Visiting Grandchildren and Grandchildren Visits.

After we got back from England, Bob spent the rest of the summer and the early fall working on the boat

(adding new metal aft ports)

grinding out the fiberglass

and rebuilding our porches.

taking out the old rotten wood

Framing in the new porch - he is putting the new porch over the old brick side door steps

Laying the boards

Building some new back steps

From side door to steps

Back steps done

Adding a railing

Porch to the side front door

House with the finished porch

The summer kitchen in back of the house

Our son and two daughters came up for the Oyster Festival which is the third weekend in October.

Daughter with her dog at our house

Granddaughter in our yard

Three grandchildren in our yard

We made the decision in late October not to go south in the boat this year. I told our son in Charleston that we'd come to visit him for Thanksgiving by car. So after my grandson's birthday on the 17th of November,

Opening birthday presents

the following Sunday, we headed down US 301, and turned down US 17 and traveled through the historic area of Virginia, across the bridge at Yorktown, and around Norfolk via the Monitor Merrimac tunnel, and got back on US 17. We went along the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Looking up US 17 in Deep Creek VA

We missed the turn to go across the canal, and had to turn around and come back. Now we could see the bascule bridge near the lock from the road.

Bascule bridge across the canal

Since I only had a digital camera (hadn't gotten the Olympus film camera back from the shop yet), it was hard to take pictures quickly from the car,

Looking at the canal from the bridge

but the canal looked really peaceful. As we drove along beside it, Bob and I had a "discussion" about whether it was closed or not. He said it was always closed (to boat traffic) in the winter, and I said it was only closed for construction or in drought. We saw lots of people with trailerable boats putting them into the water and even some kayaks. Then we passed a lone sailboat. So that was settled. It wasn't closed, although it was late in the season and getting cold to be a a dock without electricity. We stopped at the visitor's center (for the first time from the road side)

Visitor's center (closed) is on the left and the bathrooms are on the right, with sample cotton growing patch (right foreground). Snack machines are in a separate building

and there was no one at the docks,

Empty docks with Bob at the end

plus the visitor's center itself was closed because it was Sunday. So all we could do was look at the displays like this map of NC.

Information displays

And this information on the Dismal Swamp (which is really not dismal, but very beautiful).

Aerial view drawing of the canal which was cut out by slave labor

The visitor's center is just above the inset with the bird, and the US 17 bridge over the canal is in the top left corner. There appears to be a barge in the middle of the canal.

There are picnic tables, and information on walking trails. There are also drink and snack machines, and pay phones available even when the Visitor's Center is closed. But there are no restaurants (fast food or otherwise) or stores between Deep Creek and South Mills at the south end of the canal.

Before we left, we each went to the bathroom. The bathrooms are always open.

Me in the ladies room

I took a last look up the canal from the free docks, but the sailboat was still too far away to see.

Free dock at the Visitor's Center

We went through Elizabeth City (there were no boats at the docks)

Elizabeth CIty Drawbridge road approach

Elizabeth City

and then we went to Edenton.

Highway 32 across Albemarle sound - Edenton shore

Instead of a bed and breakfast in Edenton, we stayed at the Hampton in which includes a breakfast and free local calls much cheaper than any of the bed and breakfasts (some of which are $500/night, but that includes breakfast AND dinner)

From our room to the Hampton Inn sign on the road

In my home area, we have overlapping area codes, so we have to dial the area code plus the phone number all the time. Sometimes when I travel, I find that the AC (area code) is not necessary. Usually if no area code is required, the call will not go through, just as it would not if you didn't dial the AC when it was needed. However when I asked the hotel clerk whether my local access number in Elizabeth City was long distance she said no, but forgot to warn me that if I dialed the AC I would be charged as if it was really a long distance call. I ended up with 48 minutes of internet time that cost $180.

We ate that night at Lane's Family Bar-B-Q because was the only one we could find that was open on Sunday night. (The desk clerk at the Hampton Inn recommended it.) It was across RR tracks - hard for us to find - and had seafood, steaks or BBQ. Friendly family service - plastic utensils and styrofoam plates, but the food is good and hot.

A review says: "Authentic North Carolina barbecue with all the proper trimmings is served here. In case you don't know, the main accompaniments to a chicken or pork barbecue (sliced or chopped) sandwich or plate are slaw and French fries or onion rings. Take home a pound or two of barbecue for another meal. You can also choose clam strips or a basic delicious hamburger. Daily specials include such offerings as chicken pot pie on Mondays or ham and collards on Wednesday. Don't miss the banana pudding or lemon meringue pie for dessert."

