We spent Sunday morning at a church in Ashland. Nice people there and we stayed for lunch with the Harmony Vineyard church in Ashland.
From there we drove to Newport News just north of Norfolk and stayed on a campsite by a lake. (Newport News is the birthplace of Ella Fitzgerald, - if you're interested). I've always thought that the idea of camping by a lake is idyllic, but the reality is that there are mosquitos galore by every lake in the evening, and you have to either cover up, spray up, or stay indoors with the doors firmly shut. That was the case at this site.
We got up on Monday morning and drove on to Norfolk, Virginia where we had a cunning plan in mind.
Norfolk VA is the biggest naval base in the world, and you can have a tour round it!! They have 46,000 naval personnel, and 23,000 civilians. McDonald's, and Starbucks etc in the mall, along with cinemas restaurants and sports facilities. And so on and so on.
Ruth was a bit hopeful that we would be welcomed aboard and destroyer, or a nuclear sub, or a helicopter, but as the price was just 10 bucks for her, and 5 bucks for me (as a senior, ha ha!), AND the tour only lasted 45 minutes, I was not so hopeful.
We had to undergo a security clearance similar to an airport entry into USA. Our passports were scrutinised, our fingers were all photographed, and our pictures were taken. Only then were we allowed into the base.
Full of excitement we jumped onto the coach, and set off. The tour took us past submarines (which, conveniently for the Yanks were under water and we couldn't see them!), destroyers, supply ships, helicopters, and aircraft carriers. Impressive!
We were not allowed to take photos. That is until they said we could.
Eventually we parked up in a car park miles away from the wharfs and docks, and we were allowed. Ruth promptly jumped off the bus, only to be barked at by the driver to get back on the coach!
"NO getting off the bus, ma'am"!
Never get off the coach until you are allowed! Ooopsie!
Feeling really told off, we retreated to the safety of the coach steps in case a helicopter gunship was scrambled to shoot her down, and took photos of what we could see.
The tour was completed with a drive past various high-ranking officer's houses.
In 35 minutes we were off the bus and out!
Worth 10 bucks, but not much more!
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| a supply ship |
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| an aircraft carrier |
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| a naval airplane |
Then we headed off for Virginia Beach. A lovely destination.
The only problem was that we had some torrential downpours and got soaked just walking 20 meters to Harvey! We decided to obey the flood warnings, and that the best thing was to park in a Walmart car park for the night and NOT on a campsite by the sea!
One thing that was impressive was that we were near Oceana Naval airstrip, and saw a couple of fighter jets take off over Harvey as we drove by. Wow! The noise and power of them!
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| driving in the rain |
Noah would have been quite at home here today in his Ark, not in Harvey.
