Simply Art-Rageous!

Virginia Beach, April 2019

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Sharon

Beach-bound, we left home the morning of Friday, April 5th and decided to try another alternate route to Virginia Beach by traveling east on Rt. 60. Slower than the interstate–but more scenic–we got to the motel in Town Center around 2:30 pm.

Early forecasts had called for rain starting that evening, but it was already raining. Oh well, that didn’t stop us! We drove to the oceanfront, found a parking spot, and got our first look at the ocean behind the 34-foot tall statue of Neptune.

We took a quick selfie under a gazebo (where it was relatively dry) before walking over to the statue.

I was surprised when Wayne went down the stairs off the boardwalk and started heading for the water across the wet sand. I was even more surprised when I followed along behind him. (I did mention that it was raining, right?) 😉

Despite the rain–or maybe because of it!–it was so beautiful! The sound of the rain and the surf, combined with the smell of the salty air coming in off the ocean, created a very primal (and wonderful) sensory experience. I sincerely think we need to visit the ocean from time to time….

We tried to take another selfie with the ocean behind us, but if we angled the umbrella one way, rain came in on my phone. If we angled it the other way, rain poured down our backs. 😉

We walked back to the car and put our (soaked) jackets and umbrellas in the back. We drove north on Atlantic Avenue, then went to Captain George’s Restaurant for a delicious seafood dinner. No pics were taken this time, but if you look back at the post from December, it was basically a repeat!

We got a late start on Saturday. While flipping through channels on the T.V. at the motel that morning, we saw that the movie “Field of Dreams” was coming on, and we watched–and enjoyed–all of it! After that, we got it together and went to Nick’s Restaurant at 508 Laskin Road. When the waitress said they had Soft-Shell Crab Benedict for breakfast, Wayne was one happy guy. 🙂

My simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and grits was quite good, too, and each time we go to Nick’s, I enjoy looking at all of the painted tiles on the ceiling!

Wayne asked the waitress if they had any muffins or sweet rolls, thinking we’d share one as “dessert.” Nope, no muffins or sweet rolls, but they did have this!

So after this huge and rather decadent breakfast, we drove up to 64th Street to First Landing State Park. We usually see ospreys and other large birds there, and this time was no exception! Driving into the park, we spotted the first osprey on a tree having an early lunch of fresh fish.

There were nests and ospreys (and the occasional egret) everywhere!

After exploring First Landing for a couple of hours, it started to rain a little harder. Perfect time, we thought, to drive to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is another one of our favorite places in the Virginia Beach area.

It is so rare and so fascinating to be the only people on an Atlantic coast beach. Bay Back National Wildlife Refuge is natural, wild, desolate, and simply amazing….

We left Back Bay and made our way to Laskin Road again where we met our friends, Lisa and Steve, at No Frill Bar and Grill for dinner. These were the folks that we met last summer when they bought our Scamp travel trailer, and we’ve kept in touch since then!

We enjoyed an evening of non-stop talking, delicious food, and even MORE talking! So nice when “chance” encounters lead to genuine friendships. 🙂

As the day started at Nick’s restaurant, so it ended at No Frill Bar and Grill:

LOL, no, Wayne and I didn’t EACH have a piece of incredibly rich and delicious chocolate turtle cake, but Lisa thought it would be funny to get a picture of their cake beside the piece that we were sharing. 😉

Yes, it was as good as it looks! Such a nice evening!

The next morning we were up early and on the west side of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on I-64 by 9:00 am. After stopping for a quick breakfast in Lightfoot, VA–and due to an accident with traffic backups on the interstate–we decided to take scenic Rt. 5 the rest of the way home.

We stopped at the Chickahominy Riverfront Park (at the confluence of the Chickahominy and James Rivers) and spotted ospreys (imagine that!) in the marshy area near the campground.

We’d never seen an osprey nest so close to the ground!

We stopped again 17 miles later at the Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Park hoping to see Bald eagles there. Over the years we’ve seen them at the park several times, and we weren’t disappointed on this visit!

I know that I lose quality when I go from optical to digital zoom on my camera, but it’s always tempting to get as “close” as possible to these magnificent birds !

