Oct. 10 - Blue Heaven Rendezvous in the Florida Keys

Moon rise over the Caribbean Club in Key Largo

We realize this post has nothing to do with life on Carter's Creek but thought it might give readers some perspective on where residents go when they already live in "paradise".  
Bermuda, various islands in the Caribbean, and Sanibel were all on the short list.  Ultimately we determined the Florida Keys had everything we wanted without the hassle of airports. 

At one time, the Keys were a yearly pilgrimage for us over Christmas or Spring Break. Limited by school holidays and work schedules, the Keys enabled us to travel in a short period of time and abandon our routine and structure. While safely within the US borders, the Keys feel more like the Caribbean with a splash of Europe.

Originally Influenced by the train scene in the movie "White Christmas", the Amtrak Autotrain became our preferred mode of transportation south.  And just for additional excitement, we all took our motorcycles to tour Florida and the Keys. Our sons thought this trip afforded us three distinct vacations: our overnight aboard the train, the mad dash through the mainland of Florida and finally, our leisurely tour through the Keys to Key West. 

There is something very special about traveling long distance by motorcycle. Perhaps it is the self reliance or making the trip with limited cargo space for clothes and camping gear.  I think it is the oneness we feel with the environment; the heat, humidity, sunshine, breeze and fragrances all combine to enhance Florida's essence.

So, we have decided to re-live some of our past heading south by auto train. This time we're taking a ragtop VW Bug instead of motorcycles. With any luck, the weather will hold and we can go the distance with the top down.  The boys are busy living life, but we will have them with us in our pockets as they're just a text message away.

                                                  

                                                     

Details of our latest adventure will be posted in the "Pages" section below.  

Sunday Drivers

I'm sure you remember a time in your driving experience when you were in a hurry to get to work or perhaps a doctor's appointment and the inevitable occurs; you encounter a Sunday driver.  A person who drives 25 mph in a 45 mph zone and seems truly oblivious to those around him.  It may not even be a Sunday but the driver is in no rush and he has selected this time to hone his driving skills. 

Then, there is another kind of Sunday driver.  You remember.  Before television, computers and video games took over the world, your family piled into the car and drove, at a leisurely pace mind you, to the mountains or the lake for a little sight-seeing and fresh air.
This excursion usually took most of the day and by the time the car pulled back in the drive, the children were tired and grumpy from so much quality time together.

Carter's Creek living presents an entirely different kind of Sunday driver. All forms of water craft inch their way up and down the various branches observing the homes and native wildlife.  Stealthy kayaks, paddle boarders, sailboats, powerboats and runabouts can be seen humming along.  During summer months it can begin to feel as though we are witnessing a parade of never ending vessels.  Not to worry though, as the entertainment is mutual; we enjoy watching them as much as they enjoy observing life on the creek.  

Even creek residents participate in this Sunday ritual, although more often than not, it occurs on any day in the late afternoon.  The preferred vessel is the electric Duffy with an overhead awning and extra large cockpit table.  It is the perfect platform for entertaining friends as they sit back, sip wine, and take in the sights.  

 Dusk is one of my favorite times to cruise the creek in a Duffy.  With the silent motor, all that is heard is the water lapping against the hull.  Soon, homes light up and the shoreline twinkles in the fading light.  It is a quiet and serene way to end a day at the river.  

Fly-in for Lunch

The annual Wings, Wheels and Keels event occurred today at Hummel Airfield in Topping just across the Rappahannock River Bridge.  More than 200 show cars and 40 antique boats were on display as well as an unknown number of diverse aircraft.  Live bluegrass, carnival food and rides added to the excitement.

Fortunately for these hungry pilots, Carter's Creek is cleared for floatplane landings so they ventured over after the show for a bite at The Tide's Inn.  The small beach is just large enough to accommodate the four planes that landed.  Needless to say, word on the creek spread quickly and the planes drew plenty of onlookers by land and water.

Still a Popular Destination

This photo of Carter's Creek was taken on July 17, 1937 at the tail end of the Steamboat Era.
While much of the surrounding area was undeveloped, wharves, oyster houses and canneries lined the creek.  Oysters and tomatoes were processed and distributed nationwide with assistance from steamboat transport.
Even at this time Carter's Creek was of interest to boaters.  Steamboats passed through the area bringing travelers from Baltimore and beyond.
Tourists stopped for the beach club, church camps and more. The Irvington Steamboat Museum  on King Carter Drive has a wealth of information and artifacts relating to the Steamboat Era on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Oyster Aquaculture is Alive and Well on the Creek

One of the many benefits of living on the creek is having access to its bountiful seafood. Blue crabs and fish abound and recently oysters have been reintroduced.  Local companies like Chesapeake Bay
Oyster Company and Capt. Tom's Oyster Floats raise and sell seed (or spat) to residents for oyster farming.

They also sell floats of various sizes to raise the oysters at your very own dock!  A new breed of
sterile oyster has been developed making the old adage " Eat oysters only in months containing the
letter r" a thing of the past.  Sterile oysters can't spawn making them tasty throughout the year.
Floats keep the oysters close to the water's surface which makes them more disease resistant
 and easier to harvest.

