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Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:17 GMT

Hughlett Point

Hughlett Point was one of my favorite places to take my children when they were young, and it’s still among my favorite places to walk with them as adults! You, too, will want to walk along these beautiful sandy beaches on the Chesapeake Bay in this 204-acre Natural Area Preserve. Many times you’ll see Great Blue Herons wading through the tidal wetlands and Snowy Egrets’ white feathers contrasting with the green background. It’s not unusual to observe American Bald Eagles and ospreys flying. If you love Hughlett Point, you’ll love the Northern Neck!

NOTE

From the Department of Conservation and Recreation regarding visitation:
Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve is open to the public. Facilities include an 11 car parking area. If the parking area is full, the preserve is full. You will need to wait for a spot to open or have a Plan B for another site to visit.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From Kilmarnock, go north on VA 200 towards Burgess. Turn right onto VA 606. Turn right at the Shiloh schoolhouse onto VA 605.

Follow VA 605 to the preserve.

State Parks in our Neck of the Woods

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:16 GMT

Belle Isle State Park

Belle Isle State Park has seven miles of shoreline on the Northern Neck's Rappahannock River and provides access to Mulberry and Deep Creeks. The park lets visitors explore a wide variety of tidal wetlands interspersed with farmland and upland forests stretching over 892 acres. It has a campground, three picnic shelters, hiking, biking and bridle trails, and motor boat and car-top launches. Belle Isle also offers overnight lodging at Bel Air and the Bel Air Guest House. Bicycle, canoe and kayak rentals are available. Guests also enjoy the park's universal access playground, boardwalk and fishing pier,

and educational programs.

The diverse habitats found in the park provide homes to many predator birds, such as Great Blue Herons, osprey, hawks and American Bald Eagles. White-tailed deer, turkeys, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, moles, reptiles, and amphibians are also common.

There are eight distinct types of wetlands within the park. These diverse ecosystems make Belle Isle an excellent outdoor laboratory for environmental education and great fresh air fun!

Hours

Dawn - Dusk.

Driving Directions

Lancaster County on the Rappahannock River. From Warsaw, take State Route 3 East to SR 354. Turn right and follow for three miles. Turn right onto SR 683 at Somers to the park entrance. From Kilmarnock, take Route 3 West to Lively, then left on SR 201 for three miles, then right on SR 354 for three miles and left onto 683 to the park entrance.

Address

1632 Belle Isle Rd., Lancaster, VA 22503; Latitude, 37.774414. Longitude: -76.599364.

Drive Time

Northern Virginia: two hours; Richmond: two hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach: two hours; Roanoke: five hours

Park Size

892 acres

Sunset Reflections

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:14 GMT

Six Steps to the Perfect Evening

with the Artist in the Sky

River sunsets. Each one if different. Many are majestic and most disappear unappreciated by the majority. But there’s something simple you can do to enjoy them. This is what works for my husband and me.

Step 1: Ice down our favorite beverages and prepare some hors d'oeuvres or a savory dish.

Step 2: Cruise by boat to some wide water and cut the motor off or drive to a western facing beach !

Step 3: Relax. Simply sit, float, sip, eat, and breathe. The evening sky almost always delivers a magic light show and each night is different than the one before.

Step 4: Take your time. The best way to enjoy these evenings are without rushing.

Step 5: Drive home safely or cruise back to the dock while keeping an eye out for crab pots and channel markers. :)

Step 1: Ice down our favorite beverages and prepare some hors d'oeuvres or a savory dish.

Step 2: Cruise by boat to some wide water and cut the motor off or drive to a beach !

Step 3: Relax. Simply sit, float, sip, eat, and relax. The evening sky almost always delivers a magic light show and each night is different than the one before. A fireball lands on the horizon as waves gently lap the sides of the boat. As the flaming evening sky crowds with cumulus clouds sometimes flickering with lightening, it truly makes for a grand show. But, it's not over! Like a cozy blanket, the sky usually morphs into soft lavender and pink hues with a kiss goodnight.

Step 4: Inhale and relax.

Step 5: Cruise back to the dock while keeping an eye out for crab pots and channel markers :)

If you don’t have access to a boat yet, there are various beaches and drive-to locations to experience the quiet drama.

Middlesex

Before you cross over the bridge into Lancaster County, there’s a pullover area and small beach open to the public. Great views!

Mathews

Newpoint outlook area (as shown above in the video!)

History Matters!

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:09 GMT

Christ Church: It’s a National Historic Landmark

Dating back to 1735, Christ Church is in near-original condition. Tucked away in a quiet corner of coastal Virginia is an architectural masterpiece, the centerpiece of a museum and engag ing historical site dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of eighteenth-century Virginia history. This National Historic Landmark, the 1735 Christ Church, is in near-original condition and is one of America's great buildings. Visitors can explore this stunning edifice and discover museum exhibits and artifacts related to the social and political world of colonial Virginia, the lives of the Carters and ordinary parishioners, and the preservation of the church. The museum also offers a research library and high-quality gift shop and prides itself on being a leader in educational and community outreach programs for all ages.

NOTE

Churchyard open daily. Church tours by advanced appointment. Mon-Sat 10am-3pm

https://www.christchurch1735.org

Address

420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA 22576

The BIG Surprise

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:08 GMT

Compass Entertainment Complex

Woo! You’ll be amazed at this gem that David Jones (Connemara Construction President) was hired to develop and construct. Transforming an open field to a state of the art 28,000 square foot entertainment complex, David accomplished this feat in less than one year! You read that right – in less than one year! His team consisted of multiple superintendents, over 30 employees, and a large in-house support staff.

Kenny Beatley, cofounder of Connemara Real Estate and Director of Development, supervised COMPASS’s daily onsite development and construction as part of Connemara’s extensive in-house management team.

Things to do:

· 6 state of the art, luxury, boutique movie theatres that can even be rented for private gatherings!

· Miniature golf

· Go-carts

· Batting cage

· Indoor adventure course

· Climbing walls

· Meridian full service restaurant and bar

Bet you thought you’d have to be in a metropolitan area for this scale of a complex.

Website

https://compassentertainmentcomplex.com

https://compassentertainmentcomplex.com/meridian-bar-grill/