Norfolk, VA to Solomons, MD

The map shows our tracks from Norfolk-Hampton-Deltaville and now at Solomons, MD. 11th State!!!

Thursday, May 2. We had been to Norfolk, VA in 2022 attending the AGLCA Rendezvous as Planners. It was fun to arrive in our boat and stay at the Waterside Marina as fellow loopers were arriving for the upcoming 2024 Rendezvous. We chose not to attend this one as we had attended the one at Joe Wheeler last November, and we wanted to keep moving up the Chesapeake.

Waiting for the train to pass by so the bridge could be lifted.

Aircraft Carrier in Norfolk, VA. I don’t know which one and could not determine by google. BUT, I do know that Norfolk has the largest Navy base in the U.S. and it was awesome to cruise by many of the Navy ships that were being worked on.

This mermaid is ‘Blind Justice’. And she has been photo bombed.

History of the mermaids in Norfolk: Mermaids have graced the city of Norfolk for twenty years now. Norfolk attorney Peter Decker (1936 to 2012), known as "Uncle Pete" throughout the community, introduced the idea of Mermaids on Parade at a breakfast with 300 business and civic leaders at Nauticus on November 30, 1999. The idea is credited to his wife Bess who was inspired during a visit to Chicago at the height of that city's Cows on Parade. There are at least 80 in Norfolk.

Saturday, May 4th. We traveled approximately 12 miles to the Hampton Marina to use as a base to see Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown. We originally wanted to rent a car, but there weren’t any available —so we Ubered. This worked out pretty good afterall.

There are so many reenactments at Colonial Williamsburg. These were all highschool students ending the march with Yankee Doodle Dandy.

The garden at George Wythe House.

The Courthouse. The audience participated in an reenactment of a typical day in court during the 18th century—from tax evasion to gambling.

I wish I took a photo of the George Washington reenactment as a young man. He gave a talk and stayed in character of what life was like for him after his father passed away when he was 11, then through his teenage years until he was in his mid-20’s. There were several school age children in the audience, and he encouraged them to ask questions. One boy asked if he really chopped down the cherry tree. He said no—that its a story made up to encourage children to tell the truth and he quickly joked about the fact it was a lie to do so. : )

The gardens were in full bloom.

Sunday, May 5. We Ubered to the Yorktown Battlefield.

Park Ranger Linda Williams gave an excellent review about the Yorktown Battlefield, and the strategic moves led by then General George Washington. The outcome in Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, marked the conclusion of the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. She said her talk would take 45 minutes which seemed long but she had all of us engaged by her knowledgeable telling of the battle—it was a very quick 45 minutes.

From the battlefield, we walked up to the Yorktown Victory Monument. The monument stands as a symbol to the French and American victory at Yorktown, October 19, 1781. From here we walked to the quaint street in Yorktown. We found out from a bus driver there are only 200 people that actually live in Yorktown. There are cute little homes/townhomes that rarely stay on the market for more than one day.

In Yorktown—yeah we had to do this.

Darth said I had to add this photo too. Imagine if female leaders were in charge wayyyy back then!

Monday, May 6. We traveled about 40 miles to the Regatta Point Marina at Deltaville, VA. The water was perfect!

We used Regatta Point’s courtesy vehicle for a quick trip to Deltaville. Came back and the weather was taking a very dark turn.

This photo is showing how much the lightening was lighting up the sky—-eeeks!

Our location is the blue dot from the Storm Tracker App—we were fine. The country suffered much more than we did as this storm passed through.

Tuesday, May 7. What a beautiful morning after the storm. We set out early to go approximately 63 miles to Solomons, MD.

These are not pieces of cardboard as Darth first thought. By the time they passed and he realized they were stingrays, I was too late to see and take a photo. Paul and Karla, Current Plan, were a few miles back and she captured the stingray pack as they swam by.

Water was amazing all day—we cruised up top from the command bridge. Something I didn’t expect on the Chesapeake.

And another first, we were hailed by the Navy to move out of the practice range…. oops and roger that sir!!

Our spot at Calverts Marina in Solomons, MD. We planned to come home mid to end of May, but once we determined the boat would be safe here, we booked a flight home Thursday, May 9th.

May 9, through today. We love being home and seeing family and friends, taking showers without walking outside to a shower building, and putting used toilet paper directly in the toilet. TMI??? We will pickup our loop journey when we return.