From start to finish it takes roughly a year and a half to go from seed to grilling size.  Maintenance
is as easy as hosing off the float, particularly in warmer months, to remove algae.  Small blue crabs
sneak in through the grate and can devour the oysters over time.  We usually pull them when we remove oysters to be eaten.

We always pressure wash our oysters before grilling them.  This removes algae and any barnacles
which took up residence on the shell.  To cook them, we simply place the clean oysters on a preheated grill and cover with a water soaked piece of burlap without closing the grill top.  We roast the oysters until they just begin to open which takes roughly 4-5 minutes.  Afterward, we open the
oysters with our all time favorite oyster knife  and serve.

                                 For most visitors, home grown oysters are a bit of a novelty.

I, myself, am not an oyster fan but there are other reasons to grow them.  One oyster can filter
roughly 50 gallons of water in a single day.  Multiply that many times over and the water quality of the creek benefits greatly.  Water clarity allows sunlight to reach the bottom of the creek which promotes the growth of sea grass and creates a healthy living environment for all forms of sea life.

So, Where is Carter's Creek?

Carter's Creek is a tributary of the Rappahannock River which flows into the Chesapeake Bay in the Tidewater Region of Virginia.  The towns of Irvington, Weems and White Stone touch it's shores and are located on a peninsula known as"the Northern Neck".  By water, the Creek lies just beyond the Norris Bridge which is roughly 7 nm from the mouth of the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay.

       Entering Carter's Creek from the Rappahannock River the first cove on the left is called Carter's
       Cove.  While short relative to the other branches, it is home to Ampro, a yard devoted to the
       repair and maintenance of commercial vessels and Carter's Cove Marina.

        Directly across from Carter's Cove is the much larger and longer Eastern Branch of Carter's
       Creek.  Much of the creek is devoted to residential development but the branch also contains
       Custom Yacht Services which provides typical yard services in addition to indoor winter storage.  
       For a mere $5, boaters can launch small power boats at the town dock which is conveniently
       located in the same vicinity.

     Further up Carter's Creek is Rappahannock Yachts, a full service yard that specializes in yacht
     repair and renovation. To the right of Rappahannock Yachts stands the quintessential
     Rappahannock River Yacht Club which has an active sailing program for
     children and racing opportunities for Flying Scotts and Cape Dory Typhoons.  The yacht club
     maintains reciprocal privileges with all member clubs published in the Yachting Club of
     America Register of American Yacht Clubs.
   

     Carter's Creek is best known as the the home of the luxury resort, the Tide's Inn which originally
     opened its doors in the late 1940s.  
 

    Dividing the Tide's Inn from its sister resort The Tide's Lodge(which is now closed) is the creek
    branch called Church Prong.  This branch originally provided a pathway for boats hauling
    cargo to King Carter's Historic Christ Church.  Its shores are tastefully dotted with boat houses
    and residential dwellings.

    Dead & Bones Cove is located beyond the Tide's Lodge and Marina.  Local lore tells that the cove
    was given its name because broken down wooden vessels were towed to the top of the creek to
    wither and rot.  That said, there isn't a sign of these skeleton vessels today.
    "The Green" Condominiums are located to starboard.

At Long Last!

Creek Side Dock on Dead & Bones Cove

Our family started sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in 1990.  Our first yacht club raft-up occurred on Carter's Creek behind the Tide's Lodge. Five boats tied together to celebrate happy hour, sit out a coming hurricane and await the morning for our introduction to the fabulous breakfast buffet served at the Lodge.  From that first visit we realized the uniqueness and beauty of the area and often made the journey up the Rappahannock River to recharge our emotional batteries after a long week at work.

In the early years, money was tight and we often anchored in various locations on the creek.  It didn't seem to matter where we dropped the hook as it was never crowded (except July 4th weekends) and we always got a spectacular view of the sunset.
Eventually, we took advantage of the dockage at the Tides Inn and became frequent visitors.  The Inn offered amenities (pool, golf, tennis, bicycles, restaurants) which kept us busy and our children happy.  Irvington, a lazy bicycle ride away, was a peaceful respite offering a variety of shops and restaurants.

With each visit, the area became more and more a part of our lives and secretly we dreamed of owning a second home in the area. Would it be possible to locate a reasonably priced home on the creek among the million dollar waterfront homes?  Fast forward twenty years and a hundred hours or more scouring the back roads of White Stone, Irvington and Weems.  After such an extensive search, we located and purchased a town home in The Green which is located on property adjoining the now defunct Tartan Golf Course and the Tides Lodge.  The house overlooks Dead & Bones Cove and Carter's Creek to the Rappahannock River Yacht Club. Our sailboat and Boston Whaler now reside in our back yard and we can kayak to the Tide's Inn within minutes.

While our search took time, we located the home of our dreams on the creek of our dreams.  We were fortunate enough to find our own lovely slice of heaven right here on Carter's Creek.

If you would like to know more information about what makes The Green such a special place, please refer to The Green page on the blog.