The DRZ's first experience offroad was great! I swapped my spare set of wheels onto the bike and it thumped its way up the trails with ease!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Friday, August 27, 2021
Monday, August 23, 2021
Grandview Beach (Hampton, VA)
I've been dreaming of a day on the beach with the newly-restored ski for a while now. In fact, the entire time we were at Cape Lookout, I was constantly thinking about how awesome it would be to have the ski on the beach - just waiting to be ridden in the surf.
Finally, the dream became a reality!
I scoured Google Maps for a boat ramp in close proximity to a beach. The closest that I found was the Fox Hill Boat Ramp in Hampton. Not far from the ramp are Factory Point and Grandview Beach.
Once I'd found these potential destinations, I called the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries to inquire about regulations. I was glad to find out that boats were allowed at Grandview Beach (Factory Point is off-limits due to migratory birds). Also, I was told by a ranger that we could beach our skis on the sand as long as we were mindful of other beachgoers.
I invited my friend John and his family, who arrived with their boat so we could bring all the beach essentials.
Another friend, Ben, brought his JS440 and the three of us made our way from the boat ramp to the beach, spotting a few dolphins swimming alongside us as we rounded Factory Point.
Once at the beach, we set up our canopy and spent the day playing in the water and making runs on the skis.
It was a great place to discover. At only about an hour-and-a-half drive, I think we'll be returning for sure!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Bowens Creek (Stuart, VA)
When Rebecca and I decided to rent an AirBnb in the mountains to celebrate our wedding anniversary, the immediate question that came to my mind was "what toys can we bring?"
After a bit of deliberation, I decided to pack boats & bikes - splitting the weekend into "on water" and "on land" days.
After completing our drive on Friday, we didn't have much time to spare, so we quickly unloaded our gear and drove into Floyd for dinner at The Blind Pig & Lush Lounge, an eclectic speakeasy that was completely worth the short jaunt from our lodging in Stuart, VA.
The next day we headed to Bowens Creek with the standup ski and sit-on-top kayak. I'd just bought the kayak for Rebecca's birthday, so this was our first time using it. Rebecca took to the boat quickly, even with the extra challenge of balancing Lola between her legs while she paddled.
We found a spot in the sun to disembark on the clay shore. From there, we took several trips to explore the coves in the beautiful turquoise waters.
That afternoon, the rain moved in. We got off the water just in time and headed back to the screen porch of our AirBnb to watch the storm move over the mountain range while we sipped drinks and celebrated our day on the water.
On Sunday we packed up and headed to complete the Woolwine Loop on our way out of town. The loop was a great mix of short descents and ascents, over rocky and rooty terrain.
As we were nearing the last of the climbs, Rebecca stopped suddenly. One black bear ran up the hill into the woods while another stood upright, facing her from a distance of about 80 feet. She wisely backed away and we decided to find a reroute to finish out the ride. A short bit of bushwacking helped us shortcut around the bears and in a few minutes we were back at the Crosstrek. With that last bit of excitement, we were happy to have stories to tell as we loaded up and headed home.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow
After a bit of deliberation, I decided to pack boats & bikes - splitting the weekend into "on water" and "on land" days.
After completing our drive on Friday, we didn't have much time to spare, so we quickly unloaded our gear and drove into Floyd for dinner at The Blind Pig & Lush Lounge, an eclectic speakeasy that was completely worth the short jaunt from our lodging in Stuart, VA.
The next day we headed to Bowens Creek with the standup ski and sit-on-top kayak. I'd just bought the kayak for Rebecca's birthday, so this was our first time using it. Rebecca took to the boat quickly, even with the extra challenge of balancing Lola between her legs while she paddled.
We found a spot in the sun to disembark on the clay shore. From there, we took several trips to explore the coves in the beautiful turquoise waters.
That afternoon, the rain moved in. We got off the water just in time and headed back to the screen porch of our AirBnb to watch the storm move over the mountain range while we sipped drinks and celebrated our day on the water.
On Sunday we packed up and headed to complete the Woolwine Loop on our way out of town. The loop was a great mix of short descents and ascents, over rocky and rooty terrain.
As we were nearing the last of the climbs, Rebecca stopped suddenly. One black bear ran up the hill into the woods while another stood upright, facing her from a distance of about 80 feet. She wisely backed away and we decided to find a reroute to finish out the ride. A short bit of bushwacking helped us shortcut around the bears and in a few minutes we were back at the Crosstrek. With that last bit of excitement, we were happy to have stories to tell as we loaded up and headed home.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)