A bit of history...my family has been vacationing in Ocean City (Maryland, that is, not NJ) since the dawn of time, or at least since before I was born. I have a hazy memory of being pushed along the boardwalk in a stroller. It isn't my hometown, but it is the next closest thing. So I do get a little nostalgic and emotional about it.
Anyway, we left last Saturday, driving into the path of Charley. This is the first summer I can remember where the westbound traffic away from the beach was heavier that the traffic we were in going toward the beach, and we made very good time. Of course that meant sitting around in heavy rain once we got there, but I'm not going to bitch about that...we have friends who live in Punta Gorda. (My sister did reach them Monday; they evacuated safely. I haven't heard about their house.)
With the wind and rain, we pretty much spent Saturday through Monday watching the Olympics, including the women's road race on Sunday morning. I'm actually not a big swimming or gymnastics fan, but it beat the Weather Channel.
Tuesday we went over to Assateague Island for the morning. I knew there were trails somewhere on the island, but we got there before the visitor center opened and I didn't know if we needed to head to the state park or the national park. Instead we wandered around the free roads, and the ponies came to see us.
So did the mosquitoes, in spite of the DEET we wore. So we got eaten alive, but who needs all that blood, right?
I'd hoped to try some kayaking on the Pokomoke River this summer, but after hearing from the outfitter that parts of the river might be flooded, I wussed out. I never have used a kayak before, and I'm not an experienced paddler with a canoe. So instead of checking out the cyprus swamp by boat, I decided we should go to Furnace Town and hike the Nature Conservancy trail there.
Swamp, August, hurricane, and we already knew the local bugs eat Off for breakfast. Not one of my best ideas, I guess. When we got there, the lady at the visitor center told us that the trail, which is partly boardwalk through the swamp, might be flooded, but we gave it a shot. The ground was very boggy and the water was up to the boards in the part we did walk, but we didn't do the whole thing. Not because we were swarmed by biting insects, but because Victor didn't have the heart to break througfh a spectacular spider web that crossed the boardwalk partway up the trail. Going off the trail would have required the canoe, I think.
Furnace Town itself was cool, particularly if you are interested in 19th century manufacturing. I hadn't realized that Maryland had any iron industry at all, but apparently for a brief period they mined bog ore and processed it there in the Nassawango creek, and now the land around the furnace is a reenacted company town and museum.
We took bikes, but between rain, wind, and my knees acting up, we only rode for a little bit Friday morning. And of course we did the usual beach vacation things, like playing with the kids in the water, sitting on the sand reading, and eating too much.
I also had another of my recurring lessons in impermanence, which I'll write about later. Now I'm adjusting to that vacation-lag, trying to remember what day it is and get ready to go back to work. I did go down to the office this morning, to sort my messages and make up a to-do list, and it isn't a short one.
Posted by Nic at August 22, 2004 11:42 AM