Tangier Island, VA-a true workingman's island

A fellow Looper had told us about this unique island called  Tangier Island so we knew we had to stop there.  We left Deltaville knowing the ride would be rough and we were not disappointed.  It was one of those rides where anything not stored ended up on the floor. (Thank goodness for those seasick bracelets!) As we entered the harbor we were welcomed by many red and white sheds with long docks that lined the harbor.

The watermen go down to these docks at 4 or 5 AM fire up their crab boats and go out for a long day of crabbing

                                                               

We were greeted by Milton Parks, the 81 year old legend owner of  the marina who helped us tie up to his dock with mega current going against us. 

Homes are close together with these lanes separating some

Tangier Island is one by three miles in size, has about 600 people living there, has one school with less than ten students per grade, a small medical facility staffed by RN's and PA's, and a style of speech thought to be

directly descended from early Elizabethan-era settlers (We learned that a NY producer was recruiting residents to read Shakespeare so he could record them with the intention of having actors for his upcoming NY play have the same dialect as Tangier residents).

There is a calm, peaceful atmosphere on the island, with only one pay phone, four or five gift shops, a few restaurants that close at 5 PM so get there by 4:30 PM, and a hardware store as the only retail establishments. There are no arcades, no drug stores or department stores, no traffic lights, and violent crime is virtually nonexistent. There are three Bed and Breakfasts for overnight guests, and a wild natural beach without a boardwalk or concessions. There are no ATMs on the island and most of the gift shops, eating establishments, and overnight accommodations have begun to accept credit and debit cards. There is a small museum which had not opened for the season and a soft shell crab exhibit next to Wanda's gift shop. Many cats roam all over with just a few dogs.

   We found Tangier Island to be a refreshing retreat from the everyday stresses we all encounter.  It was interesting to observe these hardworking people and how they get along without some of the "stuff" we must have. This is a "must see" spot for any Chesapeake travelers.

Many burial grounds in people's yards

One of the few shops-notice the parking lot for the golf cart and the decorated garbage can in front

Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House where we ate family style meeting some interesting folks

Tangier  Island sunset

Norfolk, VA--What a great surprise!

Sailor called to sea

The Dismal Swamp didn't get its name because of its cheerful ambiance so being used to that environment we were pleasantly surprised by all the upscale atmosphere Norfolk had to offer.  The Waterside Marina is located right in downtown Norfolk so we had the everything within reach.  There was the Cannonball Trail marked for us to walk through the historic Freemason section,  the waterfront and down Granby Street-the happening section of town.

Hula hoop revisited on Granby Street along with other entertainment

Boomers singing those Guthrie tunes

There are thought provoking sculptures, mainly with a naval military theme since there is a huge Navy influence here.

This large sculpture has letters to family, lovers and friends written by soldiers killed in WWII-very moving

                   Norfolk's symbol is The Mermaid and mermaid sculptures are all over the place.  The over 130 mermaids are all designed and decorated by local artists and many of them represent a theme related to their location.  There are now mermaid trails, books, jewelry sculptures and art.  They're really fun to spot around the city!


               

To General MacArthur

                                                                                                                                       
We spent a couple of hours exploring Nauticus, a waterfront maritime science museum that has a shark lab, a movie The Living Sea, and Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  Right next door was the Battleship Wisconsin (887 feet long) which served in WWII, the Korean War and Desert Storm.  We climbed all over the  four acres of teak decks and were very tired by the time we were done.  To see the power that these battleships possessed made us think about what capabilities they have.  We saw many of these battleships lined up outside of Norfolk on our way to Hampton and understood better the strength of our military.  We were even stopped by the Coast Guard who told us to hurry up and get out of the way of a battleship coming back into Norfolk.  Pete kicked up the throttle a notch and we did what they asked without an argument.

Battleship Wisconsin

Battleship we moved out of the way for

 There were many more interesting places in Norfolk to visit but we decided to move on to Hampton, VA but were disappointed with that small town.  Only one restaurant was opened on a Monday night and it was ho-hum and many other businesses were gone-not even a T-shirt place!

More military presence on the way to Hampton

After Hampton we traveled to Deltaville, VA, home of Dozier's - the people who write and publish the Waterway Guides- a "bible" for many cruisers.  The Marina is lovely but to make it even better they have a courtesy car available to cruisers.  We took advantage of it and went into town to West Marine (this small town has TWO West Marine stores! Go figure!) and picked up a couple of items at their grocery store.  While driving through Deltaville, we witnessed the remains of a church and house that were hit by the April tornado that raced through the South.  The path was devastating. The town is cleaning up and beginning their rebuilding plans.  To hear about it on the news and then to see it in person brings the horror of it home.

Church cut into two parts

Path tore down trees and side of house

Happy Mother's Day Lee and to all of you other Mamas...you deserve a big hug and kiss!!

The Tar Heel State

We left Charleston and traveled on the Waccamaw River, a beautiful river with lots of picturesque anchorages. We chose Thoroughfare Creek, motoring up until we found the sandy beach that lines Sandy Island.  Three other boats were already there so we found our spot, anchored and then took Buddy ashore.  We found lots of sand (hence Sandy Island) and different types of animal tracks.  The waterway guide said there are wild hogs and wild dogs but we saw none of them-we did hear some strange howling that night but it could have been the strange boat near us!

