On the Boardwalk (#26 Maryland)

 

Number 26 in the countdown, we have landed in Maryland. We got an early-ish start. The weather had turned cold for us Floridians, 52 degrees. Our North Carolina departure was easy and we were soon cruising along at 9000 feet crossing Norfolk.

Visibility was good and we had a clear view of Newport News and Williamsburg where CC and I vacationed decades ago. While we stayed within gliding distance of land, having the second engine felt really good as the water looked rough and cold.  Crossing the shore we headed out over Chesapeake Bay. There were about 15 bulk cargo carriers moored but the only container ship we was steaming out to sea.

Our arrival into Salisbury was easy but windy. Official weather was 13-18 but it seemed pretty steady at 18 knots. Usually the Baron rolls and rolls on landing but with the wind it seemed like we slowed pretty quickly. It’s not a busy place, tower had us taxi down the other runway and right into the FBO.  There was even a line person to marshal us into a spot.

Her instructions were not really clear but we are pretty good at parking, we found out she was new to the role.  She had never fueled a Baron and I was glad I stayed around to give her some pointers as a careless fueler can tear a bladder leading to a leak and an expensive repair. After making sure the plane was in good shape we asked about our car which was nowhere to be seen. Avis had promised to deliver it and I had reconfirmed the day before but they had been short staffed and it had not been dropped off. 

The FBO had us covered and the novice line person ran us over to the terminal, we learned more of her story, she was in college studying to be a pilot and on track to enter the military.  The car issue was a bit ironic. We chose to land at Salisbury rather than the closer Ocean City Airport because one had Avis and one had a car dude that the reviews said was less than reliable. In the end Avis was a minor inconvenience while the car dude was known to have left many a pilot stranded.

Problem solved, we were off to Ocean City, MD. After arriving we went to see the famed Boardwalk. Our hotel is a block from the water and near the North end of the boardwalk. We walked about 2.5 miles South to the pier which meant we had to walk 2.5 miles North as well. We ended the day with 6.5 miles total.  Not bad for vacation.

The boardwalk was quiet. Many places are closed as the season is officially over. I can imagine in the summer it is quite packed. It has a very touristy feel with a mix of food, shops and hotels.  Just looking at the signs I gained weight, they seem to be able to deep fry anything, sort of like the county fair but fixed in place.  Lots of T-shirt opportunities as well as piercing.  I am not sure I ever considered going to the beach to get pierced but it seems to be popular.

It is a nice beach but coming from Florida, I think ours are better.  We walked back off the beach and got a feel of the neighborhoods and businesses.  I had read about a popular sandwich shop which we intended to patronize on the way back but upon arrival it was closed for the season (See ya in May 2022 was a popular sign).  I still don't see how they make it on five months nor why October is out as it has similar temperatures to May.