With Son-in-Law Rob competing in the Easton (MD) Plein Air event (outdoor lanscape painting) and Daughter Susan coming also from State College, PA (where they live) for the weekend, which included her birthday on Saturday, Cassie and I decided to trailer OJOS VERDES to the Northern Neck of Virginia and cruise on up the Bay for a nice visit.
We launched early Thursday (July 26th) at Smith Point for a 6-hour run to Oxford (on the Tred Avon R. 10 miles from Easton, but having the closest marinas with transient slips). The weather was delightful, with only a slight chop. We ran at 11-15 kts. (SOG), using only a single tank of fuel. The Little Wicomico R. is a bit tricky, but we found the Waterway Guide hints useful.
The accomodations and staff at Meares Yacht Haven on Oxford’s Town Creek were superb. Oxford is a stunning little village, largely devoted to boaters in the form of marinas and $$$ restaurants, but also boatyards (Hinkley, Cutt & Case, et al.). Other than sleeping aboard, our weekend was mostly family and mostly in Easton.
As for the Plein Air event, Rob <robertbarber.com> won the Grand Prize ($5k), sold the painting ($2k), and several other paintings as well. He had won PaintAnnapolis in ‘05 and ‘06, but Easton is more of a national venue. His success there is a huge boost for his career.
The trip down the Bay was equally enjoyable, and after a restful night on Slough Creek, having been sung to sleep by the cicadas, we began Tuesday with a hearty breakfast of eggs and redneck sausage (leftover hotdogs), and then headed on down some back roads to I-295/95, with a stop at Ralph’s Barbecue for a late lunch, and then I-40 and 210 on home to Hampstead.