With the coronavirus breaking records around the country but not in Maryland, we went ahead with a planned minibreak with Allie. She came down for the week in July, the first we had seen her since returning from Aruba in March, just before the lockdowns started. Allie worked from our home instead of hers for several days, enjoying our company, the cats and air conditioning.
Both girls wanted a vacation and a chance to get some sun. In lieu of finding a beach somewhere within driving distance we returned to the pools of the Chesapeake Hyatt where Barb and I stayed last year. It was our first real outing since the virus hit and gave us a chance to compare before-times with now-times. To reduce our risks a little bit, we elected to stay just two nights. The miniest of minibreaks.
I reserved a King suite with a sofabed that was pricey but seemed a reasonable splurge. The week before we were to go, I got an offer as a Hyatt member to book rooms at a 20% discount with breakfast included. I called and changed our reservation which shifted us to a two-queen waterfront room but we saved over $100 per night and got three breakfasts. A good deal, I felt.
Wednesday, July 15
We left home around 11am, once we got Barb off a conference call. We drove over the Bay Bridge and had lunch at Harris Crab House on Kent Island. The had some pretty strict-looking protocols for wearing masks and keeping socially distant. A few people were eating indoors but we sat on the deck outside under an umbrella. I had an oyster po’ boy that was pretty good. The girls shared crab dip and cream of crab soup. Pleasant enough. The restaurant used throw-away dishes and utensils and it all felt reasonably safe. So far, so good.
From there we drove down to the Hyatt. There were only two staff in the lobby and no bellmen. I was able to quickly check in, we unloaded the car and put everything on a cart which the girls navigated up to the room while I parked. We were in a third floor room which meant negotiating elevators more than I would have liked but we never had to share one or wait too long. I took the stairs when I could, mostly downhill.
Our room had a nice view of the Choptank River and the golf course. It was a basic hotel room but we made ourselves at home very quickly and felt reasonably safe and comfortable in it. The air conditioning was a good ten degrees cooler than I ever set it at home which seemed extravagant and environmentally dubious but we reveled in it.
The girls got in a little sun on Wednesday afternoon. The pool was quite busy and they had to find chairs on the grass. I stayed in the air conditioned room for the afternoon, reading and doing a little writing.
That evening we got pizza and salads from Carmela’s Cucina, the second highest rated place in Cambridge. We all drove to the restaurant because I couldn’t get a menu online and we thought there was a chance we could eat on their deck. The deck wasn’t open, though there were a few people eating at tables inside. We decided to order things to go. Allie and I shared a white pizza with spinach and sausage, Barb got her standard mushroom, and we shared standard and a Greek side salads. We brought it all back to the resort and found a table outside. The pizzas were quite good, as were the salads which we ate later back in the room.
Allie and I stayed for the sunset over the river while a corporate event took place at the pool with Hawaiian music and games set up that no one played. The sunset on the dock was quite nice, with a comfortable breeze. Back in the room we tried but failed to figure out how to Chromecast something to the TV but settled for a Big Bang marathon. Lights were out by midnight and we got a decent night’s sleep.
Thursday, July 16
We ventured down to breakfast in the big dining room. We were guided to a table in that was well distanced but there was no option to sit outdoors. We had quite enjoyed the buffet the year before and wondered what they would do in these viral times. They had a semblance of a buffet set up with servers to give you what you wanted, plus the option to order custom omelettes or eggs. Since breakfast was included in our room rate we got everything we wanted and then some. It was more or less as good as the old buffet arrangement, the only thing they seemed to be missing was the option for smoked salmon and bagels. We ate more than our fill and waddled out to conquer the day.
The girls settled in at the pool. I headed out on the Harriet Tubman Byway, downloaded app for the audio tour in hand. I got started around 11am and stayed on the trail until 4pm or so, hitting the first 22 of the 36 sites and listening to the rest. It is well done. The Harriet Tubman Visitor Center and the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center were closed due to the virus but I’d been in both before. I took a quick spin through the Blackwater Wildlife Trail and had sightings of a proud bald eagle and three osprey sharing a meal.
I feel like I learned more about Harriet Tubman’s life, but most especially gained an appreciation for the harsh environment in which she lived and navigated. It’s hard to contemplate the distances involved getting from place to place and the swampy, buggy terrain she had to deal with. The audio tour expanded the cast of characters involved with the Underground Railroad, illustrating that Harriet didn’t do all her deeds alone. I was impressed by the stories of Rev. Samuel Green and the Dover Eight.
That evening, we headed back into downtown Cambridge. They closed off Poplar Street and we had about five restaurants to choose from, through the Poplar Bistro (#1 in town and where we had a good meal the year before) was not open on Wednesdays or Thursday. We settled instead for Jimmie & Sook’s, sitting at a table in the street. Service was very slow but eventually the food was good. The girls shared cream of crab soup (better than Harris’s), Barb had fried shrimp, Allie had a good looking crab cake sandwich and I had a brisket platter. All very serviceable. Afterward, we went to Dairy Queen where there was a long wait for the girls to get their dipped cones.
Friday, July 17
We got a late checkout at 1pm and did the same drill for breakfast. The girls went to the pool for a couple of hours while I stayed in the room reading and writing. There was no maid service so it was just as well we only stayed two nights.
Overall, it was a (relatively) nice little break, a little nerve wracking but a little relaxing. People seemed to generally be good with wearing masks in common areas. The hotel seemed at least half full, though it’s hard to tell precisely. The pool areas were quite busy with a lot of families and kids, happy to have something to do, no doubt. Virus-wise, we three seem to be healthy but I guess the proof will be in how we do over the next two weeks. We raised our exposure chances dramatically over these three days but we did it about as carefully as we could. Time to get back in our bubbles and hope for the best.
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