Season One Finale

After our long, offshore crossing from the Bahamas, our trip up the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) allowed us to slow the pace a bit and enjoy some of the people and towns as we passed through.

We particularly enjoyed our short stay in Oriental, NC, and our trip north through the Dismal Swamp to Virginia. Oriental is a wonderful, cruiser-friendly town with easy access to provisions and exceptionally welcoming locals. The Dismal Swamp was far from dismal. It was a serene escape from the commercial traffic that transits the ICW through Virginia. In both places, we connected with other cruisers and continued to make new friends.

We then sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to Solomon’s Island where we tied up in Peter’s brother’s boat slip while we prepared Dagny to be hauled out for the hurricane season. It took about a week of constant work to clean and prepare Dagny for storage. It’s pretty amazing how much we had stowed away in all the little places onboard! Dagny is now safely on land and all shipshape for her summer rest.

Chris and Karen hosted us for the week at their home while we disembarked to land life. It was wonderful reconnecting with them. We enjoyed delicious food, a comfy bed, a rainy-day puzzle, and unlimited hot water while they cheerfully helped us with our decommissioning. We also enjoyed the constant antics of their two fur babies, Tom and Jerry.

Peter’s sister, Martha, facilitated our use of a family car. As I write this, we are happily rattling down the road in a borrowed college kid car from Peter’s niece. Ahhh! The joys of a long road trip, crossing our fingers and wishing away the idiosyncrasies and mysterious noises joining us on our ride home. It actually brings back fond memories!

As amazing as this trip was, we eagerly await reconnecting with our family and friends and catching up. We will arrive back at EggertFarm just as the lilacs and fruit trees are in bloom. We will plant the garden and dive into another glorious Wisconsin summer. Dirt-dwelling here we come!