We arrived at River’s Rest Marina located on the Chickahominy River mid-afternoon. We settled in and then set out to explore the area. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say that the marina compound is set in the middle of absolutely nowhere with nothing but nature at its best as the surroundings. Truly the marina compound is situated in the midst of a huge tree farm with trees and water being all that are seen for miles around. When I took my morning walk (building up for my attempt to start running again), I walked over four miles and saw only one home along the road. The sounds of the birds were so loud and inviting that I took off my I Pod earphones so that I could listen to the sounds of nature as I wound my way through the tree farm roadway. 
As we will be coming back the same route as we took to get to River’s Rest, I thought I will tell the story in two different blog entries. The Chickahominy River is named after the Native American people who still inhabit the region. Chickahominy means "coarse pounded corn people". At the time of the earliest English settlement, the Chickahominy people existed surrounded by the powerful Powhatan confederacy of which they were not a part. It was members of the Chickahominy tribe who captured Captain John Smith of Jamestown when he was exploring the Chickahominy River. They turned Smith over to Chief Powhatan, whose daughter Pocahontas is said to have begged her father to spare Smith's life thus beginning a friendship that enabled the survival of the English on this continent. Today, although they do not have a reservation, the Chickahominy tribe is the largest Native American tribe in Virginia with over a thousand members and private land holdings along the Chickahominy.
During the Civil War, the Chickahominy River played a vital role in the operation of both armies. The swamps and marshland of the Chickahominy watershed frustrated attempts by Federal troops to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. With Lee's and Grant's troops positioned just north of the river, concern and worry about becoming mired in the Chickahominy's swamps greatly influenced troop placement for the Battle of Cold Harbor. It is amazing how much the shores and wetlands of the Chickahominy are like the waterways in Georgia and even Alabama.
Having seen Jamestown from land last fall, I wanted to see the area from the water’s view. I have always been curious to see if I could tell why the English choose this particular area to settle. The area is infested by mosquitoes the size of Pterodactyls and the land immediately surrounding Jamestown is a tar pit. Of all the area along the Chesapeake to settle, Jamestown truly had to be the worst possible place. Just the same, it was fun and interesting to see Jamestown from the water. Captain Mark also did a great job of dodging the ferry boats.
Once again we passed Newport News which is home to one of the largest shipyards in the US. Northrop Grumman of Newport News is the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines.
Our destination today will be the Tidewater Yacht Marina which is actually located in Portsmouth, Virginia immediately west of Norfolk, across the Elizabeth River. PS In my copious free time onboard the Lolligag I am taking an online digital photography class. I am showing off by adding the green arrow to indicate the location of our slip at the Tidewater Yacht Marina.
Hours on the water: 7.0
Nautical miles traveled: 56
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Next Destination: Uncertain at this time
What we are listening to: Divine Justice by David Baldacci
Lesson for the day: We are having the most wonderful time possible!!
Obligatory knitting report: Blue/black/gray striped socks for Captain Mark
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