The Norfolk Circle or Carolina Loop

Last weekend we had a very pleasant three day boat excursion along the Carolina Loop, part of the Intercoastal Waterway, which runs along the eastern coast of the US. We started in Chesapeake, Virginia, close to our hometown of Virginia Beach and went south. I haven't traveled this many waterways in so short a time!

Deep Creek, Chesapeake =>

The Great Dismal Swamp Canal =>

Pasquatank River => then north to

Albemarle Sound =>

North River =>

North Landing River =>

A&C Canal =>

Home!

A Loop! Or circle!

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Deep Creek Lock and Bridge at the beginning of The Great Dismal Swamp.
No need to leave the boat! The lockmaster catches the ropes and ties you up.

The Great Dismal Swamp, near the visitor's center. The canal was built in the 1790's as a trade route from Virginia to North Carolina. Nearby Lake Drummond feeds the canal and controls its depth. The canal is 22 miles long and isn't really so dismal! Although it has a colorful history! It's really called The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and is one of the largest natural areas on the East Coast.

The Great Dismal Swamp.
Nope, that's not our boat!

I was lucky to see many butterflies during the journey along the canal but never had a good chance to take a photo. But I saw this at the visitor center. I saw several of these butterflies!



Nope, not my boat!
Yachts are starting to return north from visiting the south for the winter.
We call the people who own them "snowbirds"!
These were at the dock in Coinjock, North Carolina.



Sign on Coinjock, North Carolina dock.



Sunrise in Tull Bay.
We anchored in this bay the second night. It was so quiet until morning when the birds were really singing.
 It was a real treat!

The light changed quickly in Tull Bay!



There are osprey nests with young ones on almost all of the channel markers. They have been encouraged to build their nests on the markers and they certainly do it! Without a telephoto lens, I couldn't get a closer photo.