Miles Traveled 23.9
Total Miles Traveled 3882
We were fogged in early this morning after the cold front
moved through yesterday; we missed the severe storms and only had rain and
light winds at the dock.
After the sun broke through the fog, we were on our way
to the Dismal Swamp Canal. The Dismal
Swamp is higher than the surrounding countryside--on a hillside at least 20
feet above sea level. It is one of the
few places on the North American Continent where peat is being formed.
As one of the first to visit the Swamp and record his
experiences, Colonel Byrd led a band of surveyors into the Swamp in 1728 to run
a dividing line between the disputing colonies of Virginia and North
Carolina. They were almost devoured by
yellow flies, chiggers and ticks. Under
these conditions, Byrd is credited with the “Dismal” name.
In 1763, George Washington made his first visit to the
swamp where he suggested draining the swamp and digging a north-south canal to
connect the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound.
Railroad Swing Bridge on the way to the canal.
The water in the canal is brown and looks dirty, but actually,
it’s amber-colored and unusually pure, preserved by the tannic acids from the
bark of the juniper, gum and cypress trees.
These conditions make it difficult for bacteria to grow. Before the days of refrigeration, water from
the Swamp was a highly prized commodity on sailing ships. Considered chemically pure, it was stored in
kegs and maintained its potability. I
don’t care how pure it is, I don’t think I’m going to drink it.
South Mills Lock
At mile 28 of the ICW is the location of the Dismal Swamp
Canal Welcome Center, where boats can tie up to a 150 foot open faced dock and
spend the night before continuing on to Norfolk, Va. The Welcome Center also provides a rest stop
for motorist on Highway 17 in South Mills, NC.
Sometimes there are more boats than dock space. No problem, the locks are closed at night and
everyone in the canal rafts up.
The Dismal Swamp State Park is also located here,
providing information about the history of the swamp, interactive exhibits,
examples of the diverse animals and birds, and several miles of walking
trails. One of the trails is a half mile
boardwalk through the swamp, which we started until we were eaten alive by
yellow files, chiggers, and mosquitoes………..just kidding.
A beary good picture of my best mate.
These are cypress knees, a distinctive structure forming above
the roots of a cypress tree projecting vertically above the normal water level.
6 comments:
Love all of these pictures just like being there with you.
Love all of these pictures just like being there with you.
Thanks! Glad you like blog :)
Thanks! Glad you like blog :)
Guess what it is pouring rain here too all most dark. We needed the rain, have all the flowers off the porch, they are getting wet. Nothing new, to tell you, I am glad you got some shelter from the rain. Watch for that light house too. I liked the one you sent yesterday. Lots of ships, l Liked the #5 one l found some people on it. It's 8:00 so going to watch TV. Are TV was acting up so we had to call a Tech, he fixed one and hooked up the one in your bed room, very good picture. Well good nite have a good one mommy.
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Guess what it is pouring rain here too all most dark. We needed the rain, have all the flowers off the porch, they are getting wet. Nothing new, to tell you, I am glad you got some shelter from the rain. Watch for that light house too. I liked the one you sent yesterday. Lots of ships, l Liked the #5 one l found some people on it. It's 8:00 so going to watch TV. Are TV was acting up so we had to call a Tech, he fixed one and hooked up the one in your bed room, very good picture. Well good nite have a good one mommy.
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