We arrived at the Brickey's beautiful home in Williamsburg on Friday afternoon at 4 pm and got swept into a wonderful weekend of relaxation, food, fun, friends, history, and culture. Joel had cycled from Frederickburg to Richmond (about 60 miles), but Holly took a pass and rode with Mom and Dad in the car. After lunch at an Irish Pub in Richmond and a driving tour of the University we all made our way East to Colonial Williamsburg for a much anticipated visit with our dear friends. Drinks, a delicious dinner, and catching up filled our evening. Saturday dawned sunny and cooler which everyone appreciated. We started our fun filled day with a walk through the weekly Farmer's Market on the Duke of Gloucester Street. Michael took our photo in front of the Governor's Mansion as it is an iconic building in the city, and Holly got her dog fix as many shoppers bring their pooches! From there we boarded a ferry in Jamestown and crossed the James River to head over to Smithfield (as in ham!) to enjoy lunch at the Inn. Paula Dean is a spokesperson for the company so her influence was definitely felt in the yummy dishes we sampled. To cap off an absolutely spectacular day we were treated to an outdoor concert by the Virginia Symphony on the grounds of the Yorktown Monument. The program ended with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture which was very reminiscent of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra's annual performance at Fort Stanwix in Rome (which we missed because of this trip!) Lisa and Michael's neighbors and friends, Tom and Mary Beth, joined us for our picnic-on-the-lawn...fun! We continued to have a great time on Sunday. First thing, we visited Lisa's Mom in the morning. Bev is as lovely as ever, and it was so nice to be able to spend time with her. Our afternoon adventure took us to the Williamsburg Winery where we had lunch, a tour, and a tasting...Joel really thought their Merlot was pretty good! A highlight for Holly began at 5 in the evening because Lisa and Michael lent her their kitchen to cook up some dinner! Lisa found some jazz on the radio and Michael lit plenty of candles and everyone (including golden retrievers Quincy, Parker, and Peyton!!) sat down to a meal of egg rolls, spicy shrimp, and sesame/ginger bok choy. Nice:)
Sadly, all wonderful things must come to an end. By 7 am on Labor Day Monday Joel and Holly had to say farewell and were back in the saddle again continuing their journey to Key West. Today's ride was great, though!! The terrain was flat, the traffic was light, and our energy levels were high thanks to our rejuvenating weekend at the Brickey abode. Our trek took us by several Plantations, and we decided to stop and tour one. Our time spent on the grounds of the Shirley Homestead was especially exciting because we saw the State's largest Willow Oak Tree in which we spotted an eagle perched on a high branch. Very cool! 50 more miles today brings us up to a total of 1,400 so far for the trip. We are halfway there! Only two more days in Virginia then we hit the Tarheel State!
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