!News Release!
A race between a cyclist (around America) Brian, Storymaker by sea, and Griswold's (Ed and Mena) by Interstate!
Email sent by Ed April 3, 2016 (I believe)
We have us a real nail biter here. It looks like it may come down to the wire. Remember, it's ONE if by land and TWO if by sea...... oh wait, that was something else. What I'm talking about here is a genuine, certified, honest to goodness race, and yes it's by land and sea!
Captain Robert J. (FluffBOB) Snyder and his trusty mate Lynn are coming north by sea. Cycle (Around America) Enthusiast and avid fund raiser Brian D'Apice is likewise coming north but by bicycle. Both of the contestants are in the Myrtle Beach area presently (I think). The first contestant to cross the Baltimore Beltway will be declared the winner and collect all the prize money.
The rules are that there are no rules. You may communicate with each other, check each others blogs and seek any other advantage you choose short of being towed, securing a ride in a motorized vehicle on land or sabotage of the other contestants. So I guess there are a few rules...
Good luck to both parties and God Speed. Please keep us apprised of your progress so the wagers may begin.
PS- We could actually make this a triathlon of sorts by enrolling the Griswolds in the Inter-state Condominium Race Class. They are slated to start their journey on Saturday the 16th so be careful near the beltway on the evening of the 17th.
This started around April 3, 2016 and the Griswold's are now slated to leave on the 15th! Yikes!!! Of course there has been many emails sent back and forth, but this is the gist of it now.....This was the response Bob sent out last night :-(
Bob's email
It is with deep regret that at 1509 EDST Lynn and I decided we could no longer continue our journey at a rate that is safe. We hauled some serious ass to get here at Mile Marker 0; however, the forecasts for the forseeable future indicate prolonged northerly winds with gusts to 30 knots. As our boat is "light" we ride on the water and not through it. Hence, in northerly winds of that magnitude we tend to "hobby horse," which is absolutely no fun. Not unsafe, just very, very unpleasant.
Even now with the winds rocking the boat it is squeaking like we're walking on a carpet full of mice. We are running out of rum, Snickers, and pancake mix. We are sitting across from downtown Norfolk and tomorrow we will make a pilgrimage across the channel to see if we can secure adequate rations.
The long term forecast is for these winds to continue for 7 to 10 days. We will attempt to locate a 10 hour window somewhere to inch up the Bay anchorage by anchorage. As you are well aware, the weather can change almost instantly. We will continue to monitor the weather and update you on our progress up the Bay and if we secure enough Snickers.
The Kooper Krazy Karnival Karavan leaves in just 3 days and Bike Boy sounds like he is pretty much on schedule. Unfortunately, Boat Boy and Girl will receive the "consolation" prize. We hope it is on a cruise to Aruba or somewhere warm 'cuz our buns are freezing too!
This was my response via email this morning :-)
Lynn's email
Admiral Lynn is not so sure we are out yet! I'm trying to get my captain out of bed now to discuss further!
Needless to say, there is quite a bit of competition! Brian did over 300 miles in a 24 hours period somewhere around the 10th! He was in Raleigh yesterday morning and was hoping to reach the VA state line that evening, but the weather is holding him back a bit also! He has to be in Richmond, VA by tomorrow since he has a speaking engagement with a bicyclist group awaiting his appearance! He said come hell or high water he will be in New York (which is where he started from last year and went to California and now on way back home by bike!) no later than the 29th????? I can't find the email he sent so not sure of the date.
Now for Ed and Mena...the latest on them is they are leaving in 2 days!!! They will be driving their condo back home to Fallston, MD and are hoping to be coming through the beltway on the 16th!
!!ALL WE CAN SAY IS THAT NORFOLK IS A HUBBUB OF TRAFFIC!!
in Norfolk
The V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.
FORT NORFOLK
In 1794 Congress authorized President George Washington to build a series of fortifications along the "Maritime Frontier" to protect 19 American harbors.Fort Norfolk, originally built of earthen walls with wooden and some brick supports, is the last remaining of those 18th century defenses.
After the Chesapeake-Leopard affair in June 1807, Fort Norfolk was upgraded in anticipation of a British attack. The brick and masonry walls and buildings completed about 1810 remain at the fort. During the War of 1812, the fort was one of the key defenses to Norfolk's inner harbor and was home to the frigate Constellation. A British attack was repulsed at the nearby Battle of Craney Island.
After the war, Fort Norfolk's strategic value was eclipsed with the construction of Fortress Monroe, and the fort fell into disuse. In 1848, a squatter named Lemuel Fentriss was found living in the officers quarters. Fentriss billed the War department $1,500 for taking care of the government's works, signing with a shaky "X." It is not known if he was ever paid.
The Navy took over the fort in September 1849, establishing a mid-19th century equivalent of today's naval weapons stations. Two barracks were modified and several structures built. The included a massive 55x136-foot powder magazine with walls more than four feet thick, which still stands in the fort today.
Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861, and rebels seized Fort Norfolk with its powder, shells, and ordnance supplies. Cannon again were mounted, and the fort served as a fiver battery defending the chief naval station of the Confederacy. The fort's magazine supplied the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) for its historic battle with the USS Monitor. The Confederates evacuated Norfolk on May 10, 1862, and the Union Army occupied the fort and used it as a prison for several years.
Fort Norfolk was eventually returned to the Navy, and it became a "much needed" ordnance depot in 1875. Around the turn of the century, the fort was used for storage.
It was occupied by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1923, and the Corps of Engineers occupies the reservation to this day.
Double Osprey
We've been watching the weather and it appears the winds may be calming down a bit. We are supposed to have 15 mph winds with gusts to 20 or so, and the winds will be out of the NE which isn't ideal for comfort but doable, so we are moving up to Mill Creek today. We are positioning ourselves to hopefully cross the Potomac and ICW waters to get into Deltaville tomorrow. We shall see.
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