On to Norfolk

Sunday dawned beautifully over the Waterman’s Museum on the York River at Yorktown.

Rudy and I walked up to Church Street to attend the 7:45 am service at Grace Episcopal Church, built in 1690. 

The Church was a lovely historical building, and I wondered how many of our parishioners would complain that the pews were only deep enough to reach half way from your butt to your knees, and the pews were close enough together that you had to be careful when putting the kneeling pads down that your feet didn’t knock over the ones in the pews behind you.  The congregation there was friendly, and the priest gave a thoughtful message that literally kept us on the edge of our seats. The service was over in time for Sunday school, had I been in Key West.  

We walked the historic streets of Yorktown, where I met with Admiral Francois de Grasse as we tried to convince George Washington to handle the armies, and leave the maritime end to us, lest he lose men in the York River the way he did in the Potomac.  It must have worked, since history records that, as the result of the British defeat at Yorktown, we rebel patriots eventually won the war.  Actually, I learned today that the victory was in large part due to the French Admiral. 

We walked up to the National Park Visitor Center, and enjoyed about an hour long guided historical tour by an interpretive ranger.  Then we walked back down the hill to the boat, where we departed Yorktown a little after noon.

Yorktown City Docks

The weather kept getting better and better, and we made good time to Norfolk.  We cruised in Hampton and looked at the old Fort Monroe before continuing past the Norfolk Naval facilities, finally anchoring in about 17 feet of water at mile marker 0 on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, hereafter referred to as the AICW. 

 We are just off the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and directly across from the museum Battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk.

There are probably about twenty boats anchored in this little indentation off the Elizabeth River, most of which are sailboats.  We grilled hamburgers, and after we post this blog, I may call it an early night.