Leaving Elizabeth City, and into the Dismal Swamp.

 It is a good thing the water was dead calm when we left the Pelican Marina at just on 6.30am this morning. We literally untied the lines and had to push the baby off the dock..no wind to carry us one way or the other, per normal. As we came around the corner we radioed the Bridge requesting an opening. Prior to 7am openings are on demand. Between 7 and 9am, they are timed for the rush hour traffic. That, we wanted to avoid. We also had A TIME LINE  to keep, if we were to make the 8.30 lock opening at the beginning of the Great Dismal Swamp.

You can see the dotted lines in the middle of the Chart Plotter screen...the one on the right is leading to the Marina...which is where we stopped, and there is a gap, and then the one today leaving, around the end of the peninsular and through the bridge. The boat is the green triangle. We are on the river!

Waz insisted that I include this (next) chart plotter photo in today's blog. That is because I am always telling HIM not to cut corners, and he leaves me alone for five minutes, at the helm, and what do I do? Well, CUT THE CORNER, of course, lol. Just as well the water was deep enough. That was the last cut corner, today, I will have you know. No chance of doing otherwise on a snaky river with very little wiggle room. Again, you can see the dotted line is ours. The plain line is the one we are supposed to be following! Next time:)

 As the early morning light turned into just plain overcast, it played havoc with the camera. I did my best, but the colors are not great. This is a cypress Swamp...and those roots in the water are treacherous!

The calm waters gave us great reflections. It was actually a bit hard to see what was in the water, today, as the reflections were so strong. We did hear a couple of Thunks after the first lock and bridge, but in 6ft of water, at that stage, we weren't surprised...just hope the props aren't damaged. Lots of big logs in the water. I spent quite a lot of time on the front of the boat, spotting things in the water to avoid. Not a lot of room to go around, but well worth the effort!

The trees are so many and varied. Liquidambar are prevalent, as are other species of Maple, Magnolia and Oak. Lots of different varieties that I didn't identify too! Rafts of lilies and weeds were here and there in the shallows, like these ones.

 This is a river fed primarily by the swamp, so it isn't surprising that the water is the most marvelous brown/amber color! I love watching the patterns made by our wake...and photograph it frequently. I have some great 'Modern Art' photos from the wake:)

 

 

 

This one is very 'Green'!:)

 

 

Back to regular programming....

 

 

The river got slimmer and slimmer as we wound our way through the snake, as it were. You can see our wake in this photo. It was challenging looking forward, until the way was made clear to us. You can see it on the chart plotter, but that doesn't mean you can see where you are going on land, or water!

 ...and narrower... What a cool clear morning...and still. We were grateful for the lack of wind.

In this chart photo, we have just made the turn from the River into the Swamp Canal.

We actually found civilization, along the Dismal Canal.

with good taste in flowers:) The lilies are all blooming at present, and they are glorious!

 You can see them on the deck of this lovely vacation home:)

The first Lock leading into the swamp, closely followed by a bridge. The lock master opens the gates at this end, then pulls our ropes up with his boat hook, to pop around the bollards, then walks to the far end of the lock and pumps the 8 feet of water into it, and up we go. He then opens the gates at the far end, gets in his car and drives down the road on the left to the bridge, which he opens for us to go through. The little town of South Mills is right there at the Lock.

 

 

A little about the History of South Mills...from Wikipedia.

 

The Battle of South Mills, also known as the Battle of Camden, took place on April 19, 1862 in Camden County, NC as part of Union Army Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's North Carolina expedition during the American Civil War.
Learning that the Confederates were building ironclads at Norfolk, Burnside planned an expedition to destroy the Dismal Swamp Canal locks to prevent transfer of the ships to Albemarle Sound. He entrusted the operation to Brig. Gen. Jesse L. Reno's command, which embarked on transports from Roanoke Island on April 18. By midnight, the convoy reached Elizabeth City and began disembarking troops. On the morning of April 19, Reno marched north on the road to South Mills. At the crossroads a few miles below South Mills, elements of Col. Ambrose R. Wright's command delayed the Federals until dark. Reno abandoned the expedition and withdrew during the night to the transports at Elizabeth City. The transports carried Reno's troops to New Bern where they arrived on April 22.

You have to remember that we right in the middle of Civil War territory, here.

It was just after this bridge that we felt the thunk and then another thunk a few yard further forward...let's hope the props are not damaged! Lots of logs in the river, both near the banks and floating but not, nearer the middle.

Which is why I ended up on the front of the vessel, 'spotting'. It was so hard to see what was in the water, as I have said, because of the wonderful reflections.

