June 30, Belmar, NJ

We turn in the rental car and leave Atlantic City mid morning and head north in the ocean.

Cathie and Ron with Atlantic City in the Background

It is cool, with the water temp at 69 degrees, and we run 25 miles to the Barnegat Inlet. We head inside to try the NJ intercoastal waterway for the next 30 miles and find travelling on the weekend in NJ in the intercoastal is very busy with lots of other boat traffic. Capt Ron is our pilot all day and does a great job with all the strange places we go and all the traffic. We touch ground once (Ron and Owen swear we are in the channel) and continue through some beautiful areas to the next inlet, the Manasquan Inlet and the end of the NJ Intercoastal waterway.



We head back out in the ocean for 5 more miles and then into the inlet at Shark River, through two bridges including RR bridge, and the nice town of Belmar. Lots of fishermen in the river in dingys fishing in the middle of the channel. Hard not to run them over. They are fishing for Fluke. Looks like a Flounder. Dinner at a local seafood restaurant.


Next morning we explore Belmar on foot finding a West Marine where we get a replacement CD/radio. Got to have our tunes.
Then we find an Eckerds. Got everything we need.

June 29, Atlantic City, NJ

Ron and Owen move the boat in the ocean up the Jersey shore 30 miles and go in the inlet at Atlantic City. Our marina is a state run marina at the Historic Gardner's Basin. Cathie and Linda bring the car and do some grocery shopping along the way. Then we take the car and go to the Trump Taj Mahal which is on the Boardwalk and we go for a stroll on the famous beach boardwalk. Atlantic City is where "Monopoly" was invented and where the real streets are that were named in the game. We thought the entire area was "tired" but there were certainly lots of people in the casinos and on the boardwalk.






Ended up in the Borgata Casino and thought it was much nicer with a better dressed crowd. The Atlantic City version of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Very nice.



Dinner at restaurant at the Borgata and Owen, Ron and Cathie each made small contributions to the casino. Linda won $25!

June 27-28, Cape May, NJ

We see the McGrath's off on their trip back to Hickory, NC. We get some fuel and leave Philadelphia about 11am on a hazy day with a heat index of 95+. We motor by the Battleship "New Jersey" which is moored on the Camden, NJ waterfront, just across from Philadelphia. (We missed the Jimmy Buffett concert in Camden on the waterfront last night; did not know it was going on until too late,)


We go past several large ships underway as we head south past Wilmington toward Cape May, NJ.


The "Ship John Shoal Light" marks a shallow spot in the middle of the Delaware River. It is a little cooler as we get into the wider part of the Delaware River and begin getting the ocean breeze.


Our trip to Cape May was about 90 miles and we tried to time our trip to catch the outgoing tide. We were somewhat successful, sometimes reaching 18 knots (we normally cruise at 15). Seas were 2-3 feet from the C & D Canal entrance to Cape May. We arrived in Cape May about 4:30 so our trip took 5 and 1/2 hours. We will sleep well tonight.

We are docked next to a Whale Watch boat at our marina in Cape May

We switch marina's and Ron and Cathie join us for our second night in Cape May. They have a rental car and so the four of us tour the town. Very nice old homes, walking area downtown and lots of tourists on a hot day. Owens camera is on the boat (so no pictures).

Our marina is home to a variety of boats.

June 24-26, Philadelphia, PA

The McGrath boys and Gracie and Owen checked the crab trap this morning in Delaware City. No crabs. Bummer. We are moving on to Philadelphia this morning and cruise up the Delaware River, going a total of about 30 miles. It is cool (70's on the water) and pleasant. We pass Wilmington, DE, and see lots of industrial activity along the way including about 20 large ships. Some are underway, some at anchor and some are loading and unloading cargo. Pretty sight to see all the shipping activity.




We arrive in Philadelphia about noon and go to Penn Landing Marina in the historic area of Philadelphia. We are tied up across the marina from several large ships available to tourists. There is a Dreadnought type cruiser OLYMPIA, launched in 1892, a submarine, BECUNA, of WW II vintage and a modern day four masted tall ship, the MOSHULU, all right in our marina. The MOSHULU has a black hull and is painted up as a 18th century Man-O-War. Very impressive.



We start our tour of Philadelphia today (much warmer, in the 90's, on land) and see several groups of costumed folks portraying citizens in the 1770's. The costumed players are doing crafts and have some good stories and generally make history come alive for all of us. There are several games, ring toss, and one with two sticks where you throw the ring with the sticks to develop "grace" in young lady's. Julie and all the McGrath's love this one. We view the outside of several buildings where our founding fathers worked. Jefferson wrote the Declaration here and Franklin was here with his printing office. We saw the exhibits surrounding the Liberty Bell and then the bell itself. Very impressive.



Walking back to the boat we found an Irish festival in progress on the docks at Penn Landing and listened to some Irish music before returning to the boat. We return to the festival after dinner and stay until 9PM when the band stops playing. Fun to celebrate the McGrath and Horner Irish roots. Most everyone buys a T-shirt and proclaims their Irish ancestry.


Monday we awaken to a rainy day but the radar shows clearing by about 10 am. We head off mid morning with rain gear (cabin fever was beginning to affect the crew) and never need it. The day is overcast and that is a welcome condition compared to the heat of the day before. We visit the hall where the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted!!!!!!!!!!!!


