I had another gorgeous day off on Monday & this time I spent it lounging
by the James River and then watching the sun set at The Diamond.
Belle Isle is a small island just a short walk upriver from my neighborhood
in the heart of downtown. A giant suspension footbridge hangs beneath
the Robert E. Lee overpass, allowing park goers access to the island.
It's often referred to as "the rocks" by locals because... well, there
is a collection of giant flat rocks on the river bank. Since Virginia Beach
is about 100 mile drive, sunbathers tend to set up towels and beach
blankets and pretend the rapids of the James are waves of the Atlantic.
Belle Isle also offers bike trails, hiking, picnic shelters, rock climbing,
and of course, sunbathing. People (and dogs) swim along the shoreline, but
personally I'd rather navigate rapids in a raft with a guide. I've also seen
people fishing with nets, which is actually more entertaining to watch than you'd think. There's plenty of wildlife to watch, trails to hike, and ruins to explore..
Most days you can catch a group of kayakers expertly avoiding giant rock collisions.
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| Belle Isle pond |
Of course, it goes without saying that this island is full of history. After
all, it's in Richmond! It was first explored (by a white man.. because, duh,
Native Americans had been exploring it for centuries) by the one and only
Captain John Smith in 1607. As far as anyone knows, he never took
Pocahontas here, though. Throughout the years the island has been home to a
nail factory, fishery, village, and even a Union soldier prison.
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| Once manufactured nails, wire, & horseshoes |
In my rush to spend maximum time in the sun, I stupidly decided to drive
the short distance from my place to the park entrance at the suspension bridge.
The tiny dirt parking lot is makeshift at best, and I barely managed to squeeze
my truck into a space. After my day in the park, I returned to find that getting
out of the parking area was going to be next to impossible. It took me almost
20 minutes and plenty of swearing, but I did it. I may have left a rude
note on a car or two. They're lucky I didn't take a piece of their bumpers. Idiots.
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| Who does this? |
I headed home, spent some time at the dog park with Rocko & Bowser,
and met up with my Scavenger Hunt Team in front of The Diamond for
a Flying Squirrels game. We were greeted at the front gate by a
live band playing "Mustang Sally" and some Raiders Cheerleaders (local arena
football team). This is only the second season of our AA Minor League team.
At first I wasn't crazy about our mascot, but now I love him.. 'ol Nutzy.
It could be way worse... I mean, we could be the Savannah Sand Gnats
or the Winston Salem Warthogs. Plus the red & black is pretty snazzy.
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| Go nutz! |
To be honest, in many ways minor league games are more fun than the
majors. For starters, we sat directly behind home plate and were literally
front and center to watch our beloved Squirrels beat the Bowie Baysox 4-2.
It was exciting to watch pitcher Ryan Verdugo's AA debut, allowing 2 runs on
4 hits in 5 innings which happened to be the longest outing of his career. It was
pretty sweet to have front row seats to the Squirrels' first home run of the season
thanks to switch-hitting Jose Flores. Aside from baseball, there were dancing
drag queens, bizarre contests, and the celebrity appearance by pro wreslter
George "The Animal" Steele. Did I mention the amazing junk food & beer?
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| Fabulous view... |
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Thankfully George kept his shirt on. |
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| Go Squirrels!! |
I'm so glad Rachael brought her sweet kids to the game.
After all, they're the honorary members of the RVA Scavenger Hunt Team!
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| RVA Scavenger Hunt Team |