 The whole canal must only be about 50 feet across, and the vegetation feels slightly claustrophobic at times. You have to concentrate on other things! That is the open bridge before the Visitor  Center, up there on the right.

 They had come out of their hidey hole to look down the canal and saw us coming, so the bridge was open well in advance of our arrival:)

There is no indication, at this stage, of what lies beyond the upcoming dock, on the right, as we go through the bridge opening.

TADA!

 ...docked at the Visitor Center. and happy to spend a second day here relaxing. It will be (as we have planned so far) another 8 days motoring up the Chesapeake, from the end of the Dismal Swamp.

Everything is beautifully manicured and landscaped, per usual, at these place. The public are respectful of the surroundings, and we see no graffiti or other signs of abuse of the facilities, which are kept VERY clean and tidy. Thanks, Parks Service!

This is a public park, so we get looky loos all day long. Most are happy to say hello, and many take photos against the boat..or boats.

We were the only boat here for most of the day, getting into dock around 1.30pm on Friday. We greeted the other boats and helped them tie up. A few passed us, trying to make the 3.30pm lock opening at the other end, 19 miles from here. There were 6 of us tied and rafted up, last night. Makes for friendly circumstances. There was an English couple, two Quebec couples and one from Oriental, NC. Our favorite place, so far:)

We got up this morning (Saturday) at our usual hour, having gone to bed earlier than normal...not tired are we?

Waz already had the Genset on, as there is no potable water or electricity at this free dock, and we have to charge the batteries. Coffee was already made when I rose from the depths with bleary eyes. I really didn't want to open them, this morning, but the bright sunny light was an incentive to check out the first sunshine for three days. Lovely! and the warmth!! even lovelier:)
The Quebec folks were up and getting ready to leave, as we took our time and sat in the sun. We helped them untie around 8am, as they wanted to make the earlier Lock opening at 11.30am. They have encouraged us to get to Quebec City, as being the most European and oldest of the Province, when we get to Canada. It is also the Capital of Quebec. We will put it on the list!

With them away, there was only the English and North Carolinians to get going. They were in no hurry, which gave us time to chat and exchange information. The NC couple have been cruising on their yacht for 4 yrs now...got rid of the kids and took to the seas:) Way to go!!
We are always grateful to other boaters for their knowledge and the sharing of it.

The two Canadian boats are on their way...isn't this just stunning, on a sunny morning? Dismal?? nah!

 The NC couple were rafted with us, last night (our first time with ANY boat, and theirs with a power boat)
Their dinghy was just too good to pass up photographing, in the early light.

The Whale and the Minnow? It was necessary to raft all the boats, as there is only room for three, with us taking up a good third of the dock at the far end. Why wouldn't we want to stay in these glorious surroundings, for our R & R?

 Looking back down the canal (Sth), to the English Yacht. The bridge is left open all night to stop the wildlife crossing the river and out on the nearby highway. Lots of Black Bear, Deer and others still plentiful in the swamp. It really has a fascinating History.

You can read all about it in this link,. Click on the link to see it all...
http://albemarle-nc.com/camden/attractions/DismalSwampStatePark/

That's it for today. We will take a hike (literally) in the swamp, wash the boat down with the non-potable water (supposed to be spring fed) and enjoy reading and taking it easy.  Ciao for now.

Elizabeth City Exploring

We got up late and decided to get ourselves sorted out to leave around 3pm, Thursday afternoon.
We had to have the car back at Enterprise Rentals by 10.10am, and did that. They drove us back to the Marina/boat.
We had put more gas in the car and done what little food shopping we needed, last night after our meal. It was a bit much at the end of a long day driving south. We were glad to get home.

With the car gone, we felt we had time up our sleeves to walk back into the middle of the old town, and have lunch. We arrived back at Sidney's where we had enjoyed a lunch two days previously. Problems started with the Latte we ordered. It was a $3.99 latte, but the milk was 'warm'. The owner assured us that they use the thermometer to steam to only 140F. I might be Sudanese (with apologies) before that was 140F! Waz likes his very hot, and there should have been steam coming off the milk. Nada!

We ordered our sandwiches...well, he did, and I ordered a Gyro with potato chips. Waz ordered a side of French Fries with his. The food came after a long while (We had finished the latte by then and it was 1.30pm! not exactly rush hour) and Waz's French fries were luke warm. They assured us that they cooked them from scratch for his meal...there is no way that happened. They just picked them out of the basket as left overs from the previous meal...I know, I was watching the chef work. They agreed to make him fresh HOT ones, but he had already finished his sandwich, and the chips were not arriving. In the end he told them to keep the fries. They did take his meal off the bill, but again, there is no excuse for this kind of food service! NONE!

