Day 22, Monday, June 28, 2021, Cape May, NJ 

A little north of Cape May is a barrier island called The Wildwoods which we visited today. We visited the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, a cute little structure surrounded by pretty gardens with lots of flowers in bloom.  We drove the length of the island to view the Doo Wop architecture which targets the fanciful 1950's and 1960's architecture of neon signs, plastic palm trees and space age designs. Even the McDonalds still had the full Golden Arches of yesteryear. The town is also has a two mile boardwalk along the beach to attract tourists. We walked along the boardwalk for awhile which is lined with the most honky tonk shops and carnival “games of chance”. The three piers are not accessible for a walk but are filled with roller coasters and other carnival rides. We did not walk the entire boardwalk but decided to return to the coach mid-afternoon to relax. I would rate the Wildwoods as a must avoid! The “Moron Madness” photo sums it up. An evening walk on the Cape May Point Beach was windy, brisk and delightful.

Day 21, Sunday, June 27, 2021, Cape May, NJ 

A 15 minute drive to see the Cape May Lighthouse. It is climbable with 199 steps but Rosemary does not care for heights so I passed. The lighthouse is in Cape May Point State Park which had some boardwalks through well shaded areas which we hiked. We also viewed but did not climb the WWII Lookout Tower. In the afternoon we walked the Washington Street Mall and some surrounding streets in downtown Cape May viewing many of the gingerbread houses that this Historic Town is known for. Lots of touristy shops including many ice cream shops. But Rosemary’s aversion to calories meant no ice cream on this warm and sunny day until we came across Kohr Bros Frozen Custard. A custard made low fat with only 130 calories saved the day. The coffee flavor was delicious but a challenge to not let it drip in the afternoon warmth. Not one drop missed my mouth!

Day 20, Saturday, June 26, 2021, Cape May, NJ (175 miles)

We departed Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD, after 7 nights, the most we have ever stayed at one campground. It worked well for our base to see Washington and surrounding area. What was supposed to be a 3-1/2 hour drive to Cape May turned into 5 hours with Interstate traffic mostly horrible. We checked into Sun Outdoors Cape May (50 amp FHU) with a very large shaded site. After dinner we walked the campground which is very large with many seasonal residents with lots of yard paraphernalia everywhere. There were even 2 sites that had huge outdoor movie screens and with movie projector cameras playing. I had never seen anything like that before. 

Day 19, Friday, June 25, 2021, College Park, MD (McLean, VA)

A 30 minute car ride to Great Falls Park in McLean, VA.  The park is part of the National Park Service and is located along the Potomac River where there is a 77 foot drop resulting in a series of beautiful waterfalls and cascades before entering one mile long Mather Gorge. We hiked, ate our picnic lunch and hiked some more. The trails were mostly shaded meandering through the forest along the river. On the way back to the coach we picked up bubble teas at Kung Fu Tea. 

Day 18, Thursday, June 24, 2021, College Park, MD (Mount Vernon, VA)

A 45 minute car ride to Mount Vernon, VA, to visit the estate of George Washington. We had purchased advance tickets for the mansion tour which were required. This was Washington’s residence from 1759 until his death in 1799 but the property was in his family since 1674. Of course, he was gone for 8 years for the Revolutionary War and later his two terms as President. The mansion is built of wood but with a style to look like masonry.  Much of the furnishings are original as of his death in 1799. The estate has many buildings as well as gardens and overlooks the Potomac River. Plaques at each building described its purpose and how it took over  300 enslaved people to make this estate function. The estate was well organized and we even had a lecture/discussion with Washington’s secretary (his right hand man) about life in the 18th century. I rate this a must see. On the way back to the coach we stopped in Alexandria, VA for a drive around Old Town and a visit to the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Another very pleasant day except for the Beltway traffic which is insane. Please slap me if I ever complain about Tampa traffic again. 

 

Day 17, Wednesday, June 23, 2021, College Park, MD (Annapolis)

A 40 minute car ride to Annapolis, MD, for the day. Our first stop was the Maryland State House, the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use built 1772-1777.  The State House served as the first peacetime capitol of the US. George Washington resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1783 in the old Senate Chamber and a month later Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris officially ending the American Revolution. We toured the William Paca House and Garden, built in 1763-1765.  Paca was a signer on the Declaration of Independence and the third Governor of Maryland. After a stroll along main street and the docks we took out lunch from Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls. The “Bar Harbor Rolls” we each had each contained a 1-1/4 lb. lobster. Delicious. We also visited the Hammond-Harwood House, a National Historic Landmark and walked by the Government House of Maryland.

Day 16, Tuesday, June 22, 2021, College Park, MD 

A welcomed cold front came in today with rain until about 3 pm. So we relaxed and rested in the coach. When the rain stopped, we picked up bubble teas at Gong Cha and drove around the University of Maryland. Evening walk around the campground required light jackets. Delightful! Ran the heat tonight with low temps in the 50's.