Westmoreland State Park

For the 4th of July weekend we headed out camping in Westmoreland State Park. The park lies on over 1,300 acres of land along the banks of the Potomac River and offers a wide range of activities for every visitor. We chose Westmoreland simply because it was about the only park in the area with campsites still available about 2 weeks before the long weekend.

On day 1 we setup camp in the C area and headed over to the pool to cool down. The pool is huge and included two diving boards and a slide.

After a couple hours at the pool we set off along the park's trails. There are a total of seven named trails winding through the forest and along the shoreline. Here are just some of the views from along the trails.



On day 2 we drove about 45 minutes to Caledon Natural Area. According to everything I've read, the best chance of seeing a Bald Eagle in its natural habitat is here in Caledon. During this time of year reservations are required in order to take the guided tour along the Potomac. This tour was $6 per person and well worth the money as we were able to see dozens of Eagles in flight, perched, and grabbing fish from the river. Here are just a couple of the pictures from the tour. One of a young Eagle and the other a more mature Bald Eagle most commonly recognized as our National Bird.


We capped off the weekend by taking in the fireworks from nearby Colonial Beach, VA.

All in all, it was a great way to spend my birthday weekend.

Busch Gardens, Williamsburg

Another 2+ months since our last update...but for good reason. We've both been busy, Sandy with ALS, me with school, and both of us with the house. Any free time has usually been spent hitting a movie or simply relaxing together. No amazing travels or unique experiences to speak of. This all changes now as Sandy is set to head to Qatar later this month. Less than 22 days to enjoy our Virginia Summer this year, we'll do our best.

Busch Gardens is one of the parks which honor men and women in the armed forces by providing one single-day complimentary admission annually. They call it "Here's to the Heroes". Since we're both military, our plan is to use my pass for Busch Gardens and then hers for a trip to Water Country USA maybe next week. We'll see how that works out.

First ride, Escape from Pompeii. It was going to be a warm one so why not start the day by getting wet.

Up we go...and out we go.

After getting a little wet, it was on to Apollo's Chariot roller coaster. It wasn't bad as far as coasters go. Just seemed short I guess. The best coasters in the park are Griffon and Alpengeist. Griffon stops 200 feet above the ground over the edge just to lake you take in the scenery...and then plungest you straight down at 70 mph. Now THAT...is a roller coaster. (I'm the only one with his hands in the air below)

I created a recap of the entire trip with iMovie. All in all, the project took about 15 minutes and didn't turn out half bad. I'll certainly be doing more of these in the future. Enjoy!

Cherry Blossoms in our Nation's Capital

It has been almost 4 months since we last updated our blog. Rather than 4 months spent doing nothing to write about, we've been putting 100% of our spare time into becoming homeowners. Having painted 5 rooms, furnished almost a dozen, and spent every weekend seeking a routine to take care of all this new stuff...there just hasn't been much time for seeing sights. Sunday marked our first change from the norm though since the cherry blossoms are in bloom and D.C. is under 3 hours by car from our house.

We decided to utilize the free weekend parking at the Franconia-Springfield Metro Rail station and rode the Metro all the way to Union Station where we started our 9 mile walk through the major D.C. landmarks.

First stop at the U.S. Capitol.

Next, we walked down to the Washington Monument...which Sandy was able to hold in her hand.

A quick swerve out towards the White House...I only wish my lawn looked that nice.

Continuing down the Mall we passed the WWII memorial, stopped at the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and the Wall. Then it was off to walk under the cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin around the Jefferson Memorial. Having lived in northern Japan...gotta admit the cherry blossom aspect was a letdown.

We then walked to a nearby Metro station and headed to Arlington. Having been to Arlington a few times over the years, I didn't expect this trip to be any different than the ones before...yet somehow...the area becomes more powerful, inspirational yet solemn, and even more moving than the trip before.

We will be making several trips to D.C. over the years here in VA I'm sure. As we start to settle into our home, it's becoming much easier to get out and enjoy everything Virginia has to offer.