
DATE: Tuesday, November 4, 1997             TAG: 9711010106

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: THINGS TO DO 

SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

A PLACE TO PICNIC, PLAY AND PEEK

AN UNUSUALLY WARM and sunny autumn morning brought us to Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake to play on the playground and have a picnic. We'd also heard it's a great place to watch boats.

This unique park is situated right where the southern branch of the Elizabeth River joins the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The park overlooks the locks, and there's a set of bleachers so yacht-oglers can get a better look.

We climbed up and, within minutes, got an eyeful of all kinds of boats. They motored in one by one, tied up and waited for the water level to change. On board, tanned folk scurried around self-consciously in their white-soled Topsiders, trying not to let on that they knew they were the show.

I chewed my peanut butter sandwich and pondered the expense of them all - giant cabin cruisers with names like Cash Flow, sleek speedboats, sailboats with sails secured and shiny, wooden decks spit-polished - and I tried to imagine what the people on board did for a living. From here, going south to warmer weather, a sign said it's 1,236 miles to Key West. Wonder how long it takes to get there by water.

Emma had other mysteries on her mind.

``Why are they going to lock these boats up?''

For a minute she had me stumped. Then, aha, locks. Lock up. We talked a little about water levels in the ocean versus water levels inland. I pointed out the difference between a lock and, uh ... , a lock. Maybe it made sense to her, maybe not. We'll know the next time the subject comes up.

She and her buddy, Drew, eyeballed me for a reaction and then ate their lunches back to front - cookies first, fruit last - and then they left to check out the playground.

The action is tamer here than say, the hubbub of Fun Forest, and it's perfect for the 5-and-under crowd. There are a bunch of baby and big-kid swings, nice climbing equipment and slides both tall and small. Interesting manipulative boards held their attention, including a giant clock with movable hands.

Underfoot is a thick layer of sand to cushion falls and to use for things like volcano and castle building. All kinds of seeds and pods and sticks that fall from the trees made magnificent bridges and tower ornaments. Most of the play area is shaded by enormous, old pin oaks and crepe myrtles and sprinkled with lots of benches. Picnic shelters dot a lawn bordered on one side by a pine forest and on the other by the locks. Rest-rooms are nearby.

There's loads of parking, even a second lot down a driveway through the trees where boaters leave their cars and trailers and head out down the boat ramp.

Before we left, we followed a nature trail that leads along the water from one side of the park to the other. We watched a fellow drive his Jet Ski out of the river and onto his trailer at the boat ramp - a fascinating job, judging from the rapt attention paid him by Drew.

We made it back to the locks just in time to see a tremendous barge lumber in. It carried a mountain of something that looked like peanut shells. The bargemaster hollered at his helper to tie them up with a rope as big around as my leg. Then they stood back and waited for the water to sink and the gates to open.

So did we. ILLUSTRATION: RICHARD L. DUNSTON/The Virginian-Pilot

View of the locks at the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal on the

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Chesapeake.

CHARLIE MEADS/The Virginian-Pilot

Gunnar Engen is ready to catch his 1-year-old granddaughter,

Gretchen Engen, at Great Bridge Lock Park recently.

IF YOU GO

What: Great Bridge Lock Park

Where: Locks Road off Battlefield Boulevard, Chesapeake

When: Open sunrise to sunset

Call: 382-6411, Chesapeake Parks and Recreation

Local's tip: To time a short visit for maximum boat spotting,