Summer Adventures and Fun

August is in full swing!  Heat, humidity, thunderstorms, gardens, lawn mowing and neglected chores.  Of course, having fun in retirement is a priority, so in spite of the aforementioned……we did a road trip last weekend!  Ok, well, we DID do some yard work ahead of time, and when we got home, but that was NOT what I call fun.  The road trip was FUN!

Our road trip last weekend was to Newport News Virginia to celebrate the birthday of our now 5 year old granddaughter.  We had fun watching the kids all “bounce” at one of those giant indoor trampoline places.  I could have done without the echoing music from the onsite DJ. I’d rather be able to hear the laughter of the grandkids.  Oh did they bounce themselves right into an exhausted state!  Even their parents bounced, and appeared to be enjoying themselves!  Grandpa and I took the pass and just acted as spectators!  Following bouncing we had Pizza at a much quieter locale, and Grandpa provided the balloons!  Five of course!

Then of course, there was ice cream and time for presents and movies too! After we abandoned the exhausted parents and children, Grandpa and I went exploring the area just a little bit.

We found the Monitor Merrimac Overlook Park and read about the battles during the Civil War. The view was terrific. We had to work to keep our bearings straight.   The Norfolk Naval Yards are across the water.  The James River is to the right, and the Chesapeake Bay is off to the left in the photograph below. 

There was a nice little beach tucked along side this outcropping between the bay and the river.

Hubby had a dinner spot all picked out.  We ate in that “outdoor” patio section on the right.  Had to send the dear man back to the car for my sunglasses, as the light was bouncing off the water and into the dining area!  Food was good; portions large, and not to long of a wait!

As we dined, we could look back at the beach at Huntington Park, so we decided to follow up dinner with a drive through the park. 

 Of course, we had to find a train! We found this C&O Engine at Huntington Park Newport News VA.

We also found the Virginia War Museum in Huntington Park (closed late on Saturday evening), along with lots of military equipment on display outside.  The best part of the park I think was the giant playground for kids.  Adjacent was a beautiful beach where we were able to watch the setting sun. There was a nice deck with picnic tables where we could stretch our legs, and sit and get some photo’s.

We concluded our road trip with a visit to Tidewater Modular Railroad Club in Virginia Beach.  Hubby took lots of photo’s and exchanged ideas with the folks operating trains.  

On our drive home Sunday afternoon, we stopped in Cape Charles VA in the area where the “FERRY TRAIN” used to come across the Chesapeake Bay. Sadly, the Ferry Dock and ferries are in a state of disrepair.  I enjoyed the little town of Cape Charles, and it looked like a nice place to rent a cottage for a week in the summer.  Last night I saw an episode of HGTV where the client was looking for a home to renovate in Cape Charles!  It seems to be a popular place.

 We did a little more “rail fanning” on the ride home, and even managed to get one more seafood dinner in as we travelled.  If you are EVER on US13 travelling through POCOMOKE CITY Maryland, you MUST stop at Don’s Seafood & Chicken House. It is in the Northbound lane of US 13.  It is worth the stop.  We passed it by, did a u-turn and stopped for supper.  Wow, the crab-cakes were the best!  My hubby is NOT a foodie, but does like a good crab-cake!  He grades crab-cakes on how many “chunks of backfin” he finds.  He thought the ones at Don’s Seafood & Chicken House were far superior to the ones he had at the Crab Shack in Newport News.

For the record, no fabric was purchased during this trip, no quilt stores visited.  I did, however, wander through the 4 aisles of fabric and supplies at the big WalMart Super Center near Jefferson & Mecury Blvd in Newport News . Window-shopped, but what a wide variety they had in stock and SO very neatly arranged!  

This past week has been a busy “Quilt” kind of week and I will post some photo’s of work accomplished etc in my next post.  

What are your August plans for adventure and fun?