We are heading to the place where I grew up in the summertimes of my youth.... Crystal Beach Manor in Maryland, situated on the Elk River. More about this later.
We got up this morning knowing we were going to the cottage today but we didn't seem to be moving too fast. It wasn't until almost 11 that I decided I should throw in a load of laundry before we go.
Mom and Dad drove their car and Bob and I followed a little later in our nephew's borrowed truck. Bob and I were supposed to go to the VFW dedication today. There was a fire some time ago and now the renovation is complete and the whole building is once again usable. On the way Bob changed his mind so we changed courses headed for Maryland.
Crystal Beach Manor is about an hour away from my parent's home in Delaware. We headed on down and Bob decided we had better stop and get a case of beer. I told him we could stop at the Beach House on the way and pick it up there. Since the Beach House is only a couple of miles from the entrance of the beach it made perfect sense to get it there.
On the way we passed new homes that weren't there the last time we were at the cottage. Summer of '06? '05? It was like driving to a place we had never been before, it all looked different. We made the final turn and in a half mile or so we would be at the Beach House. When we arrived there I remembered Mom telling me that it burned down. To the ground. It wasn't rebuilt. No problem I told Bob, we'll get beer at the Archway Inn, a restaurant/bar that sells takeout just outside the beach property. Yep, that's what we'll do. A few miles later we arrived. Its closed on Monday's. OK, no problem, we'll slide right into Plan C. Turn around and we'll go back to a small town called Cecilton, 5 miles in the other direction. Its a nice day for a drive anyway. Found the beer place....also closed. What's going on here???? Ok, Plan D, drive on to Warwick, another 5 miles out, the Washington House should be open and we can get beer there. We came up on it too fast and drove right by it. Took a while to find a place to turn around, Bob has something against hanging a U-ey, and we finally made it there. I ran in to get the beer and was surprised at the price! 24 cans for $19.02! Highway robbery! With beer in the back of the truck we once again headed for the cottage.
We arrived to find the "always there" archway at the entrance gone. Someone hit it with their car and the brick archway was never replaced. To someone's credit there is a nice sign in its place, but its not the same.
We got up this morning knowing we were going to the cottage today but we didn't seem to be moving too fast. It wasn't until almost 11 that I decided I should throw in a load of laundry before we go.
Mom and Dad drove their car and Bob and I followed a little later in our nephew's borrowed truck. Bob and I were supposed to go to the VFW dedication today. There was a fire some time ago and now the renovation is complete and the whole building is once again usable. On the way Bob changed his mind so we changed courses headed for Maryland.
Crystal Beach Manor is about an hour away from my parent's home in Delaware. We headed on down and Bob decided we had better stop and get a case of beer. I told him we could stop at the Beach House on the way and pick it up there. Since the Beach House is only a couple of miles from the entrance of the beach it made perfect sense to get it there.
On the way we passed new homes that weren't there the last time we were at the cottage. Summer of '06? '05? It was like driving to a place we had never been before, it all looked different. We made the final turn and in a half mile or so we would be at the Beach House. When we arrived there I remembered Mom telling me that it burned down. To the ground. It wasn't rebuilt. No problem I told Bob, we'll get beer at the Archway Inn, a restaurant/bar that sells takeout just outside the beach property. Yep, that's what we'll do. A few miles later we arrived. Its closed on Monday's. OK, no problem, we'll slide right into Plan C. Turn around and we'll go back to a small town called Cecilton, 5 miles in the other direction. Its a nice day for a drive anyway. Found the beer place....also closed. What's going on here???? Ok, Plan D, drive on to Warwick, another 5 miles out, the Washington House should be open and we can get beer there. We came up on it too fast and drove right by it. Took a while to find a place to turn around, Bob has something against hanging a U-ey, and we finally made it there. I ran in to get the beer and was surprised at the price! 24 cans for $19.02! Highway robbery! With beer in the back of the truck we once again headed for the cottage.
We arrived to find the "always there" archway at the entrance gone. Someone hit it with their car and the brick archway was never replaced. To someone's credit there is a nice sign in its place, but its not the same.
As we drove to my parents place we passed the the Manor House as it was always known by and saw the sign advertising 30 cans of Bud for $16.99. Sheesh!
When we arrived Mom was busy cutting the grass even though we told her not to do it that we would take care of grass cutting duties this week. She didn't want to hear it, she loves to cut the grass!