We have a "philly cheesesteak" sandwich for lunch in an historic building. We go to the US Mint (Philadelphia: where they make coins and commemorative coins and medals) and then watch a movie at the visitors center and then go to several locations to hear more "stories" by costumed story tellers about the early days. All in all we have a nice day.

Jack

Tommy, Julie and Gracie

Ryan, John, Christopher, Jack and Tommy (front)

Tuesday we continue touring on a trolley and head to the "Rocky steps" in Philadelphia. The steps are where the hero (Sylvester Stallone) in the movie "Rocky" has a triumphant scene where he runs the steps and decides he can win (this upcoming fight). Lots of tourists come here and "run the steps" like Rocky. The movie made quite a connection with many americans.

Tommy, Christopher, Jack and Ryan after having "run the steps".

Ryan, Jack and Christopher in front of the "Rocky" statue, with Gracie and Tommy behind.

There is always lots going on in a big city.

Window washers work high on a building

Someone being interviewed by TV camera on the street.

And lots of tourist things to see and do in Philadelphia!!!!!

Jack

Gracie and Ben Franklin

Tommy

Dinner for the crew aboard KOKOMO II as the adults get ready to go out.



Our last evening in Philadelphia John and Julie and Linda and Owen go on a "date night" to the restaurant Buddakan. Great furnishings including a large golden Budda, spectacular food and very crowded with young professional people. There is no recession in Philadelphia.
Wednesday morning McGraths are leaving and driving back to Hickory, NC. Weather in Philadelphia is forecast to be 94 today and an extreme heat warning is in effect. It looks like a good day to be in an a/c car or on the water. We will miss everyone.

June 23, Delaware City, DE

After a trip to the local Whole Foods grocery store for supplies for our new crew we left Baltimore about 10 am and took a tour of the Baltimore Inner Harbor in our own boat.


As we worked our way out toward the bay, we passed Fort McHenry and the US Flag was flying high over the ramparts. This is the spot where Francis Scott Key witnessed the British bombardment of the fort in September 1814 and wrote the Star Spangled Banner. As we passed by the fort, Julie led us in our National Anthem and it just seemed the right thing to do. Very nice to have John and Julie and almost the whole McGrath family with us.


Motored from Baltimore up to the top of the Chesapeake Bay and completed our trip through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to Delaware City. We had planned to stop in Chesapeake City but found the small basin crowded with weekenders and decided to move on another 15 miles. Some of our "looper" friends have told us they try never to move over a weekend because of local traffic and marina congestion. We see the point of their advice.



Delaware City is very small, located just off the Delaware River, and we have a nice spot to spend the night. Linda prepared a great meal and we ate at the picnic table on the deck at the marina. We put the crab trap out.

June 20-22, Baltimore, MD.

We run from Rock Hall to Baltimore in the morning. The bay has a two foot chop as a result of the storm passing through last evening. As we arrive in the Baltimore Harbor we see a Coast Guard helicopter working on a rescue (maybe just practice). There is a news helicopter in the background that seems to be filming everything. Coast Guard is working in the middle of the channel, about 50 yards from us, as we pass by.


Pretty sailboat in front of the old Fort McHenry

Our marina is Baltimore Inner Harbor East, where a Four Seasons Hotel is under construction.

Shops and restaurants at Fells Point

Little Italy has some great Italian restaurants.

Downtown Baltimore has lots of new construction recently completed and more buildings underway. There are at least a dozen upscale restaurants and several hotels are already open. There is a walkway along the waterfront with bridges connecting the finger piers. This creates some very pleasant walking spaces. This downtown area along the water is already a nice area and going to be even nicer when the construction is finished.

Downtown sculpture commemorating Polish Army Officers at the hands of the Russians during WW II.

A fish sculpture.

A party on a barge in front of the Hard Rock Cafe.

A 40 year old party person with a spike haircut.

Baltimore is a BIG city and is quite a change from the small towns we have visited on the eastern shore of Maryland. Thursday morning we walked the whole Inner Harbor area, watched the movie at the visitor's center, viewed the sailing ship Constellation and the famous light ship "Chesapeake" used as a floating lighthouse for 40 years. We walked the "shops" at Harbortown.

Harbortown shops at the Inner Harbor

Constellation

Chesapeake Light Ship with the Baltimore Aquarium in the background

Lunch Saturday was six fresh steamed blue crabs seasoned with Old Bay at a local restaurant, Mo's Seafood. Delicious. We are enjoying Baltimore and find that it has a lot to offer visitors. The quality of the restaurants and the walking areas and public spaces along the waterfront are impressive. The downtown waterfront revitalization is working. So far, we are very comfortable here.

John and Julie, Christopher, Jack, Ryan, Tommy and Gracie McGrath join is in Baltimore on our last night there and certainly liven up the goings on aboard KOKOMO II. We have a nice dinner aboard and John and Julie take everyone on a walking tour of the Inner Harbor area. They are impressed. We then work out the sleeping arrangements.




Everyone fits and they say they are reasonably comfortable. The final arrangements are John and Julie in the forward cabin, Gracie and Tommy in the booth (made into a bed) Christopher on the couch and Jack and Ryan in sleeping bags on the salon floor. Owen and Linda, in the aft cabin. It is a crew but we're snug as bugs in a rug.