Annapolis to DC
Motoring up the Washington Channel
Edgewater, MD to Solomon’s Island, MD (40nm): On 8/13/24, we left Anchor Yacht Basin at 9:45am for the quick trip to Solomon’s Island. Light winds and favorable tides made for a very smooth ride. The volunteer members of Solomon’s Island Yacht Club were super friendly and hospitable in helping us tie up and acclimate to the area. Yacht clubs typically don’t allow transient boaters unless they are members of a reciprocal yacht club but our membership in the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association) secured our eligibility. SIYC was a great location from which to see the island. After exploration, we finished the evening with a good dinner at The Island Hideaway.
Solomon’s Island, MD to Colonial Beach, VA (58nm): Departing the following morning, 8/14/24, with Laura at the helm, we cruised a little further south down the Chesapeake before turning west into the Potomac River. Our destination for the day was The Boathouse Marina at Colonial Beach. This marina was recommended by a local Chesapeake Bay mariner and fellow AGLCA member, and they did not disappoint. They were super helpful and friendly, directed us to their favorite local restaurant (Sunflower Cafe), and gave us access to a golf cart to explore the area. Colonial Beach is a quaint, very residential resort town. We enjoyed walking their “beach” and the peaceful sunset on the harbor.
Colonial Beach, VA to Washington, DC (63nm): Departing on 8/15/24 for our nation’s capital, Laura guided us away from the Boathouse Marina docks and handed the helm over to Edward just as the Range Patrol boat called us on Channel 16. Turns out the Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center practice area was “hot” with live fire exercises just north of Colonial beach. The Range Patrol boat kindly guided us through a series of navigational turns to specified day markers designed to keep Smithsonian away from the action. The Potomac narrowed as we moved further north and it seemed like we were always passing by some type of military installation (lots of dishes, domes, and towers). As we passed Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, on the port side, we knew we were within 13 nm of our destination for the night, Capital Yacht Club at The Wharf development within the heart of Washington, DC. Three eager young dockhands assisted Laura with the lines as we settled into our T-head slip at A dock. Here, we were a walk, bike, or scooter ride away from most of the tourist sites in the area. The Wharf is a nice development of hotels, restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues. CYC is centrally located amongst it all and we had a nice view of the Washington Monument from our slip.
Washington, DC (8/16): We enjoyed our morning “Monument Walk” exploring the mall and some of DC’s most famous sites, and finished the day at Rappahannock Oyster Bar for “slicks” and beer overlooking the Washington Channel:
Washington, DC (8/17): Art Day! National Women’s Museum of Art & National Gallery of Art:
Edward needed no persuading to launch into art day, beginning with the National Women’s Museum. We snagged two Lime Scooters along our route and made our way across town to find the museum. “What if women ruled the world”, indeed! It was heartbreaking to see on display and read about how women were limited access to academic training in the arts and how civilization deplored women’s engagement with art in the “masuline realm” of the great outdoors. It was also deeply inspiring to see how these women defied social constraints through their art.
After a walk around the White House (lots of guys with guns), we took a much needed break for lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill on 15th street. The host gave us a tip to sit in his “favorite bar” in the back corner of the restaurant: what a great tip! We didn’t have to wait for a table and I enjoyed perhaps the best crab cake (Chesapeake style) I’ve ever had. Edward had a wonderful pastrami-based sandwich called Walter’s Favorite.
We then made our way through the National Gallery Sculpture garden to the National Gallery of Art and explored maybe 1/8th of it. Seriously. It’s HUGE. I wanted an entire day but we had to pace ourselves. So much to see!
Washington, DC (8/18): Day of Deepening. Holocaust Museum & Museum of American Indian
This was a very different day. There are really no words to describe the Holocaust Museum. If you go to DC, just do it. We wanted to for many reasons - primarily to deepen our awareness and understanding. And it sure did. It was sobering and heartbreaking. At times my breath was taken away as I listened to survivors and heard their stories of courage and perseverance. I recalled an MLK quote we had seen just the previous day at the MLK memorial: “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
In the afternoon, we strolled over to the Museum of the American Indian for more deepening. Like I said, it was a different day. Sobering, powerful and definitely the most impactful. Seeing the two museums back to back allowed me to see a parallel: both the Germans and the US used the term “relocation”. The Germans told the Jewish people that they were being relocated and that was the same lie the fledgling U.S. government told the American Indian. While the colonists didn’t exterminate Native Americans in gas chambers they did steal their land and create conditions that killed many native peoples. It’s clear to me that both the Colonists and the Germans saw their victims as “less than human” and conspired to drive them from their homes all while under governmental authority.
