Next month, if all goes as planned, Pam and I will see the start of construction on our new house on our property five miles south of Onancock VA. This weekend is/was Onancock Sails Forward which is part of the 250th anniversary of American independence. Officially, Onancock is an Affiliate harbor for the Virginia Sail 250 and Sail Virginia network. As part of the celebration The Chesapeake Bay schooner, Lady Maryland, was in the harbor and open for tours. These drone photos show the schooner tied up in Onancock harbor and the view out to the Chesapeake. Captain John Smith first explored the Chesapeake shore, in a shallop, in the summer of 1608, during which time he sailed up Onancock Creek. It is a naturally deep water creek, reportedly right up to the shore where the town of Onancock now is. He was so struck by the beauty there that he called it “the Gem of the Eastern Shore”. The view from Onancock, looking west down the creek shows a mix of farms, forest and wetlands, truly still a gem of the eastern shore. About a year from now, and not too far away, that will be home.
