Fells Point And Baltimore's Inner Harbor

We've spent about two weeks in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and at Fells Point sampling all that the area has to offer. We have mixed feelings about the area and the tourist destination it has become. I suppose that being in small communities and remote anchorages for months may have jaded our perception of what we expected once we arrived back in the big city. Fells Point is just as we remember it. By some estimates there are over 120 small restaurants and bars in the Fells Point neighborhood and the area is visited by thousands of tourists each year. If you enjoy the nightlife, musical entertainment, and a whirlwind of crowds, you will love Fells Point. We can only eat and drink so much and it's time to move on to quieter waters. This isn't really a family friendly location and one of the reasons we stopped here was so our family could come and visit. Fortunately the harbor provides a very colorful boat ride, so a slow cruise on the Patapsco River is always a fun day.

Time to Cross The Bay

Our plans would take us over to the western shore to visit with friends on Rock Creek in Pasadena, MD. We decided to go down river and find an anchorage that would put us closer to the Bay and make our trip to Rock Creek shorter the next day. The options were Langford Creek or Grays Inn Creek, near the mouth of the Chester River. We departed Chestertown on Sunday afternoon, and as usual, the boat traffic was pretty heavy. We had tried to wait for the powerboat group at the marina to leave because we knew they'd be running full speed down the river to get home before their normal boat slips ran away. All of them had left but one Cruisers Inc. 455, and it came past us full throttle, throwing up a huge wake that rocked every boat on the river. The lack of consideration for the safety of others still baffles us today. The decision to stop in Grays Inn Creek instead of Langford Creek was made mostly because there is always lots of boat traffic in Langford on weekends. It turned out to be a good decision.

Enjoying the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay

Our time spent with friends is always too short, but we convinced our friends Edwin and Silvia to come along with us on our trip from their house on the Wye River to Chestertown. Their son dropped off their car so they could get back home, and the weather couldn't have cooperated more. The trip down the Wye was just as spectacular as the trip upriver. Our only challenge for the day would be transiting Kent Narrows. The channel out the north end is well known for its shallow spots, being narrow and constantly moving. As we approached the drawbridge in the narrows, we called the bridgetender to let him know we needed an opening. He decided he didn't need to open on time, and boats on both side waited until he was good and ready. Fortunately, we made the bridge at slack water so we didn't have to deal with the strong currents that can make waiting for the bridge interesting. Once we finally did get through, we would have to negotiate the channel on the other side.