Thoroughfare Creek, SC

As we were closing in on SC, we called George and Gwen Jerome, friends who have relocated to NC, and set up a meeting with them.  As it turned out, Mimi and Jerry Zwick, also from the Naugatuck teaching days, were arriving the same day.  We were picked up at the marina, wined and dined and then returned with great memories revisited.  The visit made us a little homesick for friends and family...so nice to spend time with folks you have a history with.  Thanks George and Gwen!

Jerry,  Mimi, Gwen, George

Our next stop was Southport, NC, a town that has a lot of charm.  While it still had its charm, we noticed an increase in For Sale signs on homes and more empty store fronts.  It seems the poor economy has finally hit here too.  We did get a chance to connect with Lee and Pat Glover who have relocated here.  Again so nice to talk with Newtown folks!

Our two legged friend Buddy from NC (lived in Newtown for a while) met us in Southport and took us out for a delicious dinner and then took us shopping for some needed provisions.  He spent the night with us and then the next day his Significant Other Caroline joined us for a ride up the Cape Fear River and then on to Bald Head Island.
BHI does not allow vehicles, only golf carts.  Consequently, it's the quietest place you can imagine.  We took our bikes for a ride to the few stores on the island and had a nice walk with Buddy (the dog) on the beach and through the area near the marina.  What a peaceful place this is!  We recommend this to everyone!

Buddy and Caroline

Bald Head Island Harbor

Old Baldy Lighthouse

Getting to a wedding-car seat and all!

At Mile Marker 270 we were intercepted by Greg from Lady in Red, a cruising friend whom we traveled with from Chicago to Kentucky).  He escorted us through some skinny water to his beautiful home where his wife Donna was waiting for us.  There we tied up to their private dock  for two nights while they wined and dined us and gave us a tour of Wilmington and Hampsted.  They are examples of the great people you hear about that do America's Great Loop!  Thanks Greg and Donna for a fabulous time!

Greg and Donna

Ann, Greg, Pete, Dan, Donna-Ann and Dan are neighbors and Loopers too (Borrowed Horse)

Swansboro,NC

  The winds increased after we left Greg and Donna so we stayed in Casper's Marina in Swansboro, NC, a cute little town looking to increase their tourism industry by wooing tourists with their specialty shops.  On the way to Swansboro we traveled through Camp LeJeune, crossing over their firing range which can be closed for up to three hours when it's in use. Thankfully, no practice was going when we went through although we did see some leftovers of other days.

Our tax dollars at work

On to Beaufort (pronounced Bowfort) where we anchored in the crowded anchorage in Taylor Creek just outside of the harbor.  There are many liveaboards there who have mooring balls and anchors who guided us to a better place to drop the hook right in front of  Green Marker 9. Beaufort is on one side of the creek and an island with wild horses on the other side.  We hiked a bit there and found one horse grazing who was very unimpressed with us.  We were impressed with him!

Sunset in Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC

From there we traveled to Oriental, NC where we stayed on their town dock.  This is the sailing capital of NC, nothing like Newport but they do have a fair amount of sailboats.  The town is very  quiet with most of the activity happening at the waterfront.  We thought it was cool that you could go online (www.towndock.net/HarborCam)to check out the availability of space on their town dock before you got there.  By the time we arrived, there was just enough space for us  to squeeze behind a 20' boat...the captain is a magician.

Pongo River

 When we anchor we always need to make sure there is a shore we can land Buddy.  We read that the Pungo River had a sandy beach so that was our destination.  When we got there we couldn't find the sandy beach but our captain with his keen instincts and GPS kept going up the river until we came to an inlet that had a dock we could tie up to and a little park for Buddy to romp.  We spent a peaceful night anchored in our own little piece of the world.

We were advised to stay at Alligator River Marina AKA Wicked Wanda's as she has advice about crossing the Albermerle Sound, a shallow body of water that can be very treacherous with the right winds. She told us to follow the markers on the green side and not to use the magenta line-dah, we knew that!  We left early the next morning before the winds could kick up and with a following sea made it across with minimum discomfort.  Elizabeth City was our destination.  It has an amazing reputation for welcoming cruisers.  First of all, they offer a free dock - no power or electric but a safe place to tie up.  When we arrived, there were more than 14 boats there already, so we found some space further down their wall (three other boats soon joined us).  Then they  have a wine and cheese gathering where they also give each boat a rose. The tradition was started by two residents about 30 years ago and they continue it today with the roses coming from the transplanted rose bushes of one of the founding tradition-resident.  How nice is that!!  While in Elizabeth City we were met by Newtown friends Lonny and Erika who have moved to Edenton.  They brought us shopping to reprovision and restock our oil supply.Then off to a great dinner in Elizabeth City downtown.  Thanks Lonny and Erika- your company was very much enjoyed!

Elizabeth City, NC

wine and cheese gathering

The Dismal Swamp

The Dismal Swamp is a man-made waterway dug out over 200 years ago to connect Elizabeth City to the Albemarle Sound.  It was used to transport goods but today only pleasure boaters use it so it's very calm and quiet.  But it is Dismal - very primitive and remote.  It's a straight ditch with two locks- yes, two more locks!  There is a Visitor's Center in the middle of it so we overnighted at the dock they provide.  There's a great museum there too.  Anyway, we took this route to leave North Carolina and we were greeted by this sign-Hey, we're making progress home!