a delightful dinner on the aft deck and enjoyed the beautiful nautical scene.

Thursday evening we walked to the picturesque center of Fells Point.  We were amazed the massive derelict Customs Building was being remodeled.  This great architectural triumph had been an eyesore for years with broken windows, graffiti, and peeling paint.  It has been cleaned, windows have been replaced, and an enormous addition is being constructed.  It will be a boutique hotel and a wonderful addition to this historical area.  We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Mare Nostrum, a Mediterranean restaurant.  I had a delicious grilled bronzino (a fish imported from Europe and one I always order when available) and David enjoyed grilled octopus.

The refrigerator began working and we were ready to shop for food.  We acquired a rental car on Friday and David made a trip to the nearby Harris-Teeter, one of his favorite places to shop.  I chose to stay onboard and allow him the luxury of shopping at a leisurely pace.  Thus, both of us were happy!  The predicted heat wave made a significant change in the weather and aft deck dining was no longer preferable.

June 28-July 7                              Baltimore, Maryland

We wanted to spend some time in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore.  Dockage at the city marina is on a first come basis with a 7 day limit.  We decided to go in and stay through the Fourth of July before returning to Henderson’s Wharf in the Fells Point area.  We would have a great view of the fireworks display on the Fourth and would be near historic Federal Hill with its market, restaurants, and one of my favorite book stores.

The water was calm as we made our three hour journey to Baltimore, a place we have been often since buying The Bottom Line. We were assigned a great dock position with views of the harbor and the busy downtown scene.  Unfortunately, the next day a huge working barge with an enormous crane came in front of us and ruined our downtown view.  After two days, workers departed and left the barge.  We were not pleased.

On a walking tour of Federal Hill, we discovered the newly opened Blue Moon Café, whose parent restaurant in Fells Point has been a favorite of diners for twenty years. Serving only breakfasts, they are renowned for their Captain Crunch French Toast.  The new place has the same quirky décor, tattooed-pierced waitstaff, excellent service, and fantastic food.  With more space, the wait time was far less than the hour plus that is usually necessary at the original café.  

Timberly and Craig Smith joined us on the Fourth.  The weather was rainy but they braved the torrents to come to the Inner Harbor for dinner and the fireworks show.  We were delighted they brought two bottles of wine (our supply had diminished and efforts failed to find wine near the boat).  Jocelyn, their twelve year old daughter and an absolute charmer, was visiting grandparents, Bill and Jocelyn Wuester, in New Hampshire.  David cooked pork ribs and they were the best ever!  After gluttonous dining, we watched a great fireworks display from our aft deck.  The rain, which had been steady earlier, cleared and the display was conducted as planned.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a leisurely visit with two of our favorite people before they departed (once again in rain).  It was a wonderful holiday for us!

We moved to Henderson’s Wharf marina before noon on July 5 and were warmly greeted by the staff.  It felt like a homecoming!  Unfortunately, the weather turned very hot and humid.  The electrical power at our slip seemed to be inadequate for our demands so we struggled for several hours before turning on our generator.  DUH!  Problem solved for the short term. 

Cleaning and packing ensued for our return trip to Texas.  We left the dock at 4:30 AM in heat and excessive humidity.  Hoping this will not meet us when we return.