April 17, 2025 - Cambridge and Blackwater Marsh
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| Chuck and I are winging our way south to Cambridge for lunch. That's Kent Island at lower left with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge stretching off towards Annapolis. |
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Now approaching where the big Choptank River joins the Bay.
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| About to go feet wet over the Choptank River |
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On the other side of the Choptank is Cambridge, and Cambridge Airport.
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| An old friend and RV-7 driver, John, was in the pattern making touch and go's. |
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After a delicious cheeseburger and fries at Carol's, Chuck had to get back home, but I had time for a funfly so I headed south to for the Blackwater Marsh.
Now I'm on a little river east of Cambridge which meanders south to the Marsh.
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I enter the land of water, marsh and occasionally solid land.
The air was very smooth down low.
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Following a water trail. It feels good to yank and bank. And to see some greenery.
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| Rounding the bend. |
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| I surprise a bunch of deer out in an open field. |
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| Go, Deer, Go! |
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| This big stand of trees were obviously deliberately planted, as evidenced by the straight rows. |
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I've seen this big mansion before. It's kind of hidden amongst the trees.
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All too soon, it's time to head for home. I follow another winding river north towards the Choptank.
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| I follow the little Choptank River west. Ragged Island is at left, with the Chesapeake Bay beyond. |
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| Ragged Island, a privately-owned island with its own paved runway, still looks uninhabited. A shack sits on the site where the big house burned down long ago. |
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| A nice waterfront house on the mainland north of Ragged Island. |
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Now heading north following the coastline.
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To the west, nothing but Bay. Almost glassy water conditions today.
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| Approaching Cook Point. |
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| After crossing the wide entrance to the Choptank River, I reach Tilghman Island. |
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| A massive waterfront estate. Beautiful architecture. |
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And another one.
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| This house is undersized and underwhelming for the big price piece of property t's on. |
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Passing Kentmorr Marina on Kent Island.
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| Just north of the Marina is Kentmorr airpark, one of the first airport communities in the country. |
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| And there is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. |
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| I cross over the bridge and head to the western shore. I can fly the western shoreline which is just outside the SFRA airspace. Its been a long time; for some reason, I almost never fly the western shore. |
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Looking down at Sandy Point State Park which has a big beach, as you can see.
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A friend of mine used to have a waterfront property on that creek at right.
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Looking down at the upscale Gibson Island Club and golf course.
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| A closer look at the Gibson Island Club. |
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| Next we come to Downs Park which I've been to many times, taking grandkids and dogs. |
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| Rounding Bodkin Point, into the Patapsco River. I can't remember the last time I've flown this. |
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This house has no shortage of waterview opportunites!
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| Looking down at Atlantic Marina. |
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Fort Smallwood Park where the Hartshorne Battery operated two six-inch disappearing carriage guns from 1900 to 1927. I've never been to this park; have to go one of these days.
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| A cluster of rock outcroppings known as White Rocks is located in the water northwest of the park. Definately a hazard to navigation! |
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| ZZZ |
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Approaching what remains of the Key Bridge to see if rebuilding has started.
The bridge went down on March 26, 2024 after a big containership leaving Baltimore Harbor lost power, and with no steering, ran into the bridge causing most of it to immediately collapse.
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Nothing is happening as best I can tell.
They did clear the debris and open the port fairly quickly. On February 4 of this year the politicians announced the new design. On February 12, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced three $20 million Construction Management and Inspection Services contracts.
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Still, it's been over a year and no rebuilding work has started, despite all the politician's talk about how important and critical the bridge was. And Maryland isn't even paying the $4 Billion rebuild bill; the Federal Government is. What's another $4B on top of a $36 Trillion dollar deficit? Maryland itself has a $6 Billion dollar deficit.
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| This bridge was my primary route to Essex Skypark. I wish they would get started on rebuilding the bridge. |
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Looking over at Sparrow Point, which used to house Bethlehem Steel -- at one time the largest steel plant in the world.
As of 2024, take a wild guess who makes most of the world's steel? Yes, it's China, I'm sad to say. They produce 54% of the world's steel. Number two is India which makes 8%. Number three, four, and five are Japan, the U.S., and Russia, respectively, which all make about 4%. We won World War II over Germany and Japan in large part because we out-produced them. I wonder who would win World War III?
Now Sparrows Point is filled with huge distribution centers for Amazon (selling stuff mostly made in China), Under Armor, Fedex, and a furniture outfit.
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A masive rail spur near Sparrows Point.
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