Abbey Road from the River

It is billed as the world's largest Beatles-inspired music festival.   And today, I was excited about getting a chance to see it -- from the River.

I launched my boat from Old Towne Alexandria, off the rocks where the water is waist high.  All around me Canadian geese napping and drifting along with a gathering of ring neck ducks.  There was huge boulders of drift wood, enough to supply firewood for a family of four for the entire winter.



Then I was off, paddling through the glassy river, heading south along the Potomac under the massive, iconic Woodrow Wilson Bridge and onto National Harbor.

Within minutes, I was upon the upscale National Harbor.  I listened and enjoyed the distinctive hybrid sounds of the legendary Beatles along with the "skank" of reggae of the eclectic band The Yellow Dubmarine.

I've seen this group before -- at the Bullpen at Nationals Park.  What is ingenious about this group is their ability to deftly apply the impactful sounds of reggae to the Beatles beloved songbook.

All along members of the audience as well as members of the band reached out to say Hi.  Even one (Summer Clecame aboard my paddle board and we both took off from the jetty.

For the next hour, we listened to the rhythmical sounds from Beatles classic while the waves rocked us back and forth, and we drifted with the remnant of wind, the last vestige of Hurricane Earl.

Heading back to Old Towne was nearly as thrilling.  By then the sustained winds had picked up above 15 knots and I was having a time of my life riding waves back home.  Thank you Earl.  And thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo.