Embrace your Pivots

  • A Detailed Guide to Boating the Dismal Swamp Canal
    A Detailed Guide to Boating the Dismal Swamp Canal

    The Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest operating man-made canal in the United States and connects the Chesapeake Bay with the Albemarle Sound through a 22-mile-long waterway. The Dismal Swamp Canal is one of two protected ICW routes boaters can take when transiting north or south. We cruised this waterway twice, once in the spring…

  • How to Document A Trip through Photos and Videos
    How to Document A Trip through Photos and Videos

    There are many ways to document your travels and share your trip with family, friends, and strangers. We’ve documented our trips to 13 countries, and most recently, we recorded our journey around America’s Great Loop through daily vlogs where we shared the highs, lows, and everything in between. In this post, we share the different…

  • The 11 Best Snorkeling in Florida Locations
    The 11 Best Snorkeling in Florida Locations

    When planning a trip to the sunshine state, one thing everyone should consider is where is the best snorkeling in Florida. You shouldn’t spend all of your time laying out on the beach and eating your favorite local food. While that’s definitely important, we highly recommend you spend some time at the best snorkel spots…

  • Oriental, NC: The Charming Town You’ll Visit and Won’t Want to Leave
    Oriental, NC: The Charming Town You’ll Visit and Won’t Want to Leave

    As we pulled into the harbor in Oriental, NC, we were looking for a mythical free dock and a comfortable place to sleep. We didn’t expect to find a town as unique as its name. Walking through Oriental, we quickly found a common theme: people who had passed by car or sailboat once and then…

  • The Elegant Eastern Shore Escape, Oxford, Maryland
    The Elegant Eastern Shore Escape, Oxford, Maryland

    During our boating journey around the US, we visited the secluded Oxford, MD, and were shocked at how peaceful and artsy the town was. We didn’t have much time to research Oxford before visiting, but when we stumbled upon some of the best home-made ice cream in the United States, cute hand-painted picket fences all…

  • Solomons Island Travel Guide – Everything You NEED to Know
    Solomons Island Travel Guide – Everything You NEED to Know

    Solomons Island, Maryland, is the getaway you’ve been waiting for. Located at the mouth of the Patuxent River on the Chesapeake Bay, it represents a rich history of maritime endeavors from the time Isaac Solomon started his Oystering enterprise in the late 1800s until today, as tourism brings people from all around for the local…

  • Smith Island, MD – Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip
    Smith Island, MD – Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip

    Smith Island MD is the last inhabited island in Maryland. It is slowly disappearing into the Chesapeake Bay, both from rising sea levels and the erosion of its sand foundation. It is estimated that without intervention, the Island will be mostly gone by 2050. We visited Smith Island on the last weekend of May while boating America’s Great…

  • The Ultimate Guide to Crisfield, Maryland
    The Ultimate Guide to Crisfield, Maryland

    We lived on our boat in Somer’s Cove Marina, next to downtown Crisfield, Maryland, throughout the Fall of 2021. We felt like locals as we lived and worked from our boat and explored Crisfield during our three-month stay. Crisfield has something that many towns in the United States lack, and that is a rich culture…

  • The 10 Local Best Restaurants in Islamorada, Florida
    The 10 Local Best Restaurants in Islamorada, Florida

    We lived in Big Basin, Islamorada, for three months on our boat in 2023. Since this was our second time in Islamorada, we’ve been both tourists and locals, and here are the 10 best local restaurants in Islamorada, Florida! We have a mix of local bars, small breakfast spots, and great places only open for…

  • Ultimate Guide to the Okeechobee Waterway 
    Ultimate Guide to the Okeechobee Waterway 

    The Okeechobee Waterway connects the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Atlantic Coast, with Lake Okeechobee in the center. We cruised through the waterway during our 2022-23 passage of America’s Great Loop, and it was an incredible part of our journey on our boat, Pivot. In this blog, we share the ultimate guide to the Okeechobee…