M/V Nearly Perfect: May 24, 2017 - Smithfield, Virginia

We left Portsmouth around 9:00. The weather was cloudy and cool, but no rain. We passed the Norfolk International Terminal and the Naval Air Station with large ships and barges parked everywhere. Soon we were in the beautiful Virginia countryside as we headed up the James River, then the Pagan River to the town of Smithfield. This is a little gem of a town which dates back to 1750 and is known largely today for its Smithfield Ham. We found a nice anchorage just around the corner from the town, took the dinghy to the dock at Smithfield Station (a relatively new marina/restaurant/shopping area), and explored the town. We ate ham sandwiches (of course) at the Taste of Smithfield and then walked the streets looking at all the beautiful historic homes. We stopped at the courthouse which was built around 1751. The woman inside, Florine Moore, talked to us about the history of the courthouse and the proceedings. There were no law schools back then. Young lawyers were tutored by the older ones, and when they were sufficiently trained, they were allowed to "cross the bar" which was the gate that separated the official proceedings from the citizens. We later learned, in reading a brochure about the historic homes, that Florine Moore was also the first woman mayor of Smithfield.