We decided a long walk would put us in a better mood...and though it was cool outside to the point of us wearing sweaters...we trod the pavement. Coming around a corner, we spied a lovely old Victorian. We didn't know this was the BACK of the house. A lady had come out to check the mail and I made enquiries of the property. She invited us over to look at the outside from INSIDE the property. This is the back of the house that we saw first, from across the road. See the Porte Corchere on the far left? That is the tradesman's entrance!

This home needs a LOT of work. It looks like it has never had all the paint taken off or properly prepared before another coat of probably lead paint, was applied. Too bad! It will take lots of time and effort to repair and make like new.

The woman we spoke to was the caregiver for the 99 yr old owner who still lives in this home. It is quite a long story. soon....This is the side of the house from the street. The lilies in the garden are gorgeous! Orange and yellow and some pink tiger lilies further around.

And as you come around the corner to the Main Road, this is the front! WOW! As we were about to leave, a man came around the side of the house after us, and called out "Are you Aussies or Kiwis??"
To which I replied...
"Shame on you for not knowing the difference", with a chuckle. He laughed too...He was SO happy to know we are kiwis. His son went to Wollongong (Australia)University for his junior year at Uni, and the family had visited Downunder while he was there. The man (Harry) is the son of the owner, and told us all about the family home. He doesn't want to inherit it...and told us, now he had our Contact details, he would find us an make us an offer on the home that we couldn't refuse:) Ya think?
We would LOVE to do a home like this up...if we win the lottery!

Apparently there was an exact replica (or maybe this was the replica?) of this home in New Bern, further south. The family had been in Lumber, initially, and made a lot of money, then Cotton and done likewise. The grandfather of he present owner gave this home to the owners mother as a wedding gift! generous soul! There used to be another family home right next door, so that effectively, the family owned the whole city block. That was torn down and replaced with what is now some social services building. The New Bern house was torn down and replaced with a new Bank Building! arghhh!! How can they do these things??
I guess this home will go to rack and ruin also, if someone doesn't buy it. It would take a small...no, make that a medium sized fortune to bring this home back to it's former glory. It has four bedrooms upstairs with three bathrooms...one of which is a relatively new addition.
The wide veranda is where the family lived in the summer months. There was no air conditioning of course, so they would throw open all the windows and doors and let the small sea breezes blow through. There is a gas fired boiler (new) in the basement of the home now, that keeps the home warm in winter. The old radiators still work too!

 

We stood outside talking for ages...comparing notes about NZ and all, and I was busy asking questions about the inside of the home...angling for an invite inside...cheeky me! Well, he took the bait and Harry invited us into his mother's home through the back door! We met the lovely 99 yr old mother, and Harry's daughter and grandson, who were visiting the old lady...who has all her marvels, I might add. Harry is anxious for the home to be preserved, and has considered putting a collection box at the gate to ask the public to help preserve this lovely home. It was built in 1913, and represents all the very best of the Victorian era. The Wallpaper was added in the  1930's I believe. It is in excellent condition. The lovely marble bust should stay with the house...just my opinion!

 The large entry hall with gracious staircase. Off to the left, immediately is the dining room, with a kitchen behind that, going back. We didn't see the very private rooms, of course. To the immediate right is the front parlor, where the old lady has moved into, it being hard for her to climb stairs now.
The room on the right is the morning room, and the one at the back with what looks like a yellow something at the door...it is actually a fireplace surround...is the Sitting room, I believe. That is where the old lady was sitting reading the newspaper, when we entered. She was interested and interesting!.

 The radiator with cover and crystal bowl on top. In the Dining room.

 The dining room...the light fittings are even silver!

 Harry said he is allergic to cleaning silver...too old to care for the house now (he is 65).

 The original screen door grille.

 The floors are lovely American oak with inlaid wood. They badly need sanding. What a labor of love this project could be. Waz and I thought we might have our much thought out Devonshire Tea Rooms here, with a Wedding Venue being the largest money spinner and the least work! Really?? who said that?

 A last look as we head of  back to the boat.

We headed home after this delightful interlude and made a cup of tea.

Along the way, we visited a community Art Gallery, which was also a theatre and school...fantastic community resource! We got talking (we usually do!) with one of the administrators who is a boater (40 ft sailboat that a tornado took apart, not so long ago...needs fixing!)..I think this was BEFORE lunch, now that I think about it some more. We went back afterwards to take a look at something in particular...memory not serving me well!

