John Smith Water Trail

Oh, and don't forget the water trails

After posting my last entry I did some surfing on www.gotangierisland.com and found this PDF brochure about the Water Trails of Tangier Island.

Tangier Island's residents try to hang on to their special way of life

via the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Tangier Island is rich in history. Captain John Smith visited during his exploration of the Bay, and the British used it as a base of operations for their ill-fated attack on Baltimore. But its richest history is its community of working watermen. Today its rich culture is losing ground to erosion, reduced crab populations, and cheaper foreign crabmeat.

Now Tangier is placing a new emphasis on tourism. It has its own website, www.gotangierisland.com, watermen are offering rides to tourists who will pay to watch them at work, and next week the island plans to open its first visitors center.

GO TANGIER!

New Bay Game Kickoff Saturday Morning

Saturday, June 23rd, 10:00 a.m. at Susan B. Campbell Park at the Annapolis City Dock.

Join Judge Katie O'Malley, DNR Secretary John Griffin, Capt. John Smith and other special guests as they kickoff the 2007 Maryland Bay Game.

Bring the kids! There will be a staffed educational exhibit with live horseshoe crabs and/or a working watershed model.

This year the Bay Game will be available at libraries and welcome centers across Maryland, as well as toll facilities.

Shallop Crew Calls the NOAA Buoy System

As the shallop passes Point Lookout on the Potomac River, Liz Schale calls the newest member of the John Smith Water Trail, NOAA's second Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy, which was launched just two weeks ago.

Quick, the Trail's on Cable!

WHAT: ABC's News Now, the network's digital cable channel, will feature interviews with Verizon Wireless and NOAA about the Chesapeake Bay wireless observing buoys and the Shallop's voyage along the John Smith Water Trail.

WHEN: 5:05pm Today and tomorrow, June 14

It will also be available to those who subscribe to ABC's streaming service. After it airs, it should be available as a video on demand clip at http://abcnews.go.com/technology

James River 400 Sets Off

The Rockbridge Weekly revealed another step in establishing the 400-mile James River Heritage Water Trail was taken today, with a canoe flotilla setting off from the confluence of the Jackson River and Cowpasture River. The water relay to the mouth of the river is expected to take about 30 days. To follow the expedition, visit www.jamesriver400.org.

New Map Available for Rappahannock Trail

Along the new Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail are several existing local water trails. The Chesapeake Bay Journal reports that this year, paddlers can explore the 30-mile Rappahannock River Water Trail with a newly printed map and guide.