Heat and humidity are harder to manage when you live in Southern California the majority of the time. From the moment the plane lands and the door opens, that first blast of warm, wet air is tough to overcome but that didn’t mean we needed to head back West. Instead, we headed for water and spent our first evening in Washington, DC (after a quick walk-by of the White House) in Georgetown, walking along the C&O Canal and dining in an excellent pizzeria, Il Canale.
Georgetown is beautiful and unique, but many visitors don’t realize that the canal runs just one block below M Street and is a peaceful and quiet place just steps from the busyness of Georgetown. We worked up an appetite and found Il Canale just in time. The beauty of pizza for small children is that everyone can enjoy it and it is probably the most cost-effective way to feed a small family going. We’re both fans of European-style pizza and this was perfectly suited to our tastes.
The canal is incredibly peaceful and very close to the Georgetown Waterfront Park, an excellent park right along the Potomac River with steps into the water, hundreds of ducks to feed, and a fountain that is irresistible on a hot Summer evening. Catherine looked at other kids running through the arching water jets, took off her shoes, and joined in immediately, even managing to stay mostly dry while having an enormous amount of fun despite the heat.
Catherine ran through the fountain for nearly an hour. We stayed until it was becoming too dark to run safely but Catherine could have easily spent another hour at the fountain. She’s definitely a fan of water. The heat had diminished a bit by the time we left, making it easier to walk up the hill to our car.
Annapolis
Day two started with a short drive over to Annapolis, Maryland, a very pretty, very mid-Atlantic town on the Chesapeake Bay. This is a city with a water tradition dating back to the 1750’s (even before Washington, DC) and we wanted to enjoy the Bay. A quick Google of boat rentals brought up a Groupon offer for a powerboat rental for only $240 for the day. We quickly called the hotel restaurant, ordered sandwiches to go, were at the South River Boat Rentals thirty minutes later and on the water shortly after that. We motored out of South River, amazed by the waterfront properties and very comfortable despite the heat.
We chose a course that would take us out around the Thomas Point Lighthouse (there is a shoal we were warned about) and then turned north toward Annapolis. Thirty minutes later we were dodging buoys marking crab pots as we came to a stop just off the United States Naval Academy seawall.
Making our way back with plenty of time was more enjoyable than trying to hurry to Annapolis. We slowed down, making the ride smoother but also giving us the chance to take in the houses along the Chesapeake Bay and to enjoy watching the combination of sail boats, power boats and ocean going cargo ships making their way through the enormous waterway. It becomes very apparent after having this experience that the Bay is a commercial and touristic gold mine for the Mid Atlantic.
Click to play video
We let Catherine drive (download video) for a while on the way back, which certainly slowed us down as she really enjoyed making circles more than choosing a straight course. We eventually made our way back to the boat dock and back at the hotel shortly afterward. We highly recommend this boat rental business as the boats were clean and well-maintained and the staff was very friendly and helpful.
Dinner and Annapolis Harbor
Friday nights in the summer are laid back and fun in Annapolis. The town wasn’t too crowded but there were lots of people, both locals and tourists, out walking and enjoying the restaurants. We chose the Federal House by the harbor and had an excellent meal that focused on local crab. This is a great place to enjoy a weekend of East Coast Summer.
Baltimore and Inner Harbor
For our last day we made our way north to Baltimore and the Inner Harbor. It was an even warmer and more humid day than the day prior and after a hot and sticky walk around Inner Harbor, decided to go to the National Aquarium. The cool interior was the perfect choice but it was also an exceptional place with enormous shark tanks and exhibits from various aquatic places around the world.
Catherine was scared by the enormous and plentiful sharks and doesn’t like snakes (there were a few) but enjoyed everything else, including the dolphin tank. The aquarium did an excellent job of showcasing the ecosystem of different places in the world, especially the various water systems that begin inland and flow out to the shore and beyond. The idea of water’s lifecycle and the creatures that make their home within it is fascinating.
It is rare to have so many distinct places so close together as Washington, Annapolis and Baltimore. Each is a just a couple of hours drive from the other but are worlds apart in character. While we spent just one day in each, that may have been the perfect formula for a long weekend. As far as weather goes, the best chance of having an enjoyable time for Westerners unaccustomed to humidity is probably the Spring and Fall, but the Summer can be just as enjoyable if you focus on activities that put you on the water, as we did.
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August 1, 2015
Smithsonian, US