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I used to pass by the Bergey's Dairy Farm daily on my way to work and we decided a romantic day would include Pick-Your-Own Strawberries at the the new Brookdale Farm. The strawberry fields are well-maintained and irrigated. They had baskets to borrow or purchase for a minimal fee and the rates were reasonable after picking your basket full of beautiful delicious strawberries! The roadside stand also had some homemade goods for sale, so we also purchased some pineapple salsa which turned out to be very good! They also have a pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkins in the Fall. This was a fun event near our home in Chesapeake, VA...recommended for romance or family outings in the area!

I used to pass by the Bergey's Dairy Farm daily on my way to work and we decided a romantic day would include Pick-Your-Own Strawberries at the the new Brookdale Farm. The strawberry fields are well-maintained and irrigated. They had baskets to borrow or purchase for a minimal fee and the rates were reasonable after picking your basket full of beautiful delicious strawberries! The roadside stand also had some homemade goods for sale, so we also purchased some pineapple salsa which turned out to be very good! They also have a pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkins in the Fall. This was a fun event near our home in Chesapeake, VA...recommended for romance or family outings in the area!

We were supposed to drive up to Colonial Williamsburg, VA today to take advantage of the Memorial Day Weekend free admission for active duty military personnel, but after getting a late start, we never made it to Williamsburg.  Instead, Jeff noticed Jenny's thermostat showed it was running hot.  Sure enough, a radiator leak required a pit stop only 10 miles down the road to get some coolant and turn back.  After dropping of the car for repairs, we decided to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and check out a local attraction, the Chesapeake Arboretum.

From the Chesapeake Arboretum Website:

"The Chesapeake Arboretum is a 47-acre garden dedicated to promoting horticultural and environmental awareness through displays, education and research. The Arboretum was dedicated in November, 1996, and boasts one of Virginia’s finest trail systems that wanders through a 43-acre mature hardwood forest with many varieties of trees and plants."

Our subdivision has the words "at the Arboretum" in the title, so you know it is close by.  We are members in "Friends of the Arboretum" and have attended the open house.  The farmhouse was built in 1730, around the same time Williamsburg was the Virginia State Capital.  It was also built without using any metal like nails, so they could not be melted down by the Colonialists and used against the British.

The grounds and walking trails are well maintained and we use the trails often for exercising.   Today we were treated to many mother birds feeding their babies, many flowers in bloom (including some HUGE magnolia blossoms!) and a local Canadian goose sitting on her eggs without moving.  The freaky part of nature was the 3 male mallard ducks hanging out together without any females, and one of them flew through a waterfountain just after I took their photo!

The Chesapeake Arboretum is a local attraction (okay, right across the street from our house) for nature and history buffs. There are several acres of trees, creeks, bridges, and a farmhouse built in 1730 with a nice garden, flower and picnic area. There is plenty of free parking and there are about 4 miles of trails through the woods. From the Chesapeake Arboretum Website: "The Chesapeake Arboretum is a 47-acre garden dedicated to promoting horticultural and environmental awareness through displays, education and research. The Arboretum was dedicated in November, 1996, and boasts one of Virginia’s finest trail systems that wanders through a 43-acre mature hardwood forest with many varieties of trees and plants." The farmhouse built in 1730 has some interesting history, besides the addition of several rooms including a kitchen. The rose garden adjacent to the farmhouse has some varieties of rose which have more thorns but also more flowers--and they are no longer available commercially today. The house was also built around the same time Williamsburg, VA was the Virginia State Capital and under the occupation of the British Redcoats. Therefore, there are no nails or meteal that could be melted down to make bullets for the Colonials, so all the joining of the wood farmhouse is accomplished by wooden pegs. The Chesapeake Arboretum is a relaxing place to "smell the roses" and do some bird watching. We even were treated to a redheaded woodpecker and we occasionally see different varieties of fox along the pathways. The grounds are very well maintained by the all-volunteer staff and local community groups. The flowerbeds and red barn areas are well maintained in pristine condition. Come to the Chesapeake Arboretum to relax and enjoy nature for a while.

We have not stayed overnight at the Northwest River Park and Campground, but we did drive through it and we were impressed! A place this nice and far from the major roads in the middle of a wooded area surrounded by farms. WE would like to visit this park on the first Friday of every month when the Star Gazer Club sets up free telescopes for everyone to check out the night sky. Prices for camping looked reasonable, and the location is about half way beteen Chesapeake City Hall (which doesn't really have a downtown area) and the North Carolina border.

From Wikipedia: The Battle of Great Bridge was fought December 9, 1775, in the area of Chesapeake, Virginia, during the American Revolutionary War. The victory by the Continental Army was responsible for removing Lord Dunmore and any other vestige of English Government for the Colony of Virginia during the early days of the Revolution. Shortly thereafter, Norfolk, (at the time a Tory center) was captured and destroyed, cementing Continental hold on Virginia. We went to the Battle of Great Bridge reenactment which is usually held the first weekend (vice second week when the battle actually took place) in December. They had about 10 Colonialist tents set up, about 60 actors and a British fort. Everyone carried typical firearms of the period and the costumes were very authentic looking. The battle and local living conditions at the time were well explained, including briefings by a Colonial General and a commoner housewife. We were glad we attended this historic reenactment as we did learn quite a bit about the significance of the Battle of Great Bridge less than 2 miles from our home in Chesapeake. It was the last battle in the State of Virginia during the revolutionary war. The terrain was also something to admire since the British advance was thwarted and the fort destroyed by the Colonial Army.

Although we did not have to pay the $5.00 for parking by walking in, they still charged everyone a dollar to get in to the Chesapeake Jubilee on 17 MAy 2008. The carnival rides are supposedly also the largest in the Hampton Roads area, but the FIREWORKS were amazing! The lines ofr the rides and food were extremely long, but a beer could be obtained fairly quickly, once you got your ID checked and bought tokens for beer. They even had Landshark Premium Lager from Margaritaville Brewing Company in Jacksonville, FL--it was great beer! The Gin Blossoms band from the '90's played a free concert after the half hour of fireworks! Great band! They had the big hit "Hey Jealousy" and sang a few songs from the same album.

Back at home working off the jet lag.  Having to be at work on Friday by 0800 local time...just 12 hours after landing from Okinawa via Tokyo, Chicago and Norfolk.  Good thing I chose the business class upgrade to get some sleep!  :-)

Business trip to Yokosuka with daytrip to Kasai Seaside Park 葛西臨海公園  (Kasai Rinkai Koen) in Edogawa-ku District, Tokyo, Japan to ride the 117-Meter tall Ferris Wheel (largest in Tokyo, 11th largest in the world).  Then on to Jenny's birthplace of Okinawa, staying in Yomitan and Nakadomari.