We both had the beef bbq (which was a tomato based bbq sauce and not the vinegar based) and iced tea. I thought the proper NC BBQ was vinegar based, but the waitress said that only the pork bbq was vinegar based. We don't care for the vinegar based BBQ, so that's why we ordered the beef.

As sides, I had collards (spicy and hot the way I like them) and Brunswick stew (tomatoes and corn and spicy) and corn bread (a flat griddle cake) and Bob had baked potato and lima beans. He doesn't like collards. I thought Brunswick stew was an odd thing to have as a side - I've usually had it as a main dish, but I like Brunswick stew so I jumped at the chance to have it. We've had the griddle cake type corn bread before in Elizabeth City (where we had to ask what it was).

Bob had a chocolate brownie with ice cream and fudge sauce for dessert and I had a pound cake with strawberry icing. Total was $21.19 including tax. But I have no photos

Colonial History
Edenton was an important port because the American ships could sneak in through the Outer Banks and sail up Albemarle Sound. They wouldn't have to go to Norfolk or and of the more easily blockaded ports.

Cannons to defend harbor

These cannon represent some of the ones that were shipped to Edenton to defend the town. The town couldn't pay for them when they arrived, so the captain apparently put them on a barge anchored out off the town and waited 3 years until the town raised the money to pay for them.

Ducks

During the Revolution, there was a scare where the citizens were told that Cornwallis was going to come through the town. Since the only people in town were the aged, infirm, women and babies, the citizens became panicky. Refuge at in an adjoining county estate was offered, and most everyone evacuated. The town was essentially deserted for several days. Cornwallis was diverted and never actually got to Edenton, so people returned

We visited Edenton with two purposes. Because Edenton was the county seat of Albemarle county and in colonial times the courthouse which had the records was here, we wanted to do some genealogical research in the courthouse.

John Baptist Beasley signature

My husband's brother had gone through the town and given us some material on it including information on the Edenton Tea Party which one of my husband's ancestresses had participated in. We spent one afternoon in the courthouse looking up and copying records. We also wanted to see if we could come by boat and stay more cheaply to do additional research.

Visitor's Center at dusk from PO

The Edenton Visitor's Center has a 14 minute slide show (free) of the history of Edenton, maps, displays, gift shop, and guided tours either on foot or by trolley. $7/adult. There is free parking behind the visitor's center, and the docents are quite knowledgeable and helpful.

Sign pointing to Iredell House

We took the walking tour because we wanted to do some genealogical research during the trolley tour time.

Plaque on Iredell house

Iredell House was the home of James Iredell, an Associate Justice of the first U.S. Supreme Court. His son James Iredell, Jr. was Governor of NC 1827-1828. The house was falling into disrepair and the ladies of the DAR borrowed money to purchase it without the knowledge of their husbands. They held bake sales to pay for the interest on the loan, and sold the house to the state when they found that their charter prohibited them from owning property.

Back of Iredell House on walking tour_c1773walking_tour_approach

The walking tour from the historical society starts by walking from the parking lot of the historic society headquarters to the back yard of Iredell house.

Dependencies

Original stable building and other outbuildings which were brought from outlying plantations.

Thermometer

This thermometer is marked "Blood Heat" at the 98 degree level. It hangs in the entrance hall of the house.

Parlor

The portrait is of Samuel Johnston. The table is set for tea. The floor has a painted floor cloth.

Opposing_mirrors_in_dining_room

Mirrors in the dining room of Iredell house were hung opposite each other in order to make the room seem lighter. I'm taking a picture of myself, and I'm reflected in the mirror behind me, and so on into infinity. Flash pictures are not allowed inside the houses (and one doesn't get a good picture with a flash in a mirror anyway).

Looking at an outbuilding from upstairs window

This is from an upstairs window of Iredell House. From Iredell House, the tour goes to St. Paul Church, and then walks through the town.

St Paul's Episcopal Church Sign

After we went through the church yard

St Paul's graveyard

and looked at the inside of the church, our guide pointed out various different styles of architecture in town,

including this unusual curved soffit line.

Wessington House c 1850 - build from pattern book

This house was built from a pattern book according to our guide.

