By Bob Tagert This month’s Road Trip is different from the normal overnight drive. We decided to stay at home and tour our own Washington D.C. concentrating on the military memorials in celebration of Memorial Day this month. I have been living in the Oxon Hill and Alexandria area since I was five years old. I have spent 72 years watching our Nation’s Capital change and grow. In fact, there were still a few electric street cars running in the city when I was young. They were removed to make way for buses in the early 1960’s. A few years later construction on the city’s Metro Rail system began and the Metro opened in 1972. I have seen civil rights demonstrations and watched F Street burn during some of those protests. I have attended presidential inaugurations as well as listened to the Beach Boys play on the Ellipse on July 4th. I rode my motorcycle in D.C. in the late 60’s because the countryside was too cold. It was this period of time that I discovered Georgetown. Washington, D.C. has always been the capital of the free world. Unfortunately, that appears to be being challenged today through our own government as well as a few leaders of authoritarian countries around the world. I was in need of some patriotic bolstering, so we thought it was time to walk again over hallowed ground and chart the growth of our beautiful country through the many memorials, museums, and monuments throughout Washington D.C. and the vicinity. Something else has changed dramatically over the last 72 years…there are way more people and traffic. I remembered the old Greyhound Bus Line motto – “Leave the Driving to us” and decided to see about taking a tour with a local company. Rather than book a tour…
By Bob Tagert The Atlantic shore holds a special interest to me. First, I have many memories from the mid 60’s to family trips in the early 70’s. The one constant was standing at the surf line and watching the Atlantic Ocean caress my feet. I could look out and see exactly what I had seen years before…the only things that have changed were behind me. It is a good feeling. The sunrises are also still the same. With age, my reasons for going to the beach hasn’t changed but the timing has. No longer am I able to participate in a game of beach volleyball or body surfing, but I still love that sound and smell of the Atlantic Ocean, so I look at going in the shoulder seasons during the week, and that is the reason for this article. Going to the beach early has its advantages. The crowds have not yet arrived leaving plenty of room at the bars and restaurants. However, there is a contradiction here…most of the folks at the beach this time of year either live there or work there. Also, many of the establishments are not yet open, leaving fewer choices. Today Rehoboth is a year-round town, not just a summer retreat. Some key businesses stay open to serve the town. What I discovered is when we go before the season begins, we seek out the small restaurants and bars that stay open year-round so we have a chance to meet the locals. Another of the advantages to visiting Rehoboth before May 15th is the fact that all street parking is free up until then. Even though the weather can be iffy this time of year, we got beautiful sunny days with temps around 50 degrees on this trip. The weekend before, St….
By Bob Tagert For this month’s Road Trip we decided to stay close to home and visit two of our favorite places…Annapolis aka Naptown and Eastport aka MRE to the locals in Maryland. One of the reasons why we have such a close relationship with this area is because it is part of our marketing area…hence the moniker on our cover, From the Bay to the Blue Ridge. There are other reasons for our close relationship and one is sailing. I have a sailboat in Solomons and we occasionally sail to Annapolis. Annapolis is also considered the “Sailing Capital of the World”, home to the Naval Academy and home to the Annapolis Sailboat Show – the largest in-water boat show in the world. Annapolis has historical significance for many reasons. Most significantly it was the capital of Maryland as well as the country’s capital when the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was signed there. All four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence had impressive homes in Annapolis, which still stand today. Our intention was to take a nice day trip to visit some favorite places and maybe run into some old friends while discovering what is new. Our first stop was, of course, the waterfront. This is where you can find metered parking and Ego Alley. Ego Alley is not an alley in the traditional sense of the word; rather than a walkway, it is a narrow waterway that spills out into Spa Creek. The name “Ego Alley” comes from the queue of expensive boats that parade through the waterway on evenings and weekends. Yes, I have sailed in Ego Alley and tied up to the bulkhead to spend the night. It is a great front seat view of the incredible action on the waterfront. When we…