We had learned that there was a Japanese restaurant (Toyama) that has THE BEST SUSHI...or so we were told. We are always a little skeptical about these rave reviews...everything like this is so subjective, isn't it?

Our 3pm departure came and went. We thought we might make the 7pm bridge opening (The last one before we left the town), but that also went out the door when we decided to walk back into town to get Sushi! Well, if it IS the best, we want to know, right?

We were given a lift over the bridge (which is currently a construction zone and not very pedestrian friendly) and dropped not far away, with instructions on how to find the restaurant. Decent people here!
We sat down...there isn't much in the way of décor, but we hoped for the best.
Miso soup followed by Shrimp and vegetable Tempura, followed by the special of the day for $19.99...Three different sushi rolls on one plate.
The miso was good...nothing like a bowl of that on a cold night! (Which it was...I had on coat and scarf).
The tempura, however, was not in Japanese tempura batter, but regular...what we would call fish ...batter. Hmm...this didn't bode well for the rest of the meal...Why wasn't it in tempura? so easy!

The three rolls were tasty, but not too memorable, which is why I cant really remember what they were!! We will have to find better. I do have to say, though, that it is the best Sushi to date! Doesn't say much for the Sushi, does it!?

We walked home in the cold, and were glad we had our longs on. Waz set the alarm for 6.00am ..we need to get under that bridge before 7am!..and we need to request an opening!
Early night, but I didn't sleep. I got up and finished my book, going back to bed around 1am. Not a lot of sleep, but enough, apparently.

The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina

Why is it called the Outer Banks or OBX as we saw everywhere?
This is the chain of land and Islands that would otherwise be called Barrier Islands. They are separated from the rest of the land by that huge bodies of water known as the Pamlico and Albermarle Sounds. This whole area is  known as The Albermarle. It is a very pretty part of the country, and there is so much more to explore, other than just the coastal towns. The Piedmont (foothills) and mountains are very inviting too, but another time!.

We set out early this day to do the Outer Banks, in particular going to Kitty Hawk to see the Wright Brothers Museum, and then south again to Cape Hatteras. It was a long way there, and a long way back. Just over 200 miles all up.

Leaving the boat armed with croissantwiches in a container for eating on the run (breakfast) and having seared the steak that was getting older by the minute, in the fridge (for lack of eating for many nights), cutting it into bite sized pieces. We took the old cole slaw, which was suffering from the same lack of eating, but it tasted great, having marinated all that time (definitely better tasting, when older!), fruit, forks, towels et all, into the cooler with frozen water bottles which we hoped would keep everything cool on this very hit (91F) day, for the whole day, if possible.


This photograph is of the Historic Colored School at Jarvisburg. Here is some of the history surrounding this building.

The Jarvisburg Colored School: 1868-1950
An Enduring History

Throughout its history the schools in the county have been a gathering place and a civic anchor for the people of the county. This was especially true in the African-American community. However, today we share with all members of the community, our cultural heritage. The Historic Jarvisburg Colored School will represent the history of all the former Colored schools in the county.

In Sept. 1867 the CurrituckBoard of Commissioners decided to re-establish new townships for voting registration and tax purposes. They were:

1. Moyock (Tulls Creek, Gibbs Woods)
2. Poplar Branch (Narrow Shore, Powells Point)
3. Crawford (Court House, Indian Ridge, Coinjock)
4. Fruitville (Knotts Island, Mackeys Island, Monkey Island, Crow Island, Morse's Point)
5. Nags Head (North Banks, Roanoke Island, Nags Head and Bodie Island).

Each township had its own churches and it seems that some of the churches in each township took on the responsibility of operating a school for the newly freed Colored people next to the churches.

There are existing records that indicate that the Jarvisburg School was opened in 1867 in Powells Point, N.C. The school was moved to its present site during the 1890s. The old building was last expanded to its current size as a school in 1911.

The Colored Schools were consolidated in the 1950s and the old buildings were sold by the county as surplus. All the schools were integrated in the 1960s and this building would no longer serve as a school.

All through this area were HUGE fields of Maize, Peanuts, what looked like Barley, but couldn't be sure, and wheat. Sorry for photos...these are taken by Waz, as I drive..I will blame him :)

I forgot the Tomatoes!! how could I?

 

Wheat fields. This one is small compared to most that we saw.

This bridge crosses the ICW, on a route we did not take, so were interested to look down at the water and see the course it took.

