The next day, we traveled another 55 miles down the Bay to Jackson Creek on the Piankatank River along with many other cruisers. We passed a tug and barge pretty closely, which is common during our travels. This was a milestone day because we crossed into a new state, Virginia.
The entrance into Jackson Creek is very tricky; we have seen several boats run aground.
This was our first warm day since Annapolis. We went from average temperatures of 45 to 70 degrees. After we got anchored, we went for a walk in shorts, which was a welcome relief from our four days in Annapolis.
The next day was just as warm and sunny. Several boats were leaving with us and we could see many other cruisers on the horizon once in the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay includes many lighthouses. Below are pictures of a couple of the lighthouses we came close to.
Thomas Point Light
Smith Point Light
Wolf Trap Light
From Jackson Creek, we traveled to Hampton, VA, taking a slip at their City docks. We arrived early enough to visit the Virginia Air and Space Center. On Thursday, we headed up the Elizabeth River to spend a few days in Norfolk. This is about a 12-mile trip, which is always very interesting; you get to see lots of Navy ships, commercial traffic up-close-and-personal and all kinds of official boats.
Official Navy Boats Cruising the River.
Navy Ship No. 19 going out to sea for exercises. The tug turning the ship looks so small.
Tug and Barge with containers.
Many Navy and Commercial ships are docked along the River.
We spent Thursday through Sunday in Norfolk visiting our friends Chris and Bill Beach, who we met three years ago as they were traveling South on their PDQ, Beach Magic. This was also a stop for provisions, laundry, boat cleaning and chores. Bill had ordered a new hydraulic cylinder for John to install while we were in Norfolk; however, after further analysis, John realized both were leaking. So we decided to nurse them along until we got to FL to replace them since it took six days for Bill to get the first one and we wanted to get further South.
In Norfolk, we stay at Waterside Marina, which is right next to Waterside Festival Marketplace.
The Marina is next to the Nauticus Museum, which is a maritime educational center. The famous Battleship Wisconsin is docked at its side. 
Captain John standing on the Battleship Wisconsin.
In front of the Nauticus Museum is a very touching Armed Forces Memorial. Excerpts from 20 letters written home by U.S. service members who lost their lives in war (from Revolutionary War through Iraq) are scattered about. The letters are cast in bronze.
Carnival cruise ships use the docks at the Museum as a base of operation. We watched this ship turn around right off our dock.
We also saw a beautiful sunset over Norfolk Harbor.
Mermaid is the official logo of the City of Norfolk. As you tour the City, beautiful Mermaids are on display.On Monday, October 26, we left Norfolk at 7:30 a.m. prepared to do the "bridge and lock dance". We had three bridges to get under based on their opening schedule and one lock.
There were 24 boats waiting with us for the Gilmerton Bridge 8:30 a.m. opening. 
Then, we all rushed to the Steel Bridge for its 9:00 a.m. opening.
Then it's off to the Great Bridge Lock. Not all boats made the 10:00 a.m. locking because they couldn't fit everyone, so some had to wait for the 11:00 a.m. locking. This can put a cramp in your schedule!
Once we had the bridges and lock behind us, it was now time to be concerned about a couple of Sounds that we had to go across, which can get pretty rough in a heavy wind. The wind was blowing from the NE at 15-20 knots, gusting to 25. Currituck Sound was a little choppy, but not bad at all. Albemarle Sound was a different story...the waves were 2-4 feet, but behind us, so it was doable, however, steering was a little difficult. Once we got through the Sound, we had difficulty seeing the buoys that go through a very narrow passage due to low visibility. We were glad when we reached the Alligator River Marina at 4:00 p.m., even though it was cool and misty. The shower felt great and the wine delicious! It was another milestone day....we were now in North Carolina.
On Tuesday, October 27, we left Alligator River Marina at 7:30 a.m., along with five other cruising boats. It was another cloudy, misty day with fog for the first 25 miles.We were glad that we were familiar with the area. After the fog lifted, we continued traveling for another 80 miles. Travel was fairly calm, but at the end of this trip, we had to travel up the Neuse River, which can also be rough in heavy wind. When we got to the River, the wind had calmed and the seas were like glass. It was certainly a welcome ending to a long day. We anchored in Cedar Creek for the night along with eight other cruising boats. Our plan for the next day is to make more progress through North Carolina, but only a 40-mile day. Our next Update will include our experiences traveling through NC.
