Southern Style in the slings at Bluewater Yacht Yard
We are staying here in Hampton as our new dinghy is also here in the area getting fitted out. If all goes as planned, the dinghy should be ready for us by the end of the week.
The new dinghy in the garage to be rigged with new electronics
While here in Hampton, Keith has been able to play some golf and I have done some quilting. We also had dinner in Norfolk with friends Dr. Mike and Debbie. They were in Norfolk for the boat show so we got together Saturday evening. We ate outside at a little place in downtown Norfolk. The weather was great and their black labs were also able to come along.
Reggie, one of Mike and Debbie's black labs looking exceptionally cute at dinner
On Thursday, September 19th, Keith and I drove the rental car over to Fort Monroe. The area where the fort is located is only about 5 miles from the marina. There has been some sort of fortification at this location since the 1600's. However, the stone fort that stands today was started in the 1830's. It is the largest stone fort in the United States and was called the Gibraltar of the Chesapeake. President Lincoln stayed at the fort while planning the attack on Norfolk, and Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States) was imprisoned here for 2 years after the Civil War. In 2011, the fort was declared a National Monument and became a national park.
The mote around the outer walls (outer walls are 10 feet thick)
Centurion Church (below) was built in 1858 and has numerous beautiful stained glass windows, several of which are the original Tiffany windows. Unfortunately the church was not open when we were there.
The "Lincoln Cannon", pictured below, is a 15 inch Rodman gun weighing 49,000 lbs. It could shoot a canon ball weighing 300 lbs up to 4 miles. Cast in 1860 it was used in the Civil War. This gun was the very first cast and put into service. It is serial #1 and served at Fort Monroe protecting the fort from Confederate ships including the CSS Virginia (the Confederate iron clad) that were located just across the way at Sewell Point. Although the state of Virginia was a confederate state, Fort Monroe was always under Union control throughout the Civil War.
The Lincoln Canon
Live oaks are numerous along the parade grounds. This one is estimated to be 400 years old.
Quarters 1 is one of the oldest houses in the fort and was the headquarters of the fort for many years. It was built in 1819. Lincoln stayed here during his 1862 visit to plan the attach on Norfolk.
Casemate museum
Cell where Jefferson Davis was confined from May to October 1865. Because his health was
deteriorating his physician arraigned for him to be moved into Carrol Hall within the fort. 
Jefferson Davis remained within the confines of the fort until May 1867 when he was released on bail. He was never brought to trial, but did loose his citizenship. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter posthumously restored citizenship to Jefferson Davis in what was called the final act of reconciliation of the Civil War.
Our visit to Fort Monroe was a nice way to just get off the boat for a bit. The National Park Service now runs much of the fort and it is free to walk around the grounds and through the museum.
We are hoping to get our new dinghy in the next day or two. Our plan is to hang out in Hampton until Monday and then start heading into the Albemarle Sound. We hope to visit 3 places along the Albemarle Loop over the next week to 10 days and then head to Oriental, NC for the Back Porch Music Festival the beginning of October.
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