Friday, April 11, 2008

Weekend Away: Part 2

On to Maryland's western shore! By the way, while growing up, my aunt and uncle (who were in the Air Force at that time) were stationed out here once and I thought two things: first, that you pronounced it Mary-land and second, that I had no idea what Maryland was like or really, where exactly it was. Now I'm proud to say that I love Maryland! What a unique state. We really enjoyed visiting family friends out in suburban MD (now they're roughing it in England), we had a great time in Baltimore's inner harbor area, and we can't get enough of the Chesapeake. Anyway, we rented a log cabin at a Naval recreation center near Solomons, MD and spent the weekend lounging, reading, strolling boardwalks, and eating crab cakes. The weather was very overcast and rainy most of the time, but the sun peeked through a little. Kate did a great job napping in the pack and play. One bad thing, though--she learned she can make really annoying thumping sounds with her legs while "sleeping" in the pack and play. Hmmm. However, she was a great traveler and thoroughly enjoyed the seashore. We didn't get as much sleep as we'd hoped (all three of us were sharing a room...) but we had fun getting away as a family.


Here we are in the town of Solomon's Island, strolling the boardwalk after a tasty (and suprising expensive) crabcake lunch.The navy recreation area is situated right on the Riverfront with several beaches like the one above. On the left are some of the houses for rent right on the water, but you need to reserve a little more than a week in advance to get one of those.
Kate got her first experience on the beach and didn't really enjoy it too much. It's probably because the water was frigid. I'm sure she'll be a much bigger fan of the Lake of the Ozarks this summer when we're vacationing in the warm waters of central Missouri.
One afternoon, we went hiking in Calvert Cliffs State Park, where the local pastime is to look for fossils along the beach. We didn't find any T-rex bones, but did enjoy the sense of peace and quite in the middle of the woods/bog/beach that comprised the hike.Kate fell asleep on the hike back to the car. It was so funny to see those little feet dangling limp as we hiked through the woods.

All in all it was a great weekend and a nice break from the ordinary. We'll definitely be heading back here for a future vacation.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Kate,
Why did you fall asleep in your mother's pouch? You like a baby kangaroo. I love you. I agree with Beth, you're a real rock star.
Love, Riley, your cousin

Anonymous said...

Dear Kate,
Why did you fall asleep in your mother's pouch? You look like a baby kangaroo. I love you. I agree with Beth, you're a real rock star.
Love, Riley, your cousin

Anonymous said...

Hoorah! She will be a beachcomber like her gram! Kate, you must always keep your eyes peeled for a floater, a bottle or a precious shell!! What a FUN vacation. What a beautiful place. Sooo glad you all got away. See you tomorrow, God and American Airlines willing! Love you all to the moon and back...Gram + Pops

Stephanie B said...

I have a soft spot for MD myself, since my mom grew up there, my grandparents live there still, and now my bro and his fam are back in the DC area. Last fall we went out to the Eastern shore and I just loved it. Glad to see you are enjoying it!

Anonymous said...

Hi Guys,
Your pictures of the cherry blossoms look like they should be a post card - just like that beautiful Kate!! Can't wait to see you all next month.
Love,
JoAnn and Al

Erin said...

Oh how we love and miss Maryland! Thanks for the photos and memory reminders! I would pay big bucks to have a crab cake sandwich right about now. I ordered one in a London restaurant and it just wasn't the same ... Glad you had such a great trip despite bumping baby legs!

Jen Luminati said...

Thanks, Riley! We are so happy you came to visit the blog. We love you!