Granville Queen B and B. You can see fire escape past tree

I have only seen this from the street while taking the walking tour offered by the Historic Society Visitor's Center. It is next door to Captain's Quarters Inn, which is also a B&B;

Cistern on the walking tour

Old ice house

Ice was cut from Albemarle Sound (which is fresh water) and stored in this ice house for use in the summer.

Facade of the Leary Building

Josephine Leary was a black entrepreneur. She built this building for one of her businesses. It is one of the outstanding ones in the business district with an elaborate Victorian pressed metal facade.

Blounts Mutual Drugs (one of Bob's ancestors was a Blount)

Cupola_House_1725

Cupola House (which is on the walking tour) is considered one of the finest wood structure Jacobean style houses in the South. The interior is not open to the public except on the walking tour through the Visitor's Center. A National Historic Landmark.

Dining Room - note panelling and table

The downstairs woodwork of Cupola House was sold by the home's owner to the Brooklyn Museum because she needed money, so this is a reproduction. The people of the town rescued the original staircase and upstairs woodwork. The table came from the Edenton School of Cabinet makers and is constructed of mahogany, oak and yellow pine. It is one of three drop leaf tables, which, when joined would have made a dining room table 12 feet long. The table is said to date from 1740-1765.

Herb Garden from upstairs window

Looking out the upstairs window at the knot garden

Town Square Looking_up_Broad_Street_toward_Cupola_House

Main street of Edenton down by the waterfront. The Confederate Soldier's monument is in the center of the street and Cupola House is behind it.

Edenton waterfront

Shows the bay side of Barker House at its new location on filled land. It was successfully moved with the chimneys attached.

Canon

Front of Barker House c 1782

This building was the residence of Thomas and Penelope Barker. Penelope Barker was one of the instigators of the Edenton Tea Party - the women met and signed a paper saying they would not use taxed English tea in Oct 25, 1774 - the earliest known instance of political activity on the part of women in the American colonies.The house was built in 1782- so it was after the Tea Party. It is a handsome double porched building which is the headquarters for Historic Edenton. There are big veranda porches on the other side of the house.

Back of Barker House

There is a large reproduction of the cartoon depicting the Edenton Tea Party which was in the London papers at the time.

Edenton Tea Party Cartoon

The drawing made fun of the Edenton women by giving them the faces of current English politicians, so it is not an accurate depiction of what went on. I bought a post card of it.

bird cage in Barker House

I found out about this town from my BIL because one of my husband's ancestresses was in the Edenton Tea Party. The house is open Mon-Sat 10-4 and Sunday 1-4, but on the walking tour you get lemonade and cookies at this point.

Bald Cypress on the waterfront

Mallards

Old Courthouse and the Courthouse_Green_as_laid_out_in_1712

Considered the finest Georgian courthouse in the south. National Historic Landmark. It was currently being renovated and wasn't open to be toured.

Courthouse steeple

Edenton Tea Pot

This teapot memorial to the Edenton Tea Party is along side of the town green. It stands on top of a cannon on the side of the Courthouse Green. It's hard to take a picture of it because it is in the shade most of the time.

Tea Party Historic_marker

Edenton town docks

We had read about Edenton's free docks - similar to Elizabeth City's free docks, but without the Rose Buddy's and with electricity. So when we were on our way down to visit our son for Thanksgiving by car, we checked them out

Docks

and we also wanted to see if we could get under the bridge that's over the Albemarle sound and to the Edenton slips. Edenton has 5 or 10 free slips at the municipal docks for cruising boats - it is right downtown near the police station and the playground and would be very convenient. After 2 free nights, dockage is $1/ft, electricity is $3 and pumpout is $5.

Mallards on the waterfront

Ducks

Two Drakes

I have been warned that although the town docks have a breakwater, it only blocks short chop. It doesn't prevent slightly longer waves from entering the marina area, which appear to flow almost unimpeded under the breakwater. The result is a lot of rocking in the marina, because the fetch from the south is long.

That night we ate at Kramer's Garage/Bistro By The Bay. I had the impression from the name that this was a kind of funky, inexpensive place to eat - NOT. This is a fine dining restaurant. As you come in the desserts are all labeled in a refrigerated case. We got a 10% discount on the bill by presenting the room key from the Hampton Inn. My husband had salmon. I debated between crab cakes, steak, tuna cakes or shrimp. Eventually I decided on shrimp with artichokes, red peppers and rice. It was good if a bit vinegary and slightly soggy. I think the artichoke hearts were canned. For dessert I had caramel bread pudding with ice cream, and my husband had a fudge brownie with ice cream and fudge sauce. He drank tea, I drank water. With the 10% discount, including tip the bill for 2 was $53.90.