We settled in and unpacked the truck. Now Mom had told us this morning that we were going to have steamed shrimp for dinner tonight and we both thought about that meal all day as neither of us have had steamed shrimp in quite a while. When Mom came in she said dinner plans have changed as she thought she had shrimp here but it turns out there was none. We'll have it Wednesday instead at home.
After a dinner of burgers Mom and I took a walk around the beach and I was so surprised at the changes. Where once modest summer houses stood on Bay Boulevard, the street with the river view, now stood mini McMansions. Beautiful homes with stone facades and large decks and winding brick walkways. Forty years ago prices for cottages were $5,000 for a NICE place and now they go for $300,000 plus! Oh how times have changed. I could have kicked myself for not taking the camera with me because we watched a beautiful sunset over the river.
I spent my summers at this place starting when I was two weeks old. My grandparents bought a cottage back in '54 and in '69 my parents bought their's just up the street. At the time most people didn't even know this cottage existed because it was literally covered with bushes and vines. For a full year they renovated this place. When they took the cardboard "paneling" in the living room down they were surprised to find the electrical wiring was nothing but extension cords! What a firetrap! When they saw the man they bought it from a short while later they asked him why the bedroom door was cut in half. (top and bottom) He replied his wife had bought him a new saw and he wanted to try it out so he cut the door in half. One more thing, when he handed over the keys he told my mom that a family of skunks lived under the cottage and that they like white cake with chocolate frosting and they didn't care for chocolate cake and they loved hot dogs! Mom thought to herself, "Yeah right, like I'm going to feed a family skunks!" So my parents turned into this "dump" into one of the nicer cottages on the beach for that time.
When we arrived Mom was busy cutting the grass even though we told her not to do it that we would take care of grass cutting duties this week. She didn't want to hear it, she loves to cut the grass!
We settled in and unpacked the truck. Now Mom had told us this morning that we were going to have steamed shrimp for dinner tonight and we both thought about that meal all day as neither of us have had steamed shrimp in quite a while. When Mom came in she said dinner plans have changed as she thought she had shrimp here but it turns out there was none. We'll have it Wednesday instead at home.
After a dinner of burgers Mom and I took a walk around the beach and I was so surprised at the changes. Where once modest summer houses stood on Bay Boulevard, the street with the river view, now stood mini McMansions. Beautiful homes with stone facades and large decks and winding brick walkways. Forty years ago prices for cottages were $5,000 for a NICE place and now they go for $300,000 plus! Oh how times have changed. I could have kicked myself for not taking the camera with me because we watched a beautiful sunset over the river.
I spent my summers at this place starting when I was two weeks old. My grandparents bought a cottage back in '54 and in '69 my parents bought their's just up the street. At the time most people didn't even know this cottage existed because it was literally covered with bushes and vines. For a full year they renovated this place. When they took the cardboard "paneling" in the living room down they were surprised to find the electrical wiring was nothing but extension cords! What a firetrap! When they saw the man they bought it from a short while later they asked him why the bedroom door was cut in half. (top and bottom) He replied his wife had bought him a new saw and he wanted to try it out so he cut the door in half. One more thing, when he handed over the keys he told my mom that a family of skunks lived under the cottage and that they like white cake with chocolate frosting and they didn't care for chocolate cake and they loved hot dogs! Mom thought to herself, "Yeah right, like I'm going to feed a family skunks!" So my parents turned into this "dump" into one of the nicer cottages on the beach for that time.
This was the greatest place to spend the summers. There were a lot of kids my age and we spent our days on the beach or waterskiing on the river. It seemed all the boys had boats, or at least their dad's did for which they had the use of. At night time there was dancing down at the pavilion, bingo, a game room with pinball machines one played for FIVE CENTS!, fires on the beach and when we got a little older keg parties in the local cornfields. Oh yeah, this was a great place to grow up.
A lot of my friends from back then now have their own cottages or even live here year round.
This place brings back tons of great memories.
Birthday wishes to twins Cathy and Ronnie...kids I grew up with, both at home and here in Crystal Beach.
A lot of my friends from back then now have their own cottages or even live here year round.
This place brings back tons of great memories.
Birthday wishes to twins Cathy and Ronnie...kids I grew up with, both at home and here in Crystal Beach.
2 comments:
WOW! Crystal Beach Manor!!! I didn't know people still went there! We used to go there in the late 50s and early 60s! I remember the Arch and sad that it's gone. Sad to say, things do change. Enjoy and I hope to see you soon in Lewes, DE!!
Elaine
Cottage is awesome! Wow! Thanks for updating.
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