Our friend Tom | The Beauty Around Us

Easter Vacation 2021

Today, April 2nd, is Day 2 of our Easter vacation.

We slept in a bit this morning. Our later-than-usual awakening was most likely caused by our early departure from home yesterday and noisy hotel guests who kept us awake. Those guests left sometime in the late evening. Do you find that strange? I do. Perhaps they were asked to leave?

We went downstairs for breakfast a little after 8:00 am. Because of COVID-19 breakfast wasn’t the typical full hot breakfast, served buffet style. Breakfast was still good, though, with selections individually wrapped. I had an egg and bacon sandwich, a banana, cranberry juice, a banana nut muffin, and a cup of tea. Bob picked up similar selections. We carried our breakfast in paper bags to our room and ate there.

We checked out of the hotel around 9:00 am and began the last leg of our drive. Today’s destination is Chincoteague, VA. As was the case yesterday, the GPS is programmed to avoid highways.

Shortly before 11:00 am we stopped for a potty break in Cambridge, MD at the visitor center (Sailwinds Park). It was only 36 degrees. It was a lot warmer during our stop there in late November last year. We enjoyed a walk in the park last year. Today we were happy to hurry to the bathroom and back to the car.

At 12:00 pm we met our friends Tom and Ellen for lunch at Evolution Craft Brewing Company in Salisbury, MD. Bob ordered a brisket sandwich with Sweet Potato fries; Tom ordered a pulled pork sandwich with French fries; I ordered chicken wings and a half order of fries; and Ellen ordered French onion soup and clams. We sat inside and ate our lunch. It was too cold to sit outside to eat, as we did in November. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed our time together. I don’t have a picture of the four of us because I forgot to have one taken!

We departed the brewery at 1:30 pm and arrived on Chincoteague Island around 3:00 pm. We had an hour to kill before the check-in time at our AirBnB. We drove around the island a bit, before heading out to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the Assateague Island National Seashore.

Virginia’s Assateague Island National Seashore

We checked into our AirBnb, Tranquil Shores, at 4:00 pm. We unloaded the car and got settled in.

Meanwhile, back at home….

Thanksgiving Week Vacation Day 2

Today, November 22nd, is the second day of our Thanksgiving week vacation. Breakfast was from 7:00 am-10:00 am today at our hotel — the Best Western North East Inn, located in North East, MD. We went downstairs for breakfast a little after 7:00 am. Because of COVID-19 breakfast wasn’t the hotel’s typical full hot breakfast, served buffet style. Breakfast was still good, though, with selections individually wrapped. I had a hot egg and bacon sandwich, applesauce, a banana, orange juice, a chocolate chip muffin, and a cup of tea. Bob picked up similar selections. We carried our breakfast to our room on a tray and ate there.

We checked out of the hotel around 8:40 am and began the last leg of our drive. Today’s destination is Chincoteague, VA. As was the case yesterday, the GPS is programmed to avoid highways.

We made a bathroom stop in Cambridge MD at the Dorchester County Visitor Center. A monument caught my eye.

This is the “Flying goose” monument fountain.

You can see the “Flying Goose” from several viewpoints or see it up close.

“Flying Goose” monument fountain

Returning to our car from the “Flying Goose” monument, we spotted a lighthouse off in the distance.

View of Choptank River Lighthouse from Dorchester County Visitor Center

We hopped into the car, drove 1 mile to Long Wharf Park and parked the car.

Bob and I with the Choptank River Lighthouse in the background

Choptank River Lighthouse

Choptank River Lighthouse

and one last photograph of the picturesque lighthouse

Choptank River Lighthouse

At 12:15 pm we met Tom and his girlfriend, Ellen, for lunch at Evolution Craft Brewing Company in Salisbury, MD. We sat outside and ate our lunch.

Lunch with friends at EVO Brewery in Salisbury, MD

Bob ordered a pulled pork sandwich with French fries; Tom ordered a brisket sandwich with French fries; and Ellen and I ordered Brioche French Toast with strawberries and whipped cream.

Brioche French Toast with strawberries and whipped cream

A little background … Tom graduated with Bob’s brother, John, who is 9 years older than Bob. When we got together for lunch, I believed that I had never met Tom and that Bob and Tom hadn’t seen each other since high school. During lunch Tom mentioned John’s 50th birthday, and I had a vague recollection of a photograph taken during John’s 50th birthday celebration. I found that photograph, upon our return home.

Photograph Taken on the Occasion of John’s 50th Birthday (October 2000)

Apparently in October 2000 Tom, his wife Anne (who died in May 2019), and Bob and I celebrated John’s 50th birthday together. The four of us are in the back row on the left.

… Fast forward to 2018 …

Bob and Tom became Facebook friends in August 2018. Tom and I became friends on Facebook a few months later, in January 2019. Tom likes photographs that I share on Facebook. He has left many complimentary comments over the years. We message each other occasionally too. It was via Facebook Messenger that we made plans to meet on our way to Chincoteague, VA. Tom, Bob and I believed an outdoor setting would be the safest way to meet, given COVID-19.

… Back to the present …

Our respective lunches were delicious, and we enjoyed our time with both Tom and Ellen (whom we met for the first time today). We hope to meet up again one day.

I think it was 2:30 pm when we left the brewery. We drove to Food Lion in Oak Hall, VA. We picked up a few groceries and then drove to Tranquil Shores, our Airbnb rental in Chincoteague, VA. We arrived at the rental shortly before 4:00 pm and got settled in. Tranquil Shores is home through Saturday, November 28th.

Our Airbnb rental was cleaned to COVID-19 standards. We could smell the disinfectant, when we walked into the house. The house was spotless. When we stayed here before, pre-COVID, the refrigerator wasn’t completely emptied out in between guests. The refrigerator was completely emptied, when we arrived today. The empty refrigerator, in and of itself, gave me that little extra feeling of safety.

Tonight’s dinner was Sloppy Joes, coleslaw and, for dessert, cheesecake. We purchased a small platter that contains 8 slices of cheesecake, four different flavors. We will enjoy cheesecake for a few days this week.