We stopped for 4 days on the eastern shore in southern Maryland, a part they call Delmarva. It is a peninsular comprising The State of Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia, hence the name. We stayed in Jane Island State Park, a beautiful park near the crab capital of the world in Crisfield.
We had a great spot just feet from the bay.
It is a quiet sleepy area, but there the waters teem with Blue Swimmer Crabs and the kids at the park spent hours with their chicken necks and nets catching lots of crabs on the jettys.
The sunsets were lovely as we faced west over the bay. It's too wide to see the other shore.
We didn't do very much except small trips to the town and other nearby villages to buy some crab meat for some delicious home made crab cakes. One day we went on a long kayak around the island. We stayed on the mainland and the island is separated by a small channel. There are numerous reed island and water trails to explore.
It was the nicest camping spot we had had anywhere. But alas it was time to head on, so we headed south down the peninsular and over the border in to Virginia. We reached the cape at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay and crossed the most impressive 18 mile bridge and tunnel spanning the entrance to the bay. Not once but twice the bridge dips into the water and dives into a tunnel under the bay allowing the huge aircraft carriers and battleships of the American Atlantic fleet based in Norfolk unrestricted access to the open sea.
When we reached the other side it was all smoggy which we put down to pollution but in fact it was smoke drifting from a huge fire in The Great Dismal Swamp. (great name!)
South of Chesapeake the climate was noticeably different. It was becoming sub tropical with lush greenery, tropical flowers and a hot sun. It is in fact the same degree of latitude north as Auckland is south (37 degrees) and it seemed very similar with the lushness and humidity.
We stopped the night in Williamsburg, heart of the Historic Triangle of the early settlers. When we arrived at the campground the ground start to shake and with a huge whoosh a fast train roared by just feet from where we were due to camp. We asked for a different spot so they put us on the other side of the campground just feet from a busy main road. So we checked out the next day and went to a lovely state park at the confluence of the Chicahominy river and the James River. Another quiet lovely spot.
Yesterday we visited a recreation on the site of the town of Williamsburg where they have people dressed as they would have been in 1699 and houses in that style.
To go in the houses costs $40 but to wander round costs nothing so we settled on the latter and saw recreations of famous events, sword fighting and pipe and band marches by British Soldiers.
Some of the buildings are very grand like the Governors Palace above and others much more modest.
In the evening we went to Captain Georges Seafood buffet and dined on all you could eat crab and shrimp amongst other delicacies.
That's an Alaskan King crab legs, and a Blue crab in the picture.
Williamsburg is a very pretty town and area, with lots of trees and parks and water everywhere. One of the top tourist destinations in the US.
Today we drove to Jamestown, home of the first English settlement in America. There were recreations of the original sailing ships that brought the first settlers to the country.
It was well presented if not very authentic. The original settlement has long since decayed and nothing remains of it, so recreations like the original fort are the only way to display what it was like.
This afternoon we have been to Yorktown scene of the famous last battle of the American war of Independence in which the British under General Cornwallis surrendered to the army of George Washington effectively ending the war. Not much to see now days but it has been well preserved.
This week we continue our circumnavigation of the Chesapeake and spend most of the week further North at The Belle Isle State Park. The weather continues fine and very hot.
