Friday, August 5, 2011

Sad day!!! The kids were off to camp with not so happy faces....they did not want Nana and Papa to leave. Took their mom quite a bit of persuasion to get them in the car so we could leave NJ. Then is was 'when will we see you again?' I know how that feels it was just as difficult for us to say good bye to them.

We headed down the Garden State Parkway to the very end tip of NJ and caught the 10:15 ferry to Lewes, DE. Good thing cause we were supposed to get the 11. So we got an extra hour there to drive down the penninsula.

The ferry crossing was smooth. Lots of dolphins. I tried to take a picture but they are just too quick. There was a huge school of them near the NJ side and then we saw a smaller school just before the breakwater on the Delaware side of the bay.

They load over a 100 cars in less than 10 minutes and unload even quicker. The crossing took about 85 minutes. It was a real SCENIC route for us. We both loved it and now can't wait for the cruise!!!

Heading on US 13 down the Delmarva Pennisula. I have a confession to make here. A light bulb went off last night as we were looking at the map. DELMARVA....it a combo of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia!!!! I lived across the Delaware Bay from them all my life and never realized that's what the Delmarva pennisula was.....pretty stupid don't you think?

Anyway back to heading down US 13. We made it to the Chesapeake Bay and crossed the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Over 17 miles of nothing but water. Two tunnels to allow the BIG ships to cross out into the ocean which by the way was just over the left shoulder as you drive this scenic route. We loved it. Stopped got out at the last manmade island for the tunnel and walked around, took lots of pictures. Watched the fisherman, saw some pretty huge cargo ships waiting to go out to sea and watched one lonely barge being towed by a tug.

We then sat in traffic in Norfolk for about an hour. Just a note here, after sitting the the traffic, remember that one lonely barge? Well he beat us into Norfolk harbor. We passed him again as we went into the tunnel in Norfolk as he chugged his way into port. :)

Needless to say we are exhausted more from the hour in traffic than the 5 hour drive from NJ.

We plan to have lunch with Dale and Dick in Charlottesville, VA tomorrow and hopefully make to Charleston, WV for the night. Then home in Eldred sometime on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who followed our travels and listened to my ramblings. It was a great trip and we made so many happy memories.