I learned the weather in Chesapeake Bay is wild. In one line of thunderstorms there were over 600 lightning strikes, 65 mph gusts, and 2 inch hail according to the weatherman. His forecast always seemed to include the possibility of a thundershower, and that is what happened. He mentioned the risk of getting hit by lightning, how boaters were injured or killed in bad weather, and that an entire trailer park community was washed out by flash flooding yesterday. Today the wind and waves shut down kayak rentals at Kiptopeke State Park, but I brought my own kayak to Virginia. Driving from my hotel to Kiptopeke I was nervous about paddling out to the concrete ships if conditions got bad, but was excited, so excited.
	  
	  
	  
	     
      
      
      
	
	
	
	Jamestowne, the oldest permanent English settlement in America
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
		
		
	
	Standing in front of the James Fort is Pocahontas, who saved the captured John Smith from her father, the chief, according to legend
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	James Fort model
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	This poor Jamestowne colonist had his burial unearthed and was put on display
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	Yorktown, the site of the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War, where Britian lost any chance of winning it
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	     
	
	
	
	
	
		
		Site of Cornwallis' surrender to Washington at Yorktown
		 
 
	
	
	
	
	
	When ordered to lay down arms the British soldiers smashed their guns onto the ground as if to break them. British officers were crying and soldiers were drunk and unruly when surrendering to ragged American troops.
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
      
	
	
	
         
	
	
	Battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
           
	
	
	
	
	
	
           
	
	
	
	
	
	
           
	
	
	
	
		
	
	
	
	
	
	Virginia Beach Boardwalk
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	Neptune, Roman god of the sea
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	Kipto
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
		
	
	
           
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
           
	
	
	
	
	
	
	There are 9, 350 foot partially sunken concrete military surpus cargo ghost ships that form a breakwater which protected me from the wind and large waves in the bay today
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	Coast Guard Cutter 
Razorbill at the concrete ships
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	Toadfish
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	Croaker
          
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
          