I am SO glad we were able to do a quick beach trip! While we didn’t have “perfect” weather, the sights, sounds, wonderful meals, and spontaneous get-together with friends made it all quite perfect! 🙂

Until next time,

Sharon & Wayne

Posted in Adventures & Travels, Animals & Wildlife | Tagged Atlantic Ocean, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Bald Eagle, First Landing State Park, ocean, osprey, Roads-less-Traveled, Virginia Beach | Comments Off

Late Winter 2019: February 17 – March 17

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Sharon

Red-shouldered hawk

Wild turkeys

Turkey vulture on a foggy, snowy morning – March 9, 2019

Snow-covered trees in the fog – March 9, 2019

Signs of Spring – Budding/flowering trees, March 16, 2019

Bluebird at Mint Springs Valley Park – March 16, 2019

Sherando Lake: March 17, 2019

Canada Geese along the South River Greenway in Waynesboro, VA – March 17, 2019

Posted in Adventures & Travels, Animals & Wildlife | Tagged Bluebird, Canada Geese, Lakes, Mint Springs Valley Park, Nature, Red-shouldered Hawk, Rivers, Sherando Lake, Snow, South River Greenway, Turkey Vulture, Wild turkeys | Comments Off

Local Lakes & Birds – February 2, 2019

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Sharon

Wayne spotted the first hawk of the day–a very puffed-up Red-shouldered hawk–shortly after 9:00 am as we were heading out to run some errands in town.

A few minutes later, I saw another bird on a distant tree, and when I zoomed waaaaay in, I could see it was a Belted Kingfisher. Cool!

Since it seemed like it was going to be a “bird” day (we saw two more Red-shouldered hawks and a Kestrel as we started towards town on back roads), we decided to detour to Sugar Hollow. Sometimes we’ve seen Bald Eagles at the reservoir, but just the pleasure of seeing the frozen lake made it worth the trip! The Skyline Drive runs along the crest of the mountain above lake.

Look at that amazing color!

While we didn’t see any eagles on this trip, a juvenile female Pileated Woodpecker made an appearance. 🙂

After leaving Sugar Hollow, we continued on our way, took care of things in town, and then decided to take backroads again for the drive home. This route allowed us to visit another local lake.

Beaver Creek reservoir was also frozen, and it was so, so pretty! Unfortunately, when I started taking pictures, I accidentally pushed a “mystery” button on top of the camera (which I’m still learning how to use) and my pictures didn’t turn out. I was finally able to undo whatever it was that I had done, so we took a quick “selfie.” While it’s not a great picture, hey, it shows we were there, and you can see the second frozen lake of the day behind us.

We decided to go for the trifecta and visit Mint Springs, too. By this time, the temperature had climbed to the upper 40s, and after such cold temperatures earlier in the week, it felt wonderful to be outside!

A female Bluebird posed for several shots while we were at the upper lake at Mint Springs.

I got a few distant pictures of a male Bluebird and a Downy Woodpecker, too.

On our way out of the park, we stopped at the lower lake to take some pictures of geese who were resting in the warm sunshine.

I know it’s early in February and winter isn’t done with us yet, but having the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day, beautiful scenery, and beautiful birds triggered a serious case of “Spring Fever”!

Until next time,

Sharon & Wayne

Posted in Adventures & Travels, Animals & Wildlife | Tagged Beaver Creek Reservoir, Belted Kingfisher, Bluebird, Canada Geese, Lakes, Mint Springs Valley Park, Nature, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Hawk, Roads-less-Traveled, Sugar Hollow Reservoir | Comments Off

1st Day Hike – Jan. 1, 2019 – James River State Park

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Sharon

Each New Year’s Day since 2014, we’ve visited one of Virginia’s beautiful state parks for their “1st Day Hike” event. (We DID miss last year, however, since the day started out at 7 degrees and only got up in the teens!)

Our outing started with a drive down Rt. 29 South. When we stopped for gas in Lovingston, it was still overcast, but already over 60 degrees!

Impulsively, we turned on Rt. 655 just after Colleen in order to follow the sign towards Lake Nelson. We’ve been curious about this lake, and there was also a camping sign, so it seemed like a good opportunity to check them out.

We discovered that Lake Nelson is just past the community of Arrington. It’s a nice-sized lake, and aside from some ducks, we were the only visitors.

The campground–or former campground–was on the shore of Lake Nelson. I have no idea when it closed, but at one point there were at least 30 campsites, with water and electric hookups. So sad to see it all abandoned and in poor shape!

After stopping by the lake, I thought we’d go back to Rt. 29, but the GPS suggested that we continue driving on Variety Mills Rd. Always open to the exploration of new back roads, off we went.

And apparently this is what the road was named for: an old mill! I don’t know anything about this wonderful old stone structure, but it must have been magnificent in its day!

Further down the road, we crossed the Tye River just before its confluence with the James River.

I call this picture “Winter Colors.” I kept seeing the bare trees as almost a lavender color against the deep greens. Beautiful!

The road we were driving on came out on Rt. 60, and we followed it a couple of miles east to Gladstone, VA and the turnoff for James River State Park. The river was very high after all of the rain we’ve had!