By Bob Tagert It seems like it has been forever since we headed out of town to do the R&D for this column. We always bring it home for the holidays in the December issue and recap the previous year in the January issue so I had to reach back into my memory bank to last November to retrace our steps to River Bluff Farm located on the Shenandoah River on the outskirts of Quicksburg, VA. As a point of reference, this little “burg” is near New Market (their physical address is listed as New Market) and fairly close to Woodstock. The main reason we headed out in that direction was because we were once again invited to the Fifth Annual Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail Awards & Gala that was being hosted in The Yellow Barn event venue near the entrance to the Shenandoah Caverns. This is the premier event for the 22 wineries that dot the landscape in the Valley. There were 73 wines submitted to the 2023 competition with Jump Mountain Vineyards taking home the coveted Shenandoah Cup with their 2019 Borderland. Borderland is made with a blend of tannat, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc grapes and it was very worthy of this award. Last year the event was held at Brix & Columns Vineyard that is close to Harrisonburg where accommodations are plentiful. However, the Yellow Barn isn’t as conveniently located and we wanted a place to stay as close to the venue as possible. After we did a Google search of the area, River Bluff Farm hit the mark. Located a mere 2.9 miles from the Yellow Barn and situated on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, it was the perfect choice. If any of you are like we are, we tend to lean toward…
By Bob Tagert As most of our regular readers know, we take a Road Trip each month to reveal the wonderful towns and sights in the DelMarVa area. As is our custom, in January we recap our trips from the previous year. February – Western Shore Last February we hit the western shore and started in Deale, Maryland with our destination being Annapolis. Our first stop was a waterman’s kind of place from way back…Happy Harbor. Happy Harbor is located on Tracy’s Creek and has been there as long as I can remember. This place is alive with locals, nicely priced drinks and entertainment. Our next stop was Skipper’s Pier on the other side of the creek and farther down the road. Skipper’s Pier is another local destination but also draws folks from far away, like us. The new owners had upticked the place and closed in the outdoor bar on the dock. This is the place for crabs of any type. Our final stop before Annapolis was Pirates Cove on the West River. Pirates Cove is a classic waterside restaurant. The outdoor deck is the dock that juts out into the West River with plenty of boats of all kinds but mostly sail. This place is packed with locals, watermen and recreational boaters. This is a great place to spend an entire afternoon Island style. Once in Annapolis we checked into the Calvert House, one of the trio of Historic Inns of Annapolis. Our first stop was Dick Franyo’s Boatyard Bar and Grill. Technically we are in Eastport across Spa Creek from Annapolis but still a major part of the whole. The Boatyard Bar and Grill is a staple of the sailing racing of Annapolis. Our final stop in Eastport was Davis Pub. Davis is an original to the…
Photo credit for all images goes to Lee Moody By Bob Tagert We have been writing Road Trip articles for at least 30 of the almost 36 years we’ve been in publication. They began as a story about a destination near Alexandria. Then we got into Day Tripping when I had my 1974 Fiat Spider which was perfect for a day’s excursion. As our publication grew, we expanded our focus and ventured farther out. Most of these involved an overnight stay near the destination and in fact, sometimes the destination was the place we stayed. However, occasionally our trips are local like last month’s Road Trip to the Museum of the United States Army. A number of years ago we decided to write about our beautiful Old Town Alexandria every December as this is a time to stay home with family and friends…Welcome Home. It is also a good time for those who reside between the Bay and the Blue Ridge to plan a Road Trip to Old Town Alexandria. I will start with a brief history of what it was like when I arrived in 1977. Old Town was approximately six blocks long. It was King Street from the Potomac River to Washington Street. There were a few restaurants on the other side of Washington Street but only a few…the concentration was near the water in the old seaport town which was founded in 1749. Old Town, as we know it today, was in its infancy. The town’s daring merchants transformed a neglected area and gave it a heartbeat. When I arrived, there was live music in almost every restaurant, mostly local folks playing their own music while covering favorite songs for their dedicated customers. Parking was plentiful and pedestrian traffic was minimal…but what a good time! Today,…
By Bob Tagert “We are excited that you are here and planning to visit this beautiful state-of-the-art national museum. Here, we proudly tell the comprehensive story of America’s oldest military service, the United States Army. America’s Soldiers are among the finest of our citizenry and have been instrumental in the forming, fighting for, and protecting our nation. The Museum tells these stories through the very eyes and voices of our Soldiers. From the historic “Fighting for the Nation Gallery” to the “Army & Society Gallery,” the artifacts, exhibits and programmatic elements will help you discover new stories and explore the ways our nation has benefited from the innovation and advancement of its Army. In the Experimental Learning Center and Fort Discover we offer fun, educational venues for all visitors. They provide the opportunity to learn specific Soldier skills and then use those skills to respond to a humanitarian mission. It is my sincere hope that you will leave the Museum richer in your understanding, knowledge and admiration of our American Soldiers and the many parts they have played in this nation’s role as a global leader. We look forward to welcoming you at America’s Army Museum where “Every Soldier Has a Story.” – Tammy E. Call, Director of the National Museum of the United States Army. Since we do the R&D for this column a month out and October is a very busy month, we decided that we wanted to do something that would honor our Veterans in the spirit of Veterans Day on the 11th and also keep us close to home. The DMV is ripe with places to visit to do just that. We ventured down Richmond Highway to the complex that is home to the National Museum of the Army. The complex sits on 84 acres across…
By Bob Tagert “It is a wonder way over which the tourist will ride comfortably in his car while he is stirred by a view as exhilarating as the aviator may see from the plane.” U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd (Virginia) 1939 In 1924 the search for a national park site in the east brought the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Their job was to find a site accessible to the 49 million Americans living in eastern cities including Washington, D.C. The committee recommended the site that is today visited by millions of Americans each year…Shenandoah National Park. As part of that recommendation the committee, recognizing the proliferation of the automobile, suggested that he “greatest single feature” of the proposed park should be a ‘skyline’ drive along the mountain top, following a continuous ridge and looking down westerly on the Shenandoah Valley…and also commanding a view of the Piedmont Plain stretching easterly to the Washington Monument.” Construction of such a roadway was a pioneering work of landscape architecture and engineering, as well as a famous work-relief project. Work was begun before the park was even established using emergency employment relief funds, and continued by the boys of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who spent thousands of hours building beautiful rock walls and landscaping sweeping overlooks to make Skyline Drive the experience it has been for over 75 years. It was on September 15, 1934, that the first section of the Drive, 34 miles long, was opened for travel. This made available an extensive region of the Blue Ridge in which was located the vast central portion of the proposed Shenandoah National Park extending from Thornton Gap, where U.S. Highway 211 crosses the ridge, to Swift Run Gap, there the historic Spotswood trail, U.S….
By Lani Gering “Whether you are looking for that unique home décor item or special gift, or just feel like spending an afternoon browsing through over 90 shops and services in our 9,000 sq. ft., 2-story mini-mall, Shepherd’s Old Field Market (SOF) has something for everyone and there’s always something new! Stop in and enjoy a cold, frosty beverage at our Brudergarten Beer Garden, a cup of coffee and breakfast or lunch at Botanic Coffee Shop & Deli or a burger at! When you’re ready to work it off, check out the classes at root SUP & Fitness! Need a haircut? Schedule your appointment at Olde Towne Barbershop. Want to learn to play an instrument? Contact Leonardtown Music Service. Looking to add new artwork to your tattoo collection? Check out Starnes Ink. It’s all here, under one roof! We hope you enjoy your visit and look forward to seeing you again soon!” The above information is on the opening page of this fantastic places’ website and it pretty much says it all. While the OTC has mentioned SOF several times over the years when Leonardtown was the destination for a Road Trip, we never really delved into just how much fun this place is. Coming from me, who isn’t really one who likes to shop for anything, that says something. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Gerri LHeureux, the owner, and her right hand woman and Director of SOF, Dawn Campbell on this visit. These two ladies love what they are doing and take great pride in the vendors that they welcome into the mix. They also have a fantastic sense of humor. I encourage you to look for the creative signage as you stroll around the space. This market is ever evolving and every vendor fills a niche of their own. Gerri told me that they…
By Bob Tagert Beach days are the best days. We’re talking about those relaxing dog days of summer spent by the water when the world seems to fall away. Just the act of spreading out your towel and laying in the sun! Or that refreshing, cold bite of the water as you dip in for the first time! Throw some beach snacks and summer books in your bags (July OTC “Last Word”) and you’re ready to go. With this thought in mind we decided to return to Ocean City, Maryland this month. With the air temps reaching record highs, the cool Atlantic Ocean seemed like a reasonable destination. Having grown up in this area, I am very familiar with Ocean City trips. Back in the 60’s and 70’s it was fast becoming a popular destination to escape from the city. However, back in those days there was only one Bay Bridge and the traffic backups were legendary. On occasion the backups would stretch for miles. Impromptu parties enroute would pop up with frustrated beach goers. In 1969 the construction of the new parallel span began and was completed on June 28, 1973. How is that for good timing at the beginning of summer? With the new bridge and the widening of Route 50, the backups were soon a distant memory and the way to the Atlantic and her sandy beaches were wide open. Back in those days the beach destinations consisted of Ocean City in Maryland and Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany and Fenwick Island in Delaware. Back then there were miles and miles of dunes, grasses and empty beaches. In fact, back then, the commercial district of Ocean City ended at 60th street. North of that was dunes, blue sky, no life guards and surfers looking for “the” wave. That is…
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