It was a beautiful October evening as we set up our campsite at Occoneechee State Park. We watched the sun slowly slip below the horizon of Kerr Lake turning the sky a pumpkin orange. This was our last family camping trip for a while. Our daughter and her family were moving to Florida, and we didn’t know when we would be able to camp together again.
Since early spring we had chosen a different state park to visit. Our season began at Douthat the week after Memorial Day. Despite the fact it rained- make that poured- the entire week we were there, we had a good time. Our grandchildren caught rainbow trout from the children’s fishing area earning them both a citation and we took a day trip along Skyline Drive.
We made our first visit to beautiful James River in June and admired the plentiful equestrian camp sites available. The weather conditions prohibited kayaking along the river but we found entertainment at the Amhurst-Nelson Summer Solstice Wine and Farm Festival. We also took in the Owls by Wagon and Feeding Frenzy programs offered by park interpreters.
Hot humid weather took us to the water park at Pocahontas. We had hours of fun slipping and sliding throughout the day at the family friendly facilities. We were also close to the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds for the fireworks display celebrating the 4th of July.
August kept us close to home anticipating the arrival of a new grandson. We took a Sunday afternoon bike ride into False Cape to see the construction of their new contact station. The primitive beauty of False Cape is always worth the trip.
We celebrated our wedding anniversary at Smith Mountain Lake. It fell on the same weekend as the Big Lick Triathlon held at the park and the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival. We mountain biked through the park enjoying the first signs of fall and the plentiful deer population. A nearby orchard provided us with ½ bushel of crisp mountain apples to take back home.
By the time we ended our year at Occoneechee, we had outgrown a single campsite. Our daughter’s family stayed in one of the park’s beautiful cabins and we camped on a waterfront site. Our four year old granddaughter had learned how to cast her own fishing rod and we had improved our smores making skills.
Each Virginia state park offered us the opportunity to do as much or as little as we liked. Each one had their own uniqueness and qualities that set it apart from the others. It would be hard to pick a favorite. Our 2009 camping season gave us the memories that will stay with our family for a lifetime- no matter how far apart we are from one another.