The park is 7 miles from Rt. 60, and we always enjoy driving along the winding country road that leads to the park entrance. We spotted a kestrel on top of a telephone pole, and right as I’d zoomed in to take a picture, it flew off. It landed further away, so that really pushed the capabilities of the zoom lens on my new camera.

When we got to the park, we were surprised (and delighted!) to see all the cars at the visitors center! It makes me happy to know that so many families enjoy Virginia State Parks on New Year’s Day. 🙂

Before going inside, I took some pictures of thistles and more of the “winter colors” trees.

When we were at James River State Park last spring, Wayne bought me a windbreaker in the visitors center. Today I returned the favor and bought him one. 🙂 While the sun was warm, the breeze along the river was cool, so he put it to use right away.

Time for a quick “selfie” on the banks of the James River….

Time, also, to “bless the James River….”

….And then wonderful, unstructured time to simply sit, relax, and savor the multi-sensory sights and sounds around us.

I mentioned that the river was running high, and these pictures give an idea of just how high it was recently; the picnic area was probably under water!

With other park patrons on the trails, we had this section to ourselves….

When we left James River State Park late in the afternoon, we turned west on Rt. 60, then made a right on scenic Rt. 657 (Tye River Road). And yes, those are the BLUE Ridge Mountains!

This area has been extensively logged, and we’ve frequently see birds of prey perched on tall, bare trees in the clear-cut fields. Maxing out my zoom lens again, I took a very distant picture of a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk.

After making our way back to Rt. 29 north, we turned left on Rt. 6 at Woods Mill, then right on Rt. 151 so we could stop by the cemetery to pick up the wreaths we’d put on family members’ graves for Christmas.

As they say, this was “Page 1 of a New 365-Page Book.” We enjoyed today’s story. 🙂

Posted in Adventures & Travels, Animals & Wildlife | Tagged Blue Ridge Mountains, First Day Hike, James River, James River State Park, Kestrel, Red-Tailed Hawk, Virginia State Parks | Comments Off

Merry Christmas to Us! VA Beach, December 2018

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Sharon

Instead of buying each other gifts this Christmas, Wayne and I decided to treat ourselves to a night at Virginia Beach. Off-season rates made an oceanfront hotel pretty affordable, so we left the house on the morning of Saturday, December 22nd and headed east.

Usually we’ve tried to make this trip a couple of times a year, but I realized that our last stay at the beach had been in June 2017. We were long overdue!

We stopped just west of Richmond to visit with one of Wayne’s brothers for a while. Then, after going around Richmond on I-64 and 295, we continued our eastward trek on scenic Rt. 5.

While it’s a much slower way to get to the ocean, we’ve always enjoyed how the road closely parallels the James River. As usual when we take this route, we stopped at Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Park near Charles City, VA.

After days and days of heavy rain, the river was high, fast-flowing and muddy.

The temperature was in the upper 40s with a steady breeze, so we spent a few minute scanning the sky and surrounding trees for Bald Eagles (which we’ve seen there several times), then hopped back in the car.

On the way back to the main road, a Bald Eagle flew over the car and we were able to snap a quick picture. Nice!

We arrived at the Jamestown-Scotland ferry a little after 1:00 pm and had to wait 10-15 minutes on the bridge for the ferry to arrive. Crossing the James this way is another favorite thing about taking this route!

While it was a little warmer, it was really windy!

After crossing the James, this route takes us through Surry, Smithfield, and other small towns before we finally arrive in Virginia Beach. Check-in time at the hotel was 4 pm, and since we were there a little early we decided to go directly to First Landing State Park–the part that you enter from 64th Street in Virginia Beach. It’s absolutely one of my favorite places, and as the sun dropped lower the sky, the light became magical…

Such a beautiful evening!

Sometimes we see dozens and dozens of large birds, but this time there were very few. I spotted a hawk in a tree, but the camera we were using didn’t have a zoom powerful enough to get a good picture.

We then saw some sort of heron in a tree. It appeared darker in color than a Great Blue Heron, but it’s possible it was a juvenile.

It was almost dark by the time we left the park, and we decided to go get dinner before checking in at the hotel. While we did miss seeing the full moon rise over the ocean, eating at Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant is always a special treat!

It was one of those nights that we completely skipped the salads and vegetables and went straight for the seafood–especially the crab legs! Absolutely delicious!

We finally went to the hotel, checked in, then bundled up and walked along the boardwalk. The moon over the ocean was still beautiful, and the next morning was beyond beautiful….

When we went to Maine in 2013, Wayne wrote the word “TIME” in the sand and let the waves wash it away. It’s become somewhat of a tradition now whenever we’re near an ocean: