We spent two nights in the Hampton Roads area. Hampton Roads refers to the metropolitan area surrounding Norfolk, VA. The first night on the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River and the second night on the Norfolk side.
Mike had been e-mailing his sister, Kris, who lives in the area in Virgina Beach. Mike and Kris reached each other by cell phone. It just so happened that Virginia Beach's largest festival, The Neptune Festival, was the next day. Miles of vendors along the boardwalk, a huge parade, a sand sculpture contest that draws artists from as far away as Russia and a ball on Saturday night. Kris had volunteered as a parade Marshall, and her and her husband, Rob, came to the boat and picked us up for a grand day at the beach. While Kris kept order on the street, the rest of us watched the parade from our comfortable canvas chairs and then took off for lunch to Wanda the Witches', Boneshakers Grill, a biker bar. The Boneshakers had ridden in the parade, along with the Shriner's in those little cars, circus performers, the national champion cheerleader squad, many high school bands and all branches of the military.
The treat of the day, by far, were the sand sculptures. Unbelievable in their detail, originality, and beauty. We got back to the boat in the evening just in time to see a wedding party board the neighboring sailboat and sail off into the sunset to be married aboard! As luck would have it, they had a beautiful night. The next day dawned gray and stormy.
One cannot pass through this area and not mention the Navy Shipyards. There are zillions of ships of every shape and size, most of them huge. We were an ant among elephants.
And, now we have arrived at our destination, Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina on a river off the south end of the Potomac. We'll be here until the middle of October. 
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