Virginia

WESTMORELAND STATE PARK AND SMITH POINT
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Westmoreland SP & Smith Point: Virginia
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Westmoreland State Park & Smith Point, Virginia

Nearly starved and sore as all get out from our three hour trek uphill that same morning, we stopped in Richmond – the capitol of Virginia - ate sandwiches for lunch, and walked around for a while, trying to work out some of the lactic acid building up in our muscles, while checking out the city.  Downtown Richmond reminded us a lot of downtown Los Angeles, although obviously, it is not quite as big, and the river actually has water in it.  Otherwise, we did not really get a feel for the city, and will have to check it out again with someone who actually knows the area.

After driving for a few more hours, we decided to camp at Westmoreland State Park, just off the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.  This proved to be a good choice, since the next day was a bright sunny one, and we were able to spend a good part of the late morning and early afternoon lounging and swimming poolside.  We also visited Pope’s Creek, where George Washington was born and lived the first three years of his life – it is a National Historic Monument, and a working colonial farm.   Very interesting and worth a visit if you ever get down this way, and the ranger who gave the 45 minute tour through the main house and colonial kitchen was quite a character – it seems that they all are. 

Although we tried to visit Robert E. Lee’s birthplace – Stratford Hall – just about 10 miles east of George Washington’s birth place, it was closed by the time we got there. Nevertheless, we did get to do an informal tour of the plantation – probably would also have been interesting from a historical perspective.

	Then, we spent about an hour or more at Ken’s Field & Stream Store (a bait and tackle shop on Route 3, a few miles West of Pope’s Creek).  Ken and his wife also sell and/or rent hunting and fishing licenses and equipment, moving supplies and moving vans, as well as faxes and copies, among other things.  They are a one-stop-shopping type of place, and very friendly to boot.  Again, if you ever get out this way, and you need anything, including just some nice Southern hospitality and charm, you should stop on by and visit Ken’s Field & Stream.  

Anyway, if you are wondering why we spent so much time with Ken and family, well, it is because we were waiting for a fax and then sending one concerning a second home we are purchasing in Bend, Oregon.  We have been looking for a place in Bend since we left there in late July, and have been trying to negotiate this deal since we were in Philadelphia a few weeks ago.  As you can imagine, doing all this from the road, with limited email access and cell phone reception has been “challenging,” to say the least.  

	Once we got confirmation from Ken that the fax went through, we drove down to Reedville, Virginia (about an hour South of Westmoreland), where we were going to take the “car ferry” to Chincateaque and Asateague National Seashore.  However, when we arrived, we quickly learned that the only ferries in these here parts are walk-on ferries or “cruises” and not car ferries.  With this news, we decided to try our hand at the KOA campground in Smith Point (although nice, and complete with services, it is not as nice as the Missoula, MT KOA), and then head South to Virginia Beach, where, while basking in the sun on the beach, we would make the decision about whether to drive North, over the                                                  Bridge to Chincateaque or head South to Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.  
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