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Virginia State Fair 2017

I WENT TO THE FAIR! I felt like a kid again! I went with my friend Susan, her daughters, and one of their friends and had a ball! Corn dogs, and funnel cake, and rides, and games OH MY! We missed the animals and giant pumpkins, but that just means I’ll have to go next year!

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Not only was the moon full and beautiful that night, but I later learned it was the Harvest Moon.

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This is my favorite shot of the night. It is everything that captures the fair for me. Games, food, and neon lights!

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Getting to know Virginia – Westmoreland Park take II

Because I missed a trip to Fossil Beach the last time I went to this park, I had to make another trip! I took a Friday off from work to hopefully avoid the crowds and there was hardly anyone there.

The trail was very nicely kept up through a forest of lots of different trees.

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Looks like this one was struck by lightning.

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A ghostly tree!

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Finally made it to the beach!

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But some of it was closed because of erosion. I have no doubt that is where all of the cool fossilized sharks teeth are, but I obeyed the law and kept my distance.

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I knew that the trail was going to be about 1.5 miles round trip, but what I didn’t know was that there was a really steep hill. The way down wasn’t so bad, but the way up was a little tough. You can’t really tell from this angle, but that is a hill. I should have taken it from the bottom looking up, but this is the top, looking down.

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I didn’t go in the visitors center, but there is a huge field behind it where you can view the Potomac River.

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Went back to the other beach to look for more sea glass, and it looked like a whole different park. There were maybe two people there, as opposed to the 200+ the last time I was there!

While I did find one small piece of sea glass, but no fossils, it was still a very nice day!

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Getting to know Virginia – Farmville

Me and the fam took a drive about an hour west to Farmville several weeks ago. I accidentally drove us through the town on our way somewhere else and vowed to go back, so we did! I did research and there is a really nice, long trail through the High Bridge Trail State Park where there are several places to view the Appomattox River. But its over 30 miles long…not exactly a trail you can do on a whim. So we just walked around the furniture store a bit, drove through town, then headed back home.

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Giant bellow!

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Several buildings had murals painted on the sides.

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Getting to know Virginia – Westmoreland Park

We are experiencing unseasonably pleasant weather for late August, so I took a trip to Westmoreland Park yesterday, located in Montross, VA, about an hour and a half northeast of Richmond. It is on the Potomac River and separates VA from Maryland.

I want to go back after school starts, on a weekday, when its less crowded and hunt for stuff. I didn’t make it to the other side of the park this time, but they have a beach called “Fossil Beach” where combers have found ancient shark teeth (hence why I have to go back)!!

I did find some sea glass though (again, I need to go back)!

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The drive is mostly through farmland, but there are some antique stores and restaurants that look intriguing.

The drive into the park is heavily wooded and would probably look really pretty in the fall.

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When you enter the park, you are up on the cliffs overlooking the river. It is so expansive, it almost looks like an ocean.

 

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The land on the other side is Maryland – about seven miles away.

The park itself is very well maintained with lots of picnic benches, a pool, and a “snack shack.”

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Unfortunately there are jellyfish in the water. But after a quick search, I believe these are moon jellyfish and the stings are minor.

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A fish carcass.

I think this is an osprey.

The park also has cabins throughout the park that you can rent.

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All in all, it was a lovely day, with a lovely drive, and a destination I definitely will return to!