Chesapeake East Bay May30-June4

We arrived at Tangier Island, where everyone on the island is involved in the Crab and Lobster trade.
This was the marina owners boat. Mr Parks was 88 year old and really sharp.
The Watermen.

The cemeteries on the island were interesting. 

Due to the island water level the graves are shallow.
This is beside the new clinic, but no connection.
Mr. Parks daughter was the Doctor.

A lot of the yards had a burial areas in them.

Beautiful

We bought some softshells from a Watermen and learned to clean them Tangier Style.

Sauteed the softshells in butter and old bay after a 90 second par-boil.

Crab Pots

All of the Crab Shanties are built over the water.

Beach on Tangier

There was only one hot food restaurant and one ice cream shop open. Perfect. Pineapple/Vanilla Twist.

The British fleet let this island to attack Washington DC and succeeded, then Baltimore and failed.

If you zoom-in and read this the majority are 3 or 4 surnames.

We left Tangier and went to Crisfield on the East Bay Mainland.
This is the Crab Capital on the US.

Don't forget about the tides when you beach your dinghy.
 Lucky there were friend around to help drag it back to the water.

After leaving Crisfield we stopped at Smith Island to buy some of their famous cake that they ship all over the world.

Leaving Smith Island.

A smooth cruise crossing back west across the bay to the Solomons Islands.  

Yorktown VA May 26-28

The Yorktown Victory Monument
Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution
This is where the British General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington

Riverwalk Landin on the York River in Yorktown

You can see a battleship in the background loading weapons at Lackey Naval Weapons Station

Those are ornaments, they are cannon balls from the war.

Angie hiding in the bamboo along the Tobacco Road Trail

Portsmouth and Norfolk VA May 23-26

As we were entering  Portsmouth / Norfolk Virginia we passed lots of ships.
Perfect that we would be there over Memorial Day.

We saw all kinds of Naval Ships.

We spent one night in Portsmouth (partly to do laundry as the next marina doesn't have that option).
Great restaurant on the marina - raw oysters and wings - nothing better.

A light house ship at the riverfront in Portsmouth.

Angie "Kissed a Frog", no prince charming.

Can't get enough pictures of old churches in downtown Portsmouth.

Maggie Jo and Adagio (our friends on another Mainship 390) look small in front of big yachts and naval ships.
When Tom was helping tie up a line on a boat the owner remarked on his NDSU sweatshirt, it's a small world but she
was best friends with someone we both knew in Bismarck.

USS Wisconsin

USS Wisconsin

We were able to dinghy around the ship and get up and close, but not inside.

When leaving Norfolk we saw a couple aircraft carriers.

More naval ships.

Elizabeth City thru Dismal Swamp May 16-21

When we arrived at Elizabeth City we were greeted at the dock by this sign.
 Free dock if you dine at one of their restaurants that they supply.
We stayed three nights waiting for the effects of Tropical Storm Arthur to settle down.  

Elizabeth City had some beautiful churches.

This fountain was in the city center and the trees were cool.

The South Mill Lock was the beginning of the Dismal Swamp Canal.
This was our first lock since the Ten-Tom Waterway North of Mobile AL in November.

Maggie Jo heading down the Dismal Swamp. 22 miles long built in the early 1800's.

Root Beer Swamp water. The water is actually clean. Its color comes from the tannins from the trees.
It is suppose to have medicinal value due to its low pH.

Welcome

Part of the visitor center is also a rest area for a highway???

This is how you dress when you are not used to 60 degrees and mist

Maggie  Jo squeezed into the free dock.

Cool swamp trails.

Angie, Denise, & Dave (Adagio)

Don't park under trees.

Adagio following us in the canal.

The water surface is highly reflective due to the Black/Brown water color.

Before the Deep Creek Lock we were able to tie to a wall and walk to a
Hardees and a Food Lion grocery store for some re-provisioning.

Root Beer foam on the canal.

The end of the canal lock.