Mailbox Monday: Going Hog Wild

Okaaaaaay.

Point Lookout Civil War Monuments

We made a point of visiting Point Lookout for personal reasons. There are monuments erected by the federal government, the State of Maryland and a private group to commemorate the Confederate soldiers who died while at Point Lookout prison camp. The federal  monument is also an internment site.

Read below to see the inaccuracy of the number who died here.

This monument below is federal.

We found family names.

The stone below is part of the Maryland memorial on the same site.

Just around the corner from the other two memorials is a a third, created by a group of descendants of prisoners of the camp. 

The flags of each state who had soldiers held there are flown.

Personal accounts are inscribed on markers. It is a sobering testament to how cruel people can be.

Point Lookout Lighthouse

This lighthouse is at the southernmost tip of the western peninsula of Maryland, at the confluence of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. It was built in 1830 by John Donahoo, a master lighthouse builder.

Below is a letter I found online from the U.S. Treasury Department notifying the appointment of Ann Davis, as the new keeper to follow her father who had passed four days before.

There was a kiosk by the bathhouses at the beach with an old map of the lighthouses built by one engineer.

The original purpose of the quaint old building below was not clear and no one thought to inform us. It was within sight of the lighthouse.

Cove Point Lighthouse and Drum Point Lighthouse

We spotted Cove Point Lighthouse from Calvert Cliffs.

We drove around only to find the gate securely shut.

It is the oldest continuously working lighthouse in Maryland.

So we took a couple of pictures and drove on to Drum Point Lighthouse located at the Calvert Marine Museum on Solomon's Island.

Drum Point Lighthouse was constructed in 1883 to mark the entrance to the Patuxent River. It served on its site until 1962. It is one of only three remaining cottage-type lighthouses of the original forty-five in Chesapeake Bay.  As far as I know, Florida has nothing similar.

A nice sailing yacht was being guided in.

Mailbox Monday: Easy Rider

Calvert Cliffs

I had read about Calvert Cliffs and been intrigued. Cliffs on Florida beaches are rather rare, don't you know. The cliffs continue for some twenty miles of coastline along the part of Chesapeake Bay but the only public access is at Calvert Cliff State Park. The hike to the shore from the parking lot is 1.8 miles, one way through  woods. It is a pleasant walk, most of the way. The deer flies were in one spot. We had come prepared with water, hats, sleeves and somewhat appropriate shoes.  The trail got sloppy in a couple of places and the Gortex boots in the trunk would have served well.

This fallen tree had been carved into a seat and stool.

But, I thought better than to place my butt at someone's door.

The little stream provided nice walking music.

There was sign of beaver work.

On the far side of the shore was a lodge. That picture did not turn out. 

Below is an alligator picture. That is our family name for a picture that has something in it that is rather hard to find. But there is a log near the bird box that looked quite like an alligator coming onshore. As Floridians, we like to joke about seeing alligators and mullet and other local creatures in unlikely places.

Eventually, we reached the tiny beach. We had it to ourselves on this drizzly, steamy morning.

We found a few shell fossils and some ray teeth. I shed my sneakers and waded in the Chesapeake Bay, picking up hands full of shells and throwing them onshore for B to look through. I had expected sharks' teeth, but was content with having visited, hiked and found what we did. 

We Ate At Thursday's on Sunday

When we travel, we try to eat local and avoid the chains, especially if it is one we have in our home town. When possible, I consult Trip Advisor to determine what people think about places. It is usually a good lead. And so it was that we found this out of the way place on the waters of Chesapeake Bay on the western shore of Maryland. The village is called Galesville--and it was windy.

The restaurant was out over the water on a dock. We chose to eat outside

We had a table with a view. Boaters pulled up to the dock for lunch. The wind was brisk off the water, so it was not hot at all. 

Yeah, it was a nice view. 

And the food was great! B had an enormous fish sandwich and I had a Maryland crabcake that was everything it should be.

Check out the sculpture of flowers made from propellers.

U.S. Naval Academy

In Annapolis, we entered and walked through the U. S. Naval Academy. The Naval School, established in 1845, became the Naval Academy five years later. It is a four-year college with summer sea training. There are twenty-four academic majors offered to the approximately 4,400 midshipmen by 600 faculty members on the 338-acre complex. So it is a big deal.

This dome is part of the enormous chapel. Services are held in both protestant and Catholic chapels.

The stunning windows in the chapel were designed by Tiffany and Gorham.

Annapolis

We drove from north of Baltimore to Annapolis, crossing several rivers and other waterways. We parked and walked around the historic district. 

This is a  tour guide going to work.

St. Anne's Church, built in 1859, stands in the middle of a circle. The tower was saved from the previous church that burned the year before this one was built.

This golden mosaic was just through the door.

A sign relates that the parish was founded in 1692.

As a life-long Methodist, I was interested in this marker.

The waterfront was where it was all happening on the Sunday morning we were there. There was an open market and more boats than I ever remember seeing in one place---ALL kind of vessels and lots of people that just kept coming until, when we were leaving at noon, traffic was backed up.

A line of markers shared inspirational thoughts from many and varied sources. I relate to this one.

Below is the Chase-Lloyd House. The house was  begun by Samuel Chase, a young Annapolis lawyer, but was unfinished when he sold it to Edward Lloyd IV in 1769. Samuel Chase went on to be a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Lloyd's youngest daughter married Frances Scott Key in the house in 1802. It was said that Lloyd never walked, but had a chair and servants that carried him in it wherever he needed to go.

There was one charming street after another filled with Colonial buildings.

The wooden dome of the Maryland State House and former capitol of the nation,  serves as a focal point throughout the old town neighborhoods. It is the largest wooden dome in our country.

Next to the State House is the Old Treasury building, built between 1735 and 1737. It is the oldest public building in Maryland.

There are two circles downtown and roads radiate out from those circles, creating interesting blocks.

We saw quite a few halves, both address numbers and even street names.

Annapolis surpassed my expectations. We are glad we went.