If art shows, festivals, and drives in the country seem a little too tame for you, why not get your pass to Busch Gardens and check out the Ramp Jam, starting April 30 and running for three weekends! If the rides at the amusement park aren’t thrilling enough for you, watching these amazing athletes defy gravity on their skateboards and bikes will surely get your adrenaline pumping.
Burden Bearers is planning a family fun day at Upper County Park on April 30, 2011. I learned of Burden Bearers last year when we needed help moving our old living room furniture to a consignment shop and a friend told us about them. They offer muscle power and a pickup truck for folks who need help. They ask for no payment, but donations are accepted. Proceeds from Family Fun Day will benefit the charity
Chairman Brock Reggi says “the event will feature live music from 10 – 5. Kids will have a bounce house from Inflation Nation, with games spread through the day, corn hole competition, and over 20 vendors. There will be a local race car driver Matt Fox from Sly Fox Racing will be there with his car. The event is free to the public for games and music and we are selling BBQ from Boone’s BBQ, which is how we are trying to raise funding for our start up non-profit. Other fair type foods will also be on site.” Discounted tickets are available on the web site April 26th.”
Directions from WIlliamsburg to Upper County Park:
Take 64 west…
Take exit 227 for VA-30 toward W Point/Toano
Turn left at VA-30 S/Old Stage Rd
0.4 mi
Take the 1st right onto Old Stage Rd/State Route 746
0.3 mi
Turn right at Leisure Rd
Destination will be on the right
0.4 mi
Upper County Park
180 Leisure Road
Toano, VA 23168
If you’re curious about the 2.9-mile trail at Waller Mill Park, but haven’t tried it, check out my video. It’s a beautiful, but somewhat challenging hike for those of us used to strolling our paved neighborhood streets. It’s not too hard for fit walkers who can climb moderate inclines, some steps, and paths with numerous tree roots.
The air temperature on Dec. 31 was in the 50s, but there was still snow on the ground, making a perfect environment for a walk in the woods at Waller Mill Park in Williamsburg. I hope you enjoy my video of the Bayberry Trail.
New Year’s Eve will be here before we know it, and the price for admission to the 2011 First Night celebration goes up the day of the event. According to the official web site for the event: … Continue Reading
A romp through Christmas Town Friday night with my friends Kim and Rhonda was a perfect way to decompress from our busy work weeks. The staff at Busch Gardens has done a fabulous job with the lights and decorations. I loved seeing all of their creative variations on the theme, including lots of blue lights! My favorite area was Pompeii, with its formal gardens and white lights. We saw four of the five shows, skipping A Sesame Street Christmas because we didn’t have any kids with us. We enjoyed O Tannenbaum, Deck the Halls, and Miracles. Not all of the rides are operational, due to the temperature this time of year, but make sure you do the Flight of Lights to see the magic of the lights from above.
I’m looking forward to attending Colonial Williamburg’s Grand Illumination again this year. See the fun my friend Leslie and I had last year. The official event begins at 4:45 p.m. with colonial programs. Fireworks start at 6:15 p.m. There’s an interesting “behind the scenes” article on CW’s web site. The weather forecast is for cold and clear weather, so get your boot warmers fired up and put your mittens on for a great start to the Christmas season.
As I was checking CW’s web site for times, I came across this photo of me taken in 1993. Those were fun times. They never did succeed at teaching me the Minuet, though!
About 1,700 runners and walkers showed up at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning to participate in the annual Blue Talon 5K Turkey Trot. My choir buddies Randy Tanner and Nancy Byrd honored me by wearing Williamsburg Native tee shirts—I’m glad they did, or I might never have found them in the crowd. Participants wore imaginative head gear befitting the location and the holiday—check out my video for a peek at state Senator Tommy Norment’s fashion statement. And “Miss Julia” looked very elegant, indeed. Proceeds from the event benefit Williamsburg Meals on Wheels, a very worthy charity and reminder to us all that many go hungry in our area on Thanksgiving and every day. A big THANK YOU to Blue Talon Bistro and all of the generous sponsors and volunteers who made this fun event such a success.
I enjoyed a walk to see the autumn leaves at their peak in the historic area Sunday afternoon and happened upon a small craft and family fun show on Prince George Street. Here’s 4:48 minutes of video (until my battery died.) There’s nothing like crisp air and fall color to get one in the mood for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
I suppose I’ve metaphorically skated on thin ice many times, but today I shared an old memory of some pre-teen mischief that would have gotten me and my friend Suzy grounded for months if our moms had found out. I went to a breakfast networking event at the Williamsburg Hospitality House on Richmond Road. I happened to sit next to another long-time Williamsburg resident who knows that neighborhood well. … Continue Reading
