Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth, Virginia
Day #333: From last evening Mike and I received lots of rain but no severe weather. The two of us were up at 6:15 A.M. for coffee, grapefruit, cookies, lemon poppy seed muffins and the local weather. The forecast is for more rain today so Mike and I decided to work on paperwork until the rain is done. Today is FREE Museum day in Portsmouth so the two of us are hoping to get out and enjoy museums in the area. Mike has plans for our travel now until Cape May, New Jersey. The rain finally stopped so Mike and I went shopping in the Tidewater Yacht Marina store buying a few items. The two of us then had lunch onboard the boat. The sun came out so Mike and I walked to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum where we enjoyed free museum day. We then walked to the Portsmouth Lightship Museum enjoying walking through the lightship. The two of us walked through the Olde Towne Historic District getting to see some of the old homes. The two of us then headed back to the boat. The sun was out with temperatures of 81 degrees so we headed up to the flying bridge for happy hour in the afternoon breeze. At 4:30 P.M. the two of us decided have dinner at the Fish & Slips Marina Raw Bar and Grille. Mike was feeling like flounder . After dinner the two of us headed back to the marina to get ready for departure in morning heading to Deltaville, VA located in the Chesapeake Bay. It was then time for blogging and reading.
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Mike and I toured the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum for FREE!!! 
Mike and I headed to the Portsmouth Lightship to tour this museum as well.  Casswell-McCrae House (1829) 
The red brick sidewalks in the historic district are beautiful. 
"The Pass House" (1841) was used by the Union forces during the Civil War as the Federal Adjutant General's Office. It received its name because passes, which were required to leave Portsmouth, were issued here.  "Benthall-Brooks Row Houses" these English basement homes date back to the 1840's. All three brick houses were built by a sea captain named Brooks. He built only one floor a year to allow for adequate settling. Books lived at 421. 419 his the only house that still has the servant's quarters in the back of the house.   
An 1851 map denoting the original Olde Towne Squares was used to place granite markers throughout the historic district. They provide a glimpse of what the city looked like when it was founded in 1752.  "The Red Lion Tavern" was originally a tavern for British soldiers and local sailors before the American Revolution. It was built in the 1700's. During the building's renovation, old menus and a pit for cockfighting were discovered in the cellar.  "The Ball House" built in 1784 by John Nivison at the corner of Crawford and Glascow streets and moved to this site in 1869. It served as a barracks in the war of 1812. Lafayette was entertained here in 1824 and President Andrew Jackson in 1888. The Ball Family acquired the property in 1870.  The Macon House (1830).  "The Washington-Reed House" this home was originally a two-and-a-half story, six room house built by Captain John Thompson. After the Civil War, Washington Reed purchased the home and added six additional rooms. It is an excellent example of late-Georgian architecture. 
"The Patriot Inn" was built in 1784 and the oldest portion of the house sits on the fountain of a home built in 1772. Due to its location near the old ferry landing, it served as a boardinghouse for ferry workers for many years. 
Always exciting to see the USCG helicopter.
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