On Tuesday, June 1, we left Oriental and started our trek north with stops in Bellhaven and then Coinjock for the 32 oz. prime rib dinner. We feel we deserve this after crossing Albemarle Sound even when the waves are only one foot.

On Thursday, June 3, we arrived at Full Throttle at Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth, VA. Jim had overheads run on the two working Cats, whatever that means. Whenever we stop here or across the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, the temps climb into the high 90s with high humidity. Palmetto Moon's a/c is great; however, it has trouble keeping up when it is sweltering hot. So, we tried to cool off by riding the Elizabeth River Ferry over to Norfolk to walk through MacArthur Mall.

On Monday, June 7 we left Portsmouth and cruised about 14 miles up to Hampton. Along the way, we heard several announcements that Aircraft Carrier #1 and Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater were leaving some dock. Fortunately, we were in the channel to Hampton when they cruised by. Palmetto Moon is definitely small compared to this monster!

On Wednesday, June 9, we rented a car from Enterprise and drove to Newport News to tour The Mariners' Museum which was designated by Congress as America's National Maritime Museum with over 120,000 square feet of gallery space. The highlight is the USS Monitor Center with a full-scale Monitor replica, artifacts including the iconic gun turret, and the Battle Theater.

Briefly, the other seven galleries are: Chesapeake Bay, a history of people using the Bay for travel, commerce, and recreation; Age of Exploration which chronicles the scientific changes in shipbuilding, navigation, and cartography of the 15th through 18th centuries; The Nelson Touch explores the naval career of Admiral Horatio Nelson; Defending the Seas exhibits the US Navy's role in history; Great Hall of Steam is about oceangoing commerical steamships; The Miniature Ships of August and Winnifred Crabtree is 16 miniature vessels that document the evolution of the sailing ship; and International Small Craft Center features some of the most remarkable watercraft from around the world. Yes, our feet were tired at the end of this museum; however, we then stopped at various stores for supplies. We stayed in Hampton for two extra days as the Bay became very windy; we learned that a forecast of 2'-3' waves really means 3'-5'.

On Saturday, June 12, we cruised 35 miles up into the Severn River off Mobjack Bay and stopped for the night at a very remote and quiet marina.

On Sunday, June 13, we cruised up the Rappahannock River to Urbanna, one of the 20 port towns established by a 1680 Act of Assembly. From these towns, tobacco was exported to England for European goods. Our friends, Larry and Sue on M/V Sue Sea Q met us at Dozier's marina. The next day Sue and Su walked around the village using the Walking Guide of historic homes. Pictured is the Marble House built at the turn of the century and one of the Victorian era buildings. It was built by Lord Byron Van Wagenen, a schooner captain whose family owned an oyster house and pickle factory.

On Tuesday, June 15, we cruised down the Rappahannock River to Deltaville where we usually stop northbound and southbound. The four of us decided that it was too hot to travel when Dozier's Regatta Point had a swimming pool to relax by and a shaded picnic area for dining.

On Sunday, June 20, we left Deltaville for a short run of 25 miles to Reedville up the Great Wicomico River. Reedville was reportedly the richest per capita in the country around World War I, thanks to the abundant menhaden fishing! This mansion is the Gables Inn and was built in the late 1800s by a local captain who brought the bricks by schooner from New England. The boat's three masts were also used in the construction. It is located on Main Street which is also called Millionaire's Row. All of us--Larry & Sue and Jim and Su--agreed that the food at The Crazy Crab was incredible. Jim had "the best crab cake ever" which was extremely large and filled with jumbo lump only; Su had crab on crab which was jumbo lump on piled on top of a soft-shell crab. We then walked two blocks down the street to Chitterchats for homemade ice cream, another wonderful experience.

On Monday, June 21, we toured the Fishermen's Museum and learned about the menhaden industry. There is only one processing plant left in town which processes 100,000 metric tonnes per year of the inedible fish. Several locally built boats are on display at the museum including a working buy boat and a restored skipjack.

We could have stayed here longer just to eat more crab; however, the weather forcast was favorable and that is important when crossing the might Potomac River. We arrived at Solomons Harbor Marina in Solomons, MD on Tuesday, June 22 for our annual extended stay.