April 17, 18, 2007

April 17, 2007 – We got up this morning and ate breakfast and then Bob and I went to wait for our rental car for me to take him back to Swansboro, NC. I will spend the night there and return tomorrow. As we drove down the highway from here in Norfolk, VA to there we passed through many types of areas. We left here and went down highway 17 which led us to the Dismal Swamp Trail just because we wondered what it looked like from the road because we could see cars passing us as we came up the canal. One side really is the swamp and the other is a lot of farm land after you cross the road. We saw many tobacco barns and they were much different from those I had seen before. These were like individual barns the size of a mid size u-haul truck. They use propane gas to do the drying instead of natural air. When we passed the Carolina Visitors Center where we had tied up during the storm all the boats had left except one. Larry and Gail were going to wait another day and then travel all the way to Deltaville, VA in one hop. They should have had pretty good going if they left on the 18th. We drove through the cities we had passed by boat, such as Elizabeth City, Belhaven, and across the rivers that we had crossed by boat. It seemed so different to be looking down at them from a big highway bridge after being on them. Where we crossed them they were much larger because we were closer to the coast. We went through New Bern, NC and if it had not been so rough the day we crossed that river it would have been fun to go by boat. It has a governors mansion called the Tryon Palace. It was very elaborate and had what looked to be beautiful gardens. The homes there were also historic and pretty much like those in the other southern cities that I have visited. After about four or so hours of driving we arrived at Bob’s house and it felt different not to see Shorty down there in the boat basin where he enjoyed a respite from all as did I. After the drive we were both pretty tired and after eating we took turns falling asleep as we watched TV.

April 18, 2007 – This morning we ate breakfast and although I hated to leave Bob there and go back to Shorty alone we both had things to do. It will be a month before Bob returns from vacation and comes back to Norfolk to continue on. Maybe by then it will warm up some. After driving through the pretty country again on the way home and seeing things that I did not see on the way down I was ready to get back on the boat. I passed some large plantations and today in a couple of places the farmers were setting out their tobacco plants. I thought it might be a little cold for that but it is supposed to warm up a little in the next few days. It is cold enough here tonight that I have the little electric heater running again in the cabin. It sure feels good. The wind was still coming out of the easterly direction when I arrived here and it had a bite to it. It was not as bad as the day we arrived when it was gusting so high you could barely walk the docks without moving and losing your balance. Since I will be here quite a while I will try to have all the new charts sent down here to me. Then I will return my old charts that I have been using back home and away we go again. I also want to find out what is here in the way of historical places to visit. I am not to far from Williamsburg and other places. Also this is home to a lot of navy stuff so I am looking forward to watching the ships, etc.