Sunset from the Hampton Inn

We went to Columbia, NC to do more research because Columbia was in the next county over from Edenton and some of the records were there.

Map

This map is part of the NC Boating map and shows the marinas in Tyrell County. Three are in Columbia (the county seat but a VERY small town).

Courthouse plaque

We got a lot of help in the courthouse and library. . Columbia is a very small friendly town in a rural county.

Information sign near the courthouse

CSA statue next to courthouse

The statue above was put up by a committee of which my husband's great great grandfather William Fessenden Beasley was a member. Part of the inscriptions mention my husband's great great great grandmother Mary Alexander Beasley

To Mary Alexander Beasley

Near Columbia is the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Visitor's Center in Columbia

which consists of over 93,000 acres of wetlands that was donated by the Conservation Fund and the adjacent Pungo National Wildlife Refuge which is over 12,000 acres. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge headquarters has a visitor's center, which was hard to get to when we were there because of construction on the road.

West side of the Columbia bridge with construction

It is on the south side of Highway 64. The center overlooks the Scuppernong River, the Algonquian Indian name meaning "the place of the sweet bay tree." We were also checking out the marinas for possible places to sail to and stay, These were the Columbia Town Docks accepts transients -approach depths 8-11 feet - dockside depths 6-6.5 feet. No power or water or showers. Does have pump-out at the town hall behind the piers. First come first served.

Bridge and marina

Ducks at the Visitor's Center

Facilities include ..restrooms open 24 hours a day, picnic tables and grills. These pictures were taken from next to the Visitor's Center.

Boardwalk

Eventually, 6,000 acres of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge will be added, forming a single refuge of over 111,000 acres.The refuge includes the waters of Lake Phelps and Pungo Lake and also borders or includes portions of the Scuppernong and Alligator Rivers. The refuge abound with acres of natural pocosin, the southeastern shrub bog. This ecosystem is characterized by a very dense growth of mostly broadleaf evergreen shrubs and scattered pond pine. Large pitcher plants are visible in some areas. A bottomland hardwood forest includes blackgum, Carolina ash, red maple, water tupelo, loblolly pine and bald cypress."Watchable wildlife" including swans, geese, ducks,

Duck

deer and bear are abundant in the beautiful natural setting. Several impoundments and adjacent farmland makes it possible to observe a large concentration of wintering waterfowl. An observation tower located on the south side of Pungo Lake provides a good view of the lake and early morning/late evening flights of waterfowl.The Headquarters building which has a small visitor's center is next to the Columbia Visitor's Center.

Crossing Albemarle Sound

We visited the graveyard in Plymouth NC where some of Bob's ancestors were buried,

Grace Episcopal Church

The church dates from 1837 The building was designed by the nationally prominent architect Richard Upjohn, but the church was heavily damaged during the battle of Plymouth in 1864. Only the apse and tower were retained when it was rebuilt in 1893 to the design of C.J. Hartage of Rocky Mount, NC.

Enclosure with Bob's ancestors

Inside the little fenced enclosure are the graves of John Baptist Beasley (1796-1855) husband of (1)Anne Hoskins and (2) Mary Alexander. He was a state senator to the NC Assembly from Tyrell Co 1821-1831 and in 1835. He was listed in the 1850 census as a grocer. The tall monument is his. Mary Alexander Beasley is buried in Canada, but her mother Clarkey Alexander is buried here.

Obelisk on the grave of John Baptist Beasley

It was very peaceful in the graveyard early in the morning. When we left we went through the streets of Plymouth which were being decorated for Christmas.

Main street of Plymouth

and then we went down to our son's in Summerville SC for Thanksgiving.

Granddaughter's cat

Son on the couch

We ate lunch at the Tradewinds Restaurant.

Outside of the restaurant

Model ship and windvane

Limited menu, but all the food is good. We went for lunch. The specials were pork chop dinner, and chicken noodle soup. Some dinners were sized for medium or large portions. My son tells me that this restaurant is rated at the top by their electric co-op. I had shrimp chowder and chicken pecan salad,

Chicken pecan salad

my husband had a hamburger, my son had shrimp (fried) with cole slaw which my daughter-in-law ate so had to order him more,

Daughter-in-law and granddaughter

she had a fried fish sandwich, and my grandchildren shared chicken fingers.

