Day 9 – At 6:45 a.m., 45 degrees and cloudy. I was doing stuff inside; Rob took his coffee and book outside for awhile, the birds were making a lot of noise and the kitties were watching them. He came in and said, “the Killdeer are doing the horizontal hokey pokey.” This comment was amusing to me as it brought two images to mind, one of which I won’t go into. But the other one had a line of birds, “you put your right foot in; put your left foot in; put your right foot in and you shake it all about; do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about”; LOL, never mind, too much fresh air I guess, LOL.
Okay, moving along. It’s supposed to be warmer today, cloudy, but a good day for a scenic drive. We are heading for the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge & the Dismal Swamp Canal. Some history from the Dismal Swamp brochure,
“Just who discovered the Great Dismal and when is unknown. Colonel William Byrd II was a member of the commission that surveyed the state line through the Swamp in 1728 and provided the first extensive description. In May 1763, George Washington made his first visit where he suggested draining the swamp and digging a north-south canal to connect the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. Joining with several other prominent Virginians and North Carolinians, he formed two syndicates known as the Dismal Swamp Land Company and the Adventurers For Draining The Great Dismal Swamp. They hoped to drain the Swamp, harvest the trees, and use the land for farming. The company purchased 40,000 acres of Swamp land for $20,000 in 1763. Washington directed the surveying and digging of the 5-mile long ditch from the western edge of the Swamp to Lake Drummond, the first site to bear his name. In the late 1700’s, Riddick Ditch was completed. Together these ditches provided a way to transport logs and drain the swamp. The Adventurers soon realized the task of draining the Swamp was enormous and gave up part of their plan to concentrate on lumbering. Countless virgin cypress trees were cut for use in shipbuilding, cedars for shingles and other products. By 1796, Washington had become disappointed in the management of the Dismal Swamp lumber business and contracted to sell his 1/12th share to “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, who was unable to come up with the purchase price. Washington’s share passed on to his heirs upon his death in 1799. Camp Mfg. Company, a predecessor of Union Camp, acquired all the Dismal Swamp Land Company’s property in 1909. Lumbering continued in the Swamp and by the 1950’s acres of virgin timber had been removed. In 1973, Union Camp donated its Virginia swamp holding to the Nature Conservancy which, in turn, deeded it to the Department of the Interior for creation of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, headquartered near Suffolk, VA. The Dismal is Named – As one of the first to visit the Swamp and record his experiences, Col Byrd led a band of surveyors in the Swamp in 1728 to run a dividing line between the disputing colonies of Virginia and North Carolina. They were almost devoured by yellow flies, chiggers and ticks. Under these conditions, Byrd is credited with the “Dismal” name. We also know Europeans referred to areas where water stood for long periods of time as “Dismals” and prefer the latter description as the likely source for the unique name. A Geological Wonder – The Dismal is higher than the surrounding countryside – on a hillside at least 20′ above sea level. It is one fo the few places on the North American Continent where peat is being formed. A varied assortment of insects, frogs, mammals, and plants combine to form a unique community. Black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, and otter inhabit the Swamp, and 203 species of birds have been reported. Originally the Swamp spread over approximately a million acres; however, thousands of acres have been cleared and drained for cultivation, reducing the Swamp to its present size. Federal and State agencies now protect 126,000 acres in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. African-American History – The Dismal Swamp has long been known for its impenetrability and a place where travelers could easily lose their way. Yet in the early centuries of American history, many of the people who vanished into the swamp were “lost” by their own choice. The swamp was a sanctuary for hundreds, maybe thousands of fugitives. The Dismal Swamp also afforded slaves such as Moses Grandy an opportunity to purchase his freedom. Grandy was a skilled waterman and African American antislavery activist born around 1786 in Camden County. As a slave, he was traded by multiple owners and worked as a boatman along the Albemarle Sound and Dismal Swamp Canal. He purchased his own freedom three times before it was finally secured and moved to Boston. The Dismal Swamp Today – Today the paths made by loggers and developers are being used to provide a glimpse of the Dismal’s valuable secrets. Nature can be experienced and enjoyed on the old logging trails throughout the Dismal Swamp State Park’s 14,000 acres. Biking, birding, hiking, photography, paddling and exploring are all possibilities at this “last wild place”. The historic Dismal Swamp Canal provides a glimpse of the past. The 22 mile Canal is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers as an alternate route on the Intracoastal Waterway. Locks at South Mills, NC and Deep Creek, VA operate four times daily.” Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, 2356 US Highway 17 N., South Mills, NC 27976, 252-771-8333, dscwelcome@camdencountync.gov.
Swamps are different, that’s for sure! The waters are a deep, dark brown/black and the vegetation very different than what we’ve been seeing. We hiked a very nice boardwalk thru the Cypress trees. I kept thinking an alligator was going to be laying out sunning itself around every turn. No, we didn’t see one yet. Took the Refuge drive out to the Lake; it was beautiful. Saw lots of turtles sunning themselves, lots of birds, and heard amazing sounds from the Swamp, frogs and who-knows-what. Kinda scary but totally cool and fascinating at the same time. Encountered only 3 other cars during the entire Swamp visit. There’s a Birding Festival this coming April 20-22. Note to self: must attend this some other year, make sure to come back. The kayaking here must be incredible. We were running out of time and couldn’t do it this time. Next time for sure. Oh, and the bicycling……on the way home we went a different way, along the Canal (which is awesome, by the way – cannot believe it was dug by hand!) and there’s an incredible bicycle trail which travels the length of the Canal.
Tree in Drummond Lake
Turtle in swamp beside road
Cypress Marsh boardwalk trail
Rob & Vicki at Great Dismal Swamp, NC
Great day, high of 69 and cloudy. Got back just before dinner, fed the cats, had a little beer and wine, and settled in for Technomadia’s Live Stream which is on finding good private campsites this month. But internet/wifi was down; guess we’ll catch it in Archives another time. (Technomadia is a couple who have been full-time Rving for more than 10 years. Watching their video’s on U-Tube has been so helpful to us when preparing for this and future journeys. Everything from the best RV showerhead to the perfect spice rack to how to deal with your mail when you’re gone, etc. Mark and Donna, Dave and Linda – check them out.) “http://www.technomadia.com/“
Beautiful photos!
Sounds SO much fun!! (Copied the Texhnomania link — thanks!)