Baycation Part 2

This whole Baycation idea started when we realized that there were some pretty cool places that some of our boating friends had not yet visited. They are places that are a little further away so we like to plan a longer stay to make the trip worthwhile. So, three boats left Swan Creek early Tuesday morning to head to Herrington Harbour South (HHS) for two nights. Looking back through the blog I realized that Doug and I have not visited HHS since 2010 so we were definitely looking forward to the trip. We docked our first boat there for a couple years so we knew everyone was in for a treat.

HHS is a well protected marina as you can tell from the entryway.

We lucked out with 3 back-to-back spots along B pier. We couldn't have been any closer to the pool and Mango's on the Bay.

View from our boat to the pool. The umbrellas that you see are in the pool area.

The marina features a large pool, a private beach area, a restaurant and bar, and an eco-friendly atmosphere. It was hot, hot, hot while we were there. We spent a lot of time at the pool. The pool was busy even midweek because locals purchase memberships. However, there was adult swim time every hour for those that want a little quiet pool time.

Swim lessons are available at the pool. Our friends took advantage of the opportunity to get a single lesson for their four-year-old. He's great in the water but it was fun to watch him gain a few new skills.

Outside area of Mango's. It is attached to the pool.

We visited Mango's for dinner the first night. Quick tip: Bottles of wine are half-price on Tuesday nights. It's on the pricey side but the meals were fantastic. And when you have six adults and one child, you can order three different desserts and everyone can share and be happy.

The second night we grilled out. You aren't allowed to grill on the docks, but there are numerous charcoal grills and picnic tables available. The convenience/wine store across the street has charcoal. Plus, you can't beat a kitchen with this view.

That's our little propane grill beside the charcoal grill. We all wanted to cook something different.

We remember when the store across the street was a tiny deli. I didn't get a chance to check it out but Doug said it has really grown. They serve hot and cold food and have a large beer, wine, and spirits selection.

While HHS has a lot to offer, there isn't a town to visit while you are there. I did go for a run Wednesday morning to North Beach. It is two miles away along a road with little to no shoulder for pedestrians. But if you're willing to be careful it is a cute town with a short boardwalk.

 

This looks like to perfect place to watch a sunrise.

Cute name but also a little scary.

Lastly, being that HHS is an eco-friendly marina, there is always lots of wildlife.

I didn't catch any photos of the numerous orioles I spotted. And Doug saw a pod of 30 dolphins when he went out fishing early one morning.

Our next stop, Annapolis, will be posted soon.

Eco-Lifestyle Marina

Lately I've been reading that the blue crab population is up in the Chesapeake Bay. This is good news all around. Restaurants are happy. Blue crab eaters are happy. Most importantly, it means the bay is healthier.

Herrington Harbour South markets itself as an eco-lifestyle marina resort. I tell you what, it is certainly blue crab friendly. We saw many good sized blue crabs around the docks. Kids were running around with nets trying to catch them. Some families even caught enough to cook them up for dinner. While I love a good crab smothered in old bay, I can't stand being the one to cook them. So, I just took pictures of the one hanging out on the dock ladder by our boat:

The reflection of the ladder rungs makes it seem like the crab is floating. He's really just hanging out on the rung right below the water line. I wonder if he remembered to put on sun screen before sitting in the sun so long.

Labor Day Weekend Continued...

We went to Herrington Harbour South for three nights for Labor Day weekend. It's a beautiful marina with lots of amenities. There's a beach, a big pool, a restaurant and tiki bar, and a view that can't be beat.

It's a very active marina. It seemed like a never-ending parade of boats coming in and out. The annual slip owners were all very nice and seemed to have many friends there. Granted, boaters are generally nice people that make friends easily but there was an extra level of camaraderie at Herrington.

Being such a popular marina, it does come with pitfalls. If you decide to go there, I recommend calling mutiple times to confirm your reservation. Of the 5 boats in our group, 3 of us had difficulties with our reservations:

• One boat called many times and was told each time that there was no record of their reservation.
• One boat had two reservations for the same boat (I guess the marina thought they were going to clone themselves in order to pay double?)
• We were docked away from the rest of our group.

I need to explain a little more about the last bullet point. Marinas always say that they cannot guarantee that they can put a whole group of visiting boats together. That is understandable. When we received a copy of our reservation, we figured out why we were placed so far away. We had requested to be near our group and that was originally written on our reservation. For reasons unknown to us, someone crossed that out and put us with a different group (a group that we do not know). When we pointed out the mistake, they apologized but made no attempt to compensate for their mistake.

I'm not saying that boats shouldn't go to Herrington Harbour South. I'm just saying that you may need to do a little more legwork than usual to make sure your stay is what you expect.

At least we had a beautiful view of the sunset from our friends' boats.

One final tip - apparently a bullhorn can substitute for a karaoke machine. Just don't be surprised when the harbor patrol asks you to quiet down.