North Landing Beach Campground - Virginia Beach, VA
September 26 -28 (594 miles)
Our route to the rally was 17 North, stopping at Dismal Swamp State Park in North Carolina just before crossing into Virginia.
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Dismal Swamp part of the Intercoastal Waterway
22 miles long starting near Elizabeth City, NC and continuing into Chesapeake, VA |
The weather was overcast with light rain when we left home. By the time we got to Dismal Swamp it was sunny and warm and stayed that way the entire weekend.
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| North Beach Landing Campground (less than a half mile from NC border on Princess Anne Road) |
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| Our third time at the rally and first time on two bikes |
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| BMW Motorcycle Club of Hampton Roads sponsors rally |
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| Motorcycle parking (our tent in the background to right) |
Friday night the rally serves hot dogs and chili. Tea, lemonade, coffee and hot chocolate are always available. Soda is in a cooler for $.50. The campground has a store at the entrance for beer, ice and snacks.
After dinner we watched a great movie about motorcycling WHY WE RIDE
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| Getting ready to serve the chili |
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| Campground on North Landing River which flows into Chesapeake Bay |
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| Sunset on North Landing River |
Saturday morning we rode through Virginia Beach on Pacific Avenue (with heavy traffic because of the Neptune Festival) going to Cape Henry Lighthouse (a national historic landmark). There are two lighthouses within the boundries of Little Creek/Fort Story Joint Expeditionary Base (Navy, Marines, Army).
The old lighthouse was completed in 1792 and is the first federally funded project under the constitution.
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| Cape Henry Lighthouse completed 1792 near entrance to Chesapeake Bay |
The old lighthouse was replaced by a "modern" lighthouse in 1881 and with many technological upgrades is fully automated and managed by the Coast Guard.
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| New Cape Henry Lighthouse 1881 |
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| 191 steps from bottom of hill to top of old Cape Henry Lighthouse |
VIEW FROM THE TOP LOOKING TOWARD THE NEW LIGHTHOUSE
Across the street on the Chesapeake Bay is Cape Henry Memorial the site of the first landing of English settlers in April 1607. Three weeks later the first permanent English colony in North America was established at Jamestown.
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| Memorial contains a statue of Admiral Comte deGrasse and a memorial cross of granite |
Saturday afternoon the First Landing K9 Search and Rescue volunteer organization gave a demonstration of their specially trained dogs that locate lost and missing people and the detection of human remains.
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| Echo a retired rescue dog |
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| Demonstration with Echo working to find lost person |
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| Biene a three legged certified rescue dog |
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| Biene searching for human bone fragments |
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| Brandy Eggeman and John Griggs and Biene |
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER - DOOR PRIZES - CAMPFIRE
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| Two winning tickets - hat and winter motorcycle gloves |
Sunday morning we rode the bikes to Knotts Island Ferry in North Carolina, 6 miles from the rally. The ferry is free and a 45 minute ride to Carrituck. From the mainland we drove to Elizabeth City to get Route 17 South.
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| The official greeter for those of us waiting for the ferry |
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| Ferry pulling out from Knotts Island |
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| 45 minute ride to Carrituck |
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