The Start of the Annual First Thursday Festivals in Canton

On June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn MarylandLeave a comment

On the first Thursday of the month during the summer, there is a free concert at the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. There are several local bands who play on the main stage and there are also food trucks and vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, and other goods. Last year was our first time going to the festival, which can get very busy, so it was interesting to see and enjoy some of the live music. The concert goes on rain or shine and on this day, rain was in the forecast, which caused the crowds to gather later than normal, but the rain held off making it a wonderful evening. This evening is the start the 2023 edition of the concert series, so it is expected to be quite busy once again.

One of the Bands

Since the concert is located at the Waterfront Park, the backdrop to the concert is the water of the bay and the large trees of the park provide a place to find some shade. People come with blankets or chairs and sit on the lawn to listen to the variety of bands that play throughout the evening. The music starts at 6:00 pm and the bands play until almost 10:00 pm. Last year was the first year since the start of the pandemic that the concerts have been held, so the excitement in the area for their return was very obvious. We are definitely looking forward to enjoying the concerts over the next few months.

Weekend Getaway to Ocean City, Maryland

On May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn MarylandLeave a comment

Ocean City in Maryland is a popular destination due to its beaches and boardwalk with all of the activities. It is a location that is important to us as it is where we met thirty-four years ago and this was our first time going back since that time. It was interesting to see that much of the city was the same as it was years ago, but obviously a lot of it had changed and it has certainly grown over the past few decades. The city resides on a narrow strip of land that has the bay on one side and the ocean on the other, which makes it very scenic. You can watch the sun rise over the ocean side of the city and then watch the sun set over the bay side.

We spent most of our time walking along the beaches along the ocean and enjoying the different places along the boardwalk. Even though the official beach season has not quite yet started, the boardwalk was definitely quite busy with a lot of tourists. We can only imagine how busy it actually gets during the summer when all of the tourists descend upon the beachside city. There are many resorts along the beach as well, which is where we stayed, but there are also lots of vacation rental properties as well.

In addition to enjoying several wonderful meals while were in Ocean City, we also made sure to get some ice cream and we brought home some saltwater candy as well. Another common item to get while walking along the boardwalk is fresh fudge and you will likely see people walking with small buckets of fries. The biggest draw to the end of the boardwalk are all of the carnival rides and giant Ferris wheel. Although we didn’t go on any of the rides, we certainly saw lots of children and adults enjoying all of the various rides.

Besides the boardwalk, the main reason that people go to Ocean City is to enjoy the beach and swim in the ocean. We also saw several surfers out riding the waves as a storm had passed through the evening before. We will definitely go back to Ocean City at some point, but probably not until autumn when the summer crowds have subsided. It was certainly an interesting trip down memory lane for us and brought back lots of wonderful memories.

Hiking the Trails of Arches National Park in Utah

On April 14, 2023April 14, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Utah5 Comments

There is no doubt that Arches National Park in eastern Utah near the town of Moab is one of the most beautiful parks in the United States. With so many fascinating geological features, there are literally incredible sights around every corner as you drive through the park. There is one road that will take you through the heart of the park with a couple of side roads that lead to specific attractions and you can certainly see a lot that the park has to offer by simply driving through the park and pulling over at certain viewing areas. To really enjoy everything that the park has to offer, though, we’d highly recommend that you get out and hike a few of the trails.

Landscape Arch – One of Our Favorite Arches

Devils Garden Trail – This trail is one of the most popular trails within the park because of the diversity of the trail as well as the number of arches that can be seen on the trail. The first part of the trail is considered easy and also provides views of three arches, including the Landscape Arch, which was one of our favorites. After reaching the Landscape Arch, the trail becomes more difficult as you head toward Double O Arch and then the second half of the loop is extremely difficult where you need to rock scramble and there are steep slopes. For obvious reasons, many people only go as far as Landscape Arch, which was what we did as well.

Hikers Heading Up an Exposed Rock Face in Utah

Delicate Arch Trail – There are viewing areas that you can go to by car to see the famous Delicate Arch (which is seen on the state’s license plate), but to see it up close, you should take the popular Delicate Arch Trail. The trail is listed as moderate and, with the exposure to the sun, steep rock faces, and some narrow ledges towards the end, it is definitely not an easy trail. The views are definitely worth the effort as you gain a little over 600 feet in elevation with panoramic views in all directions. The highlight, of course, is Delicate Arch where people take turns having their pictures taken in front of the arch.

Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trail – This is a relatively short trail that can be found near the Devils Garden Campground. The trail first goes by the Sand Dune Arch, which gets its name from the sand that surrounds it. It then turns into a loop that will take you by Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch. If you want to keep it really short, you can visit the Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch and then return without doing the full loop.

Regardless of which trails you choose, you will truly appreciate the size and beauty of the many arches if you take the time to hike amongst them. Seeing how nature has carved the rocks through wind and rain erosion is certainly a wonderful experience whether you hike the trails or not. Arches National Park is certainly one of our favorite national parks and if you are a photographer, the variety of images that you can capture are truly endless.