Thinking of you, Dad.

Less than an hour after leaving the Dismal Swamp Canal you are thrust into sensory overload, half a compass apart. You motor under a noisy interstate highway, past metal and debris recycling/processing factories, and then into the Norfolk Navel Shipyards. The Navy ships are a highlight.

We decided to anchor in downtown Norfolk, taking the advice of "Bill the lock guy". Fortunately, a few other cruisers were there, making the decision to stop easier. This anchorage is known for poor (anchor) holding and for being bumpy, due to the number of boats passing by. We had two days of calm weather and we were overall pleased with the anchorage. We went ashore on the Norfolk shore to see the battleship USS Wisconsin. It's quite impressive. (click the photo to make it large and get a better feel for the immensity of the ship)





My Dad is from Norfolk and we had fun walking around downtown, talking to him on the cellphone, all the while hoping to find the drug store where his father served the community as a pharmacist.

On the western shore is Portsmouth. We had heard of an Art Deco era theater that had been restored. The seating is arranged around dinner tables where you can enjoy a full dinner while watching the show. This months movie is Pirates of the Caribbean 4.



The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) begins, or ends, depending on your traveling direction, right in front of our anchorage at Hospital Point. Traveling north, we still had another 10 miles of Norfolk waterfront to navigate before entering the south end of the Chesapeake Bay. As we were making this transition, we were hailed on the marine radio by the Coast Guard. They politely ordered us to change course, moving outside the marked channel, allowing more room for the passing of a submarine. We didn't argue.


We had a nice sail, screecher only, up to Deltaville, VA. We dropped the hook in Fishing Bay and grabbed our bikes for a shore excursion. After traveling a few short blocks it became evident that a tornado had ravaged the area recently. We found a path of pine trees snapped in two and damage to a few of the country houses.
It wasn't until we peddled about 2 miles, to the two lane highway, that we found the worst damage. Downed trees, debris in the roadway, and houses with blue tarp roofs. There were roadside signs promoting "Beach Church", something we were familiar with from our time in the Bahamas. The next day we attended Zoar Baptist Church. The first photo was taken at the conclusion of the service. The second picture is of the church sanctuary, taken while biking back to the boat.



We have spent this week biking to thrift stores, consignment shops, the Farmers Market, 2 West Marine stores, and to the Deltaville Market for groceries, swimming in the pool at the marina, and completing minor repair jobs to the boat.

Mili and I fly home Saturday, July 2nd for time with the family. We plan to attend our annual Family Reunion, taking place at Amelia Island, Florida followed by another Mill and Ted adventure to Wyoming and Montana. We'll be back on the boat August 20th.
You can join us in keeping an eye on Morning Glory using the Fishing Bay webcam. http://www.fishingbay.com/webcam.php