A friend called this morning to tell me that the Elizabeth II was docked at the Jolly Roger on Silver Lake. Since I couldn't get out of the office she offered to take a couple of pictures for me for the blog. Although this morning the weather wasn't really conducive for picture taking she came and got the camera and got the pictures. This morning was cloudy, dark and stormy but the pictures came out pretty good. The bad news is that I wasn't able to use them for this blog. Near the end of the storm this morning lightning struck somewhere near the building I work in and knocked out our phones and knocked us off the computer network. Therefore I was unable to retrieve the pictures to use.

When the rain cleared and the clouds had mostly departed I went to see if the Elizabeth II was still around so I could take some pictures myself. I almost missed it. It was on the way out of Silver Lake when I got there. I got a couple of shots but they weren't very good. Then I went around to another location so I could try to get a shot when they left the harbor. I was able to get the one above. It isn't great because I had to use the zoom lens but it is okay. I was really hoping I could catch them with the sails up but I didn't.

                                              

The Elizabeth II is a 69 foot, square-rigged sailing ship built to represent one of the ships used to transport Sir Walter Raleigh's colonists to the new world. Most of the year it is located across from the Manteo waterfront at the Roanoke Island Festival Park. During the spring and fall volunteer crews sail the ship to other ports along the Atlantic coast. The ship is open year round and admission is required for guided tours and the summer living history program. You can find out more by calling the Roanoke Island Festival Park at 252-475-1506 or 252-475-1500.

It is really cool to see an impressive vessel such as the Elizabeth II. It's like a piece of history sailing the seas (even if it is a replica). Imagine the wild, untamed land the colonists came upon at Roanoke Island when they arrived to start a new life. It must have been so beautiful and so scary and so wonderful all at the same time. My friends who grew up on Ocracoke describe a different place, in many ways, than what Ocracoke is today. I am just glad that the evolution of Ocracoke still hasn't progressed too far. There are still no fast food chains, movie theaters, mini golf, amusement parks, WalMarts...and that is just fine with me!