Ben and I drove around Maryland today and one of our stops was the sight of next week’s Polar Bear Plunge. It is held every year at Sandy Point State Park. 
Ever heard of the Polar Bear Plunge?
From the website:
Experience the 2010 Polar Bear Plunge and you’ll be exposed to a spectacle like no other! For just $50 in pledges, Plunge participants take a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland, the state’s largest year-round organization devoted to sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Anyone can participate! (Under 18 requires parent or guardian signature.)
Yes, next week thousands of people will be diving into these frigid waters to raise money for a good cause. I also think some people are doing it for bragging rights, but it’s all good. 
We even caught a guy we thought was “practicing” for next week. It turns out he can’t come out next week so he was doing it today. It looked painful!
If you’re curious, I will not be doing the plunge. I am proud of myself for even leaving the house when it’s this cold. Today I’m wearing tights and two pairs of socks on the bottom and a long sleeve undershirt, turtle neck, track jacket and thick coat on top. Oh, and two beanies. Big Head! 
Look at me on these Hot Coals! Just kidding, it was empty 🙁 
I was wearing running shoes today because my knee hurts. And also because I cannot dress cute when it’s this cold. Nope.
After that we went to Annapolis. It is so cute! I’m not used to all this old timey looking buildings.
We also hit up the Naval Acadamy. 
They have a visitor’s center with a museum and everything. It’s impressive (but obviously meant for recruitment). 
Annapolis’ waterfront is gorgeous!
Then, we went to favorite place in any state: Whole Foods!
I got two containers of food for dinner – hot food
and salad bar goods. So expensive, so delicious. I always make sure my salad is a base of veggies and top it with the pastas and stuff. I don’t use dressing because I take a topping bite with salad veggies so it’s mixed well.
Ben and I had such a great day! It was just like old times. We used to go on road trips all the time in California, but for a few different reasons we haven’t done any in Maryland. I always say that we fell in love on our long drives up and down CA 🙂 
I might hit up a cookie for dessert. Damn these things are going fast here! I think after this box is done I’m going to go out for one cookie at a time once or twice a week – not keep them in the house.
Question: What was the best road trip you’ve ever taken?
Me: I can’t decided. Ben and I have hit up all of these places more than once: Yosemite, Paso Robles, San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco! Plus there was that whole driving across the entire US thing! (Check out Fave Posts page for details)
I love road trips! Looks like yours was very fun! My favorite road trip was going down south of the island where I live. Carabao milk ice cream, a great view of the ocean, little towns, and finally white sand beach!
Hey! I live in western Maryland and I’m doing the Plunge next Saturday! Maybe I’ll see you there!
Huuge props to anyone that can do the Polar Bear Plunge!! Seriously!
it’s totally hard to dress cute when it’s cold out. all i want to do is pull on a big freaking sweatshirt!
My husband and I love road trips too. We live near L.A. and love driving up the PCH to Monterey. I love driving through Carmel and Big Sur. It’s such a beautiful drive!
I have two favorite road trips:
(1) Twin Falls ID to Las Vegas through eastern Nevada. Turns out Nevada isn’t all desert.
(2) Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo on Hwy 1. Spectacular.
Stay warm!
Oh, I read about that plunge! Brrrrr and CAH-RAY-ZEE 🙂
A favorite road trip of mine was a recent one–in November we went to Hawaii and spent a day driving up the island and around the Windward side, stopping every so often to eat garlic shrimp (at 2 places), shave ice, and Dole pineapple whip. A great day!
I hope your knees are OK….!
I love the Whold Foods salad bar I will be having it for lunch! My favorite trip I have taken was when I lived in New Orleans for college I came to Austin which I now live. I really need to start traveling more!!
My husband’s Aunt lives down there, and I’m doing a half marathon there in June!
My best road trip was probably to Niagara Falls a few years ago. It was the first trip Todd and I ever took together. 8hr drive each way was fun too, except when we got pulled over in the middle of nowhere in New York, haha!
Hope you’re knee feels better!
The thought of plunging into ice cold water is enough to make me shiver! I’m glad you enjoyed your road trip. I’ve heard great things about Annapolis.
Hope your knee feels better!
Annapolis looks so cute! I’ve never been!
My favorite road trip was from DC to Pennsylvania to California with the bf!
ah that looks like an ace day out! But that polar bear experience thing, wtf!? MAD PEOPLE!!!
My fave roadtrip was to a big riding competition with my mum – just me, her and ahorse, it was great 🙂
If wearing running shoes with jeans is un-cute then I don’t want to be cute!!! 😉 Embrace those shoes girl, and work that outfit. 🙂
I’ve lived in DC and Maryland my entire life and only been to Annapolis three times! I was there in 2008 to get some paperwork stamped and ended up spending a couple hours just wandering around. It’s adorable!
Sorry about your knee! Hope it feels better. I agree–when it’s cold, forget cute, think warm!!
Love your whole foods meal!
<3 jess
xoxo
My grandparents lived in Annapolis until I finished high school. It’s such a lovely city – I miss visiting it!
If you walk to the end of my street you can SEE whole foods. seeing your hot bar stash I KNOW you understand how difficult it is to drive by EVERYDAY! looks like a great day and dinner!
Wow, jumping in freezing cold water is not something that I want to do. More power to anyone who can! At least it’s for a good cause!!
Sadly, I have never been on a road trip. One of those things that I still want to do in life.
I love how you can mix and match stuff at the bar in Whole Foods.. so good!
Annapolis is beautiful; we lived in Maryland a few years ago (at Ft. Meade) and I just loved visiting Annapolis. Your day of sight seeing looks like lots of fun. If you’re only going to live in MD for a short while, you’re smart to take advantage of all this area has to offer. My husband is in the Army so we’ve taken many road trips when moving to get to our next duty station. The longest was from Arizona to Maryland with an 18 month old. Not my favorite. We also drove from Georgia to Little Rock, then down to Texas and back to Georgia for a vacation. Maybe that was the longest?
By far my fave was our drive from Orange County to Arizona because we were childless at the time and that just makes road trips much easier.
Have a good night!
Hi monica! I have read your blog for a while and find your honesty and dedication really inspirational! You’re also hilarious 🙂 anyway I had to comment because I went to usna and your pictures made
me smile! I did the polar bear plunge one year ( our womens swim team all did) and it was miserable…you’re making a good call! You should head back to sandy point in the summer though it’s a great day to enjoy the sun with a picnic. Have a good night!
Annapolis is my home town! Glad you loved it! 🙂
Hi Monica, I know I’m a bit of a lurker but I made a new years resolution to comment on blogs that I like (nerdy, yes. easy, yes.)!
I live in Buffalo, NY so we get similar weather to you (lots more snow, I hear), and we have a Polar Bear Plunge into Lake Erie. Of course, I would NOT consider doing this either! Even though I’m acclimated to the cold, I still dress a little like you described today!
As for road trips, across NY is, and always will be one of my favorites. Girls and their hometowns, eh?
I went Chicago to Michigan once- it took over 7 hours, which is long for restless me! It was fun though. =D
I did new york to florida once and it was a blast 🙂
Sounds like an awesome Saturday! The only road trips I’ve really been on have been with my dad, driving back and forth between Michigan (home) and New york (school). I guess it’s been good bonding time! I really want to take a road trp across the US with my sister someday!