Williamsburg

We got up the next morning, said goodby to the ocean and headed inland. 

With all the ships coming and going, the bridges crossing the Chesapeake Bay are a combination of tunnels and bridges.  Above is the USS Winston Churchill leaving port and heading into the bay and onto the ocean.  We were heading into one of the tunnels when I got this picture.

Colonial Williamsburg.

Williamsburg is a town restored to the time of Colonial occupation.  I was surprised at how big it was and how much there was to see.  Nora commented that it seemed like a Disneyland but for history.  And she was right, there were apps that could be downloaded to track characters and events.  Shuttle service from the parking lot and many other things.  

 

The boys in the gift shop.

There were horse carriages everywhere. At $20 a head, we passed on the opportunity. 

The Tinsmith.

The tradespeople that work there are actually doing the work and making items to be used or sold as reproductions.  There is always a worker and another person explaining the process.

The Blacksmith Shop.

The Brickmaker.  The boys got to help out by using their feet to mix the clay.  

There was also a wheelwright in town making wheels for wagons and carriages.  

These pictures do not due the place justice!  

Sunset in Norfolk

After touring we headed out the door to the beach.

See the container ship in the background?  It was the ship we saw being loaded in port earlier on our cruise.

Since we were in the Bay, the waves were almost nonexistent making it a much more peaceful experience than the blowing sand and pounding surf of Assateague.  

There were helicopters and planes flying constantly. 

The sunset was beautiful and while the kids watched TV we went out to snap some pictures.

Chad stopped to ask this guy what he was catching and the gentleman allowed Chad to pull in a fish. 

The fish turned out to be a skate, or a small stingray.  I called the kids down and they came a running.

The fisherman even let the boys reel some fish in.

Nathaniel caught a croaker.

The Battleship Wisconsin

After the cruise we returned to the Nautius Museum to see the Battleship Wisconsin.

This was the view from the parking garage.

Checking out what it was like to sleep on a ship like this.  The bunks were crammed everywhere.  I don't know how people could sleep in here!  I guess you would get used to it. 

Norfolk Navy Base Cruise

The next morning I was excited to take the boys on a cruise of the harbor and the Navel shipyards.  Norfolk is the largest Navel Station in the world along with plenty of civilian ship yards and dry docks spread through out the area.  This is also the site of the famous Civil War Battle of Hampton Roads between the two ironclad ships that forever changed the Navy both here and abroad by showing the strength of ironclad ships and making wooded ships almost null and void in battle.

A Coast Guard boat.

Tim enjoying the 2 hour cruise.

Look close and you can see the hulls to two subs barely sticking out of the water on the right side of the pier.

A boat in dry dock.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, our newest Air Craft Carrier that is to be commissioned this year and deployed for the first time in 2021. 

The USS Bainbidge, a missile destroyer that assisted in apprehending the Somali pirates that hijacked the Maersk Alabama in April 2009.

A container ship being loaded.  Later in the day we saw this same ship leaving the Chesapeake Bay and heading into the Atlantic.

Not, one, not two, but three Air Craft Carriers were in port.  The USS Abe Lincoln, the USS George Washington and the the USS Gerold R. Ford.  The deck on these things is 4 plus acres in size.

Norfolk

After saying goodbye to the Barnes at Assateague we headed south to Norfolk.  To reach Norfolk we had to cross the Chesapeake Bay.  After seeing the Chesapeake I can truly appreciate it's importance to our country and to early America.  The Bay is huge!  It is the largest estuary in North America.  Over 150 major rivers and streams empty into it.  It is 200 miles long with only two ways to cross it.  The Chesapeake Bay Bridge that we crossed eairler on our trip and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge -Tunnel at the mouth of the Bay.  It is a 23 mile long system of bridges, artificial islands and tunnels.  Because of the size of the ships entering the bay (Cargo ships and Air Craft Carriers) a bridge can not go high enough to allow them to pass so the bridge becomes a tunnel allowing the ships to cross over the traffic.

We arrived at our hotel in Norfolk and I was quite concerned about the neighborhood.  But it was too late to cancel so we headed to our room.  The room was ok but left a little to be desired.  It was time for the hotel to remodel.  However when I opened the curtains the view made up for all it's short comings.

The view our our room.  Just over that grassy hill is the beach!

The Beach!

Chincoteague and Assateague Islands are both barrier islands just off of the coast of Maryland (just Assateague) and Virginia.  Chincoteague is the smaller of the two and sits at the southern end between Assateague and the mainland.  Assateague is 37 mile long barrier island.  It is long and narrow and comprised of sand, marsh and low forest.  Chincoteague is a small quaint summer community with a family beachside atmosphere.  Our hotel was on Chincoteage and an hour drive around on the mainland from the Maryland end where we had been the night before. 

After leaving Chincoteague early the next morning and heading back up north on the mainland we passed Wallops Flight Facility.  It is a flight facility that is used by NASA, the Navy and various other agencies for rocket launches.  We didn't have the time to stop but as we drove by a plane was taking off.  It was a F-22 fighter.  It was using it thrusters and was incredibly loud!  It made us all jump.  It went down the end of the runway and turned around and headed back for us.  After living around planes for 20 years now, I didn't think much of it.  But, then it reached the end of the runway, did a 90 degree turn and flew straight up!  No casual gain of altitude, just straight up!

After arriving at Assateague we set up camp on the beach. 

There was a strong riptide and so the kids couldn't go in to deep. But they swam, and swam and swam.  Despite sunscreen we have the burns to prove it.

Assateague Island

After Annapolis we continued south heading to Assateague.

Here we are crossing the 4.3 mile long Chesapeake Bay bridge.

Crossing a smaller bridge several hours later to Assateague Island.

The famed wild ponies of Assateague Island.

At last!  The ocean!  

In 9 months time we have visited the Pacific and now the Atlantic Ocean!

Maggy

Then the light started doing amazing things and I started snapping pictures right and left.

Pete and Maria.