I have to take responsibility for this horrid photo, but its the only one we have of the Kitty Hawk Rest Stop information center, lol. The folks there had never met Kiwis!!! I had to take one lady outside and show here where we had come from, on the map outside.

As you can see....the Pamlico Sound runs across the bottom of the photo, with the Albemarle at the top. If you look bottom left, you can see a dotted line...find Bellhaven, and it is just below that...this is the ICW route we took. Where it stops is where we docked at Elizabeth City. You can see the Dismal Swamp named in the middle left. That is where I am writing this from:) The OBX really are such skinny pieces of land, no wonder they don't stop the hurricanes coming inland...they are also very flat! as one might expect.

We wanted to especially go to the Wright Brothers Airfield and museum. Unfortunately the large exhibit hall is closed and the only exhibit is the one at the Visitor's Center. There is also a monument at the top of the hill, which we didn't go to, but did visit the art/monument around the corner, which was worth the visit.

The words are lovely..please take the time to read them.

It is a very fitting memorial to the many men and women who,over the past century and more, have been instrumental in Flight, in almost every way possible.

Those pillars are stainless steel..it is a harsh maritime environment!

Of course when we saw the Kitty Hawk Post Office, we had to go inside and see if the had commemorative Stamps et al. They didn't, but they did have the printed envelopes.

We purchased one each for our senior family members back home in NZ, and one each for my nephews in Auckland, aged 11 and 8.

 I had been hoping to purchased these stamps, but alas, none were available.

As usual, we did an about turn and a "What is down there...." and went in search of the Beach. After our visit to Virginia Beach, we were seeking something a bit more 'natural'. We found it.

To preserve what little there is of the Sand Dunes, there are walkways and stairs over the dunes. I like that they also provide trash containers! and Doggy Doo bags! We see the latter everywhere:)

Our first glimpse of the Atlantic at Kitty Hawk beach.

 Not too many people out there around 10.30am. I guess it was early yet for beachgoers.

 

 The shells were plentiful, but well worn....and VERY hard to walk on in bare feet...Pain!!

This little fella is a Ghost Crab.

The remains of a small Skate.

 

 The Wright Memorial Monument at the top of the hill above their Flight Base

The sheds they built the planes in

You can see the Hall of Fame in the background. This is the display at the Wright Brothers Visitors Center/National Parks Service .

 An exact replica of the first Flying Machine.

The blueprint

 A diagram of the skid that the plane was launched from.

The wind tunnel which the brothers used to test their theories

 These display 'houses' were closed permanently, the sign said. Sad! There were a lot of people there this day, and so many of them went over to see what was in here, and coming away disappointed, just as we did.

 ..and we kept on going south down the Outer Banks. Sand hills!!! and that is about all there was between us and the Atlantic and Pamlico Sound

 The Bodie Island Light House.

 Yet another bridge connecting all the dots in the ocean.

Marshes looking into Pamlico Sound

 The further south we got towards Cape Hatteras, the more we drove between the sand dunes, with drifts over the road.

Some of the many homes that are for rent...most of them are vacant right now. School holidays have not yet begun, and I don't think I want to be there when they begin.

Of course I had to take a photo of the sign:)

 and this one..in case some readers have never seen one! The National Park Service run so many tourist sites and those of Historical Importance...

 This map shows the locations of three Light Houses on the Outer Banks.

We chose not to climb, due to these conditions!!

 The Light House at Cape Hatteras is getting a new coat of paint.

 

 

 The two homes that served the Lighthouse keepers at Cape Hatteras.

Just another rental home! Has views of both the Atlantic and Pamlico Sound

Yes, this house is straight, but I was taking photos while I drove (therefore photo is crooked)...no other cars in sight, promise!!

Did you know that there have been well in excess of 400 Shipwrecks along the Outer Banks. There is a map with all the known and unknown wrecks on it.  These are the only ones I could get in the photo!

We drove home the way we had come down. We had intended to go home a different way...via Edenton, but it would have taken us a lot longer, and the car seats where killing us. We were driving a Nissan Versa, and it is not a car you want to purchase!

We arrived home just after 5pm..rather pooped. It had been a long day...even our lunch was kind of eaten on the run. We sat in the supermarket parking lot in the airconditioned comfort of the car, to eat. Not what we had envisioned when we set out...being a nice picnic in the shade somewhere. Not much shade to be had anywhere down these parts.

We went next door to the Grill at the Marina, where Waz ordered the Bar-b-q ribs he had been promised. I had a pan fried  Flounder, which was delicious. We went to be very tired, knowing we would have to move in the afternoon, next day.