Another few stores in the tidewater area, and I got to go to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
When I arrived, they were petting and I presume feeding the seals, who were doing tricks.










Skates and rays are relatives of sharks - but much cuter.










Horseshoe crabs have been around since prehistory. They have at least 3 different sorts of eyes.










Penguins.










Sea Horses.













Decoys aren't art, they're hunting tools. Right? Darned artistic ones.










Fish. Well, it IS an aquarium.










And jellyfish.










By this time, I'd gone through two buildings and the walking trail in between both ways, and I was pretty much overdosed on crowds. I grabbed a quick hamburger in the motorhome and took the boat tour. With a two-person crew and maybe 8 passengers, it was peaceful - and we all know I love to go play with water.














Signs of the times.








A fishing boat awaits the tide.











Dinner time for sea birds.










We went up to the bridge and back. According to the boat guide, this used to be a fresh water lake, until people noticed that when salt water got into it, there were less mosquitoes - so they opened it up to a bit of salt water. Then they opened it up completely to bring in a large boat and it's been a salt water inlet ever since.

Just north of the North Carolina line, along the Northwest River, lies Northwest River Park, courtesy of the town of Chesapeake, VA.



The park has shady parking lots, spacious picnic areas, lots of hiking trails, a campground, and a lake with canoes and paddle boats for rent. Also an equestrian area which, being horseless, I did not investigate.




I camped in the campground while we were setting the Food Lion across the border in Moyock, NC.












I finally got my canoe fix! (If you're a regular reader, you know I tend to find water, and it generally makes me want to go canoing.)














I hiked from the Fragrance Garden by the visitors center/office to the Northwest River, and back the other way.



I'm sure the fragrance garden was more fragrant in the spring.

The Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE) in Virginia Beach

carries on the work of Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet.

What was once the Edgar Cayce hospital is now a day spa and massage therapy school.

The visitors center building houses an extensive metaphysical library, meditation room, offices, lecture halls. There are bookstores in both buildings. Dangerous place for this bookaholic.


I walked in the meditation gardens, which are lovely.



The sun filtered through a stand of bamboo.





I trod the labyrinth path in front of the spa/massage school,



reaching the center and following the maze back out to the beginning.

Busy, busy, busy! The summer months just seem to fly by. Since I last posted, I worked 2 weeks in Virginia Beach, 1 week in Moyock NC, 1 week in Chesapeake VA, then got to come home for a week. I love my job but it's sure nice to come up for air once in a while.







So - Somewhere in there I visited my friend Phylis. Her house was blessed with an invasion of rather new and totally adorable kittens.



Alice has a different creature feature at her house.

This dove nested in her petunia basket and raised her family quite unconcerned with the activities of the humans using the yard.



Sometimes the skies put on a show.





Here are two different views of the sky over Virginia Beach.

The oldest remaining railroad depot in North Carolina is in Thomasville (where there is now also a new Food Lion). It houses the visitors center.


















The park between the main streets also boasts a statue of John Thomas, the town's founder.

The 30 foot chair honors Thomasville's furniture industry. It is actually the second chair. The first was made of wood and leather and stood for some 15 years. It was eventually replaced with the more durable (but less comfortable for the Jolly Green Giant) concrete chair that exists today.

This is one of several murals painted on the buildings of Thomasville, depicting life there in earlier times.

This is a map of where I've been. People who've seen it on my RV ask how did I get to California without going through the intervening states. But my rule is, if I just drive through it doesn't count. I have to actually stop there, and not just at a rest area, long enough to catch the flavor of the state.