Son and grandson

Son's family after lunch

After Thanksgiving,

Grandson and his guitar

we drove back home.

Then our daughter B invited us up to a cabin in the NC hills near here for Christmas.

Road to the cabin

Cabin

Inside the cabin

View from the cabin

On the 23rd we visited the Great Smoky Mountains and the Gatlinburg Aquarium. First we went through Cherokee.

Cold looking river in Cherokee

Porch of the store

The town is full of shops with souvenirs and crafts. We stopped in Cherokee to buy some moccasins,

Moccasins

and then drove through the Great Smoky Mountains park. I asked to stop at an overlook to take some pictures.

From an overlook

Water has turned to icicles

Great Smoky Mountains in the Winter

Florida kids experience snow

Gatlinburg Bridge with Xmas decoration

When we got to Gatlinburg, we had lunch at No Way Jose's, which is conveniently by the aquarium and is fun and cheap.

No Way Jose's Restaurant and my grandson

I had Chiles Relleno, my SIL had a Taco Burrito (which was huge), my husband had 2 crisp tacos, my daughter had a quesadilla and the grandkids had chicken tenders and a cheese quesidilla sandwich. The soup of the day was Chicken Tortilla, but we didn't sample it. The bill with drinks (including a Corona for my SIL) was $44.61 including tip for the 6 of us for lunch

daughter, grandkids and husband going up steps

front of Aquarium decorated for Xmas and grandkids

The Beginning

Main hall tank

Tank closeup

Looking through a waterfall

Queen Angelfish

Scuba Diver poses with my grandkids

Seahorses

Coral

Iguana denizen of the aquarium

One of the big attractions is a big tunnel where the fish swim over top of you and around you.

Sawfish from underneath

Rays swim overhead

You can walk on your own feet, or you can take the people-mover.

Watching the fish in the Shark Tunnel from the people mover

Daughter's family

It is a bit difficult to take pictures because without a flash, it takes a time exposure and the fish WILL keep swimming around.

Fish

Daughter's family

After the tunnel section,

Next section of the aquarium

there were additional stand-alone tanks to see. Additional tanks included this one

Granddaughter looking at the Jellyfish tank

Next was the Children's Discovery Section which consisted of a number of small circular 'donut' tanks

Children's area from above

which the kids could duck down and come up in the center of the donut hole. So the kids could look out through the creatures swimming in the aquarium.

Aquarium - part III - Children's Discovery Section

Sea snakes in tank

And also parents (and grandparents could take their pictures from the outside of the tank.

Grandkids looking out

In this picture, my grandson brought his sister in with him so I could take both their pictures

Children's section

Bob in the Children's Discovery area

This whale skeleton was hanging from the ceiling.

Whale skeleton

In the center of the area was the touching tank which had such things as horseshoe crabs and starfish.

Touching tank

Touching tank and shark jaw

I sat in the area and watched people while my daughter's family went through the tunnel a second time.

This was another photo-op

Divers suit with grandson - Gatlinburg

Near the gift shop and exit were the tanks with the sea turtles and the sting rays.

Sea turtle

Stingray feeding

Looking down on the Rays area

And you exit through the gift shop of course

On the way back, we stopped at the NC/TN line

Parking lot that straddles two states

and I took some more pictures. In this one, my grandson (right) is running up to the overlook. Grandson is in light blue with dark blue coat - on the right of the plaque.

Grandson up on the overlook

State LIne

my daughter's family

We spent Christmas Eve at the cabin

Christmas tree before Christmas

It actually snowed on Christmas

View at 10

Snowing

Snow at Christmas

Christmas

Jigsaw puzzle

Sun reflection

Mountains after the sun came out

Snowy cabin

We left on the 26th

Leaving for home

Snow with tracks

and went home by way of Henderson where my mother's family is buried.

We drove around Henderson the night of Dec 26th trying to find somewhere to eat. The restaurant next to the hotel was closed. We couldn't find either of the other places recommended. Finally we came to the Bamboo Garden Restaurant, and it was open, so we ate here.

General Chan's chicken

I had General Chan's chicken, which is similar to (or the same as) General Tsao's chicken. I asked for it medium spicy and it was pretty mild. The tea tasted like the tea in most chinese restaurants - like it was brewed out of cigarette butts.

Then we drove back home to get ready for

Morgantown power plant across the Potomac

The adventures of 2003