Around 9:00 pm on the evening of August 4th our friend Nic from Virginia sent a Facebook message to Bob, asking if we were home. He and Denise were in our area for a short time and wanted to see us. The next morning we met Nic and Denise for breakfast at The Plaza Restaurant.
We ate Breakfast at The Plaza Restaurant.
We had a good time catching up some on each others’ lives, while eating good food. It had been over a year since we saw each other.
After breakfast we drove the short distance to Crescent Park, where we walked from the Four Flags to the Crescent Park Healing Garden.
Crecent Park Healing Garden
Nic gives boy statue a “High Five”
Denise and I mimic the girl statue
There is a fountain in the garden.
This girl statue looks ready for Winter.
Off to a Soccer Game
The Healing Garden was dedicated in May this year, and it was our first visit there. The garden is tranquil and peaceful.
I am thankful that we were able to spend a couple hours with Denise and Nic. We are very good friends, but don’t see each other as often as we would like.
Today, April 3rd, is the third day of our Easter vacation.
We had visitors today. Our friends, Denise and Nic, drove up from Virginia Beach this morning. They arrived around 10:00 am and left for home around 4:30 pm. The four of us had fun together sightseeing on Assateague Island at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and at the seashore. We went sightseeing in Chincoteague as well.
We walked the Lighthouse Trail at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The Lighthouse Trail is a 0.25 mile loop that takes you through the woods to the historic Assateague Lighthouse.
Lighthouse Trail Informative Sign
Denise and Nic at the Assateague Lighthouse. The lighthouse is 142 feet tall.
We walked the Woodland Trail as well. The Woodland Trail is a 1.6 mile loop that takes you through a beautiful pine forest.
We stopped at the overlook where Chincoteague ponies can sometimes be seen.
My recollection is that we saw one pony way off in the distance, too far away for a decent picture especially with a mobile phone camera.
From the Woodland Trail we drove to the Assateague Island National Seashore.
The four of us at the Assateague Island National Seashore
We visited two parks in Chincoteague–the Robert N Reed Waterfront Park and the Veterans Memorial Park.
The four of us at the Robert N Reed Waterfront Park
These four Adirondack chairs are 10 feet tall and weigh more than 500 pounds. The chairs arrived in Chincoteague in the summer of 2014 and promote the state’s “Virginia is for Lovers” tourism slogan. They had been located at Virginia’s Kiptopeke State Park since May 2012.
Denise and Nic at Robert N Reed Waterfront Park with Misty of Chincoteague in the backgroundBob and I at Robert N Reed Waterfront Park with Misty of Chincoteague in the backgroundVeterans Memorial Park Cross; Assateague Lighthouse in the background
From Veterans Memorial Park we returned to our AirBnb, Tranquil Shores. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch –cheeseburgers. potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, chips and salsa and, for dessert, cheesecake.
Bob grilling burgers for lunch
We ate lunch on our screened-in porch.
After lunch we returned to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and drove the wildlife loop. The 3.25 mile loop trail is open to walkers and bikers all day. Vehicles are permitted to drive the loop from 3:00 pm till dusk.
We spotted an eagle nest, but we didn’t see the eagle.
Two Turtles hanging out on a tuft of grass
We drove back down Beach Rd and saw ponies, lots of ponies, in the marsh. We saw several egrets, too, both along Beach Rd and as we were driving the Wildlife Loop.
A Very Pregnant Chincoteague PonyWe saw the most ponies in one place during Denise and Nic’s visit.
One of several Great Egrets that we saw at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
We had a great visit with Denise and Nic. We are so glad they were able to make the drive up for the day.
On Good Friday, April 3, we enjoyed the beauty of the morning sunrise. We went for a walk on the Virginia Beach boardwalk, and we enjoyed lunch at a pancake house.
After lunch, we returned to our hotel. We spent the next 4 hours relaxing, either in our room or on the balcony. I intended to do a great deal of reading, while on vacation. I found it difficult to concentrate when reading, though. There were just too many photo opportunities afforded from our 8th floor balcony!
We had never seen horses on the beach. I really liked watching the horses on the beach!
The horses were corralled a short way up the beach from our hotel.
The King Neptune statue was visible, when looking to the left from our hotel balcony.
The Virginia Beach fishing pier was visible, when looking to the right from our hotel balcony. We walked to the fishing pier earlier in the day.
I saw several dogs who looked like they were enjoying the beach and surf just as much as their human masters.
We met our friends, Denise and Nic, at 5:00 pm for dinner at Margie and Ray’s Seafood Restaurant. The four of us ordered two Hurricane Margie Platters. The platters cost $37.99 each. Each platter contained generous portions of Shrimp, Scallops, Crab Cakes, Clam Strips, Oysters, Fish Filets, French Fries, Hush Puppies, and Homemade Cole Slaw. There was enough food on one platter to feed all four of us! We each carried out a box filled to the brim. Bob and I planned to reheat our leftovers for Saturday’s dinner.
The four of us at Margie and Ray’s Seafood Restaurant
The last time we had seen Denise was in September 2013, when we vacationed together for a week at the Outer Banks. We met Nic for the first time during that vacation. It was so good to see Denise again and to spend more time with Nic, getting to know him better.
I hope 18 months doesn’t pass again, before we see each other!
There is still much more to share with you about our Easter vacation in Virginia, so please come back soon!
The Beauty Around Us 