Day 3-6 Elizabeth City NC to Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks

Visited the very good museum at Elizabeth City. [note: write more about canal thru Dismal Swamp.]

We headed toward Edenton, NC but just passed through remembering our disastrous trip there when we were looking to perhaps retire there. Turns out there are way too many Evangelicals in NC for our tastes. We prefer the more hedonistic marina-types.

The afternoon was interesting as we took a tour of the southern side of the Albemarle Pennisula. Barren, swampy, but beautiful. I think the trooper that pulled me over was the only other car on the road. Took the last ferry to Ocracoke and arrived just after sunset. The hotel turned out to be a gem, Captain's Landing, on the harbor lagoon, named Silver Lake (I believe I heard Blackbeard named it.) Room was convenient with a living room/kitchen, almost as big as mine, and bedroom with sliding glass doors to the deck overlooking Silver Lake.

Within walking distance was a wonderful new restaurant (only three are open at this time of year) named Dajio (Doug and Judy In Ocracoke). We had several recommendations to try it but each was accompanied by "...but it's cold inside." They were right but Judy put us right by the gas fireplace. It was easy to seat us since we were the only guests. Food was very good but I'll have to think hard about what we ate.

Weather is horrific but in that, it's wonderful. There is no reason to be outside in the wet, the cold, the hard winds. Time to read and watch DVDs.

Day 2: Feb2010 Elizabeth City, NC

Yesterday was beautiful and bright. Today was gloomy and wet. We started off along the James River to the recommended plantation manor house, Shirley Plantation, only to get to the gate the closed sign. After taking another back road that hadn't been scraped of snow, every light on the dashboard went off. At the 'First Team Toyota' dealership we got to watch Quantuum Solace while they searched for the problem--a sensor. Then we were off to the afternoon's adventure of going through Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp. Guess what. They're right, it's actually dismal...not much of a swamp and what there is, quite dismal. The early Virginians were quite clever to shoot down the obvious name: Great Dull Swamp.

We are now in Elizabeth City and looking forward to reaching Ocrakoke Island tomorrow. It was a tough night and day but Joe's already snoring away on tonight's king sized bed!! Yea!