Scenic Distractions

A new direction for Midlothian

scenicdistractions — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:00:49 +0000

Just received the election results for the races for board of supervisors, school board, and sheriff. Much to my expectation and relief, Dan Gecker won, and by a comfortable margin. In fact, every other candidate that campaigned against the out-of-control development won their respective races in the other districts. We now have a nearly completely new board of supervisors, and a new mandate to listen to the citizens, the ones who are footing the bill for 1000+ home developments off of every main road. As my shift ended for working the polls, I met the folks who were taking my place handing out fliers. The wife is the founder of a local political action group that lobbies developers and the county to make sure that a new development will not be unsightly or overwhelm an area. They also focus on preservation of green space and historic buildings, which is right up my alley. I’m going to go to the meeting on Thursday night, and probably join their committee, see what I can do to help keep Midlothian the small historic village that it’s been.

All of this development and these local races for supervisor have got me thinking seriously about making a run myself in the near future. I’ve not been too impressed with the candidates that the local GOP has been putting forth, and independents have been quite successful in Chesterfield, so running as an independent wouldn’t be a problem. When the people of the county have a problem with something, and they don’t see the local government doing anything about it, they look for a candidate who is passionate about correcting those problems, regardless of party affiliation. I don’t have much experience in politics beyond campaigning, but I feel I have the passion to make Midlothian and Chesterfield a better place to live that people are looking for. Ultimately, any decision to run for supervisor is in God’s hands. So we’ll see what happens.

Back to the mountains

scenicdistractions — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:58:19 +0000

Sometime this fall, I’d like to return to the Blue Ridge Mountains for several days of camping and exploring. I want to see it when it’s cold, the skies are gray and the leaves are vibrant oranges and yellows and reds. Last summer a friend of mine and I drove up Skyline Drive, so I think this year we’ll go south, down the Blue Ridge Parkway, past Roanoke towards the VA/NC border. More details to come.

While the family was away…

scenicdistractions — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:45:28 +0000

Sounds like a paradox, but it isn’t. Mom and Rem were out of town this weekend at Revive 07, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church conference in Harrisonburg, VA. I didn’t go because me and a friend have been trying for over a month to take a day trip somewhere, and this was our only window of opportunity to do so. So, after going for a very enjoyable swim at the river w/ a friend on Friday afternoon, I had to endure a very boring Friday evening and night, before a full day of fun on Saturday. Got up early and picked my friend up, and we drove northwest up into the most rural landscape I’ve ever seen. We traversed up through Orange and Madison counties, which lie just to the east of the Shenandoah mountains.

It was the most relaxing drive I’ve taken in a while. It was sunny but not yet hot (mid 70s), not a cloud in the sky. We took one big loop from rustic farmland up through old small towns nestled and tucked way in valleys overshadowed by the Shenandoah Mountains. It was glorious! Me being into gardening and horticulture, I was particularly struck by the creative gardens some of the residents had growing around their homes. There were also more than a few Bed and Breakfasts…I lost count after a while. We stopped in to check out the towns of Culpepper and Orange, two places that claim a few significant Civil War battles and events. Unfortunately, I had miscalculated how much time we would have and how much money to bring along, and thus we fell short of the fees that the local museums charge for tours. But in any case, it was helpful to know where these neat places are. Definitely worth revisiting sometime. To my amazement, the whole thing did not take much time at all. We left Bon Air around 8:30, and were back on I-64 east heading home by 3:30.

When we got back to my place, we ordered pizza and watched a few episodes of the hilarious British comedy Fawlty Towers (starring John Cleese, creator of Monty Python), played some video games, and called it a night. So yeah, it was a pretty fun day. Now I’m trying to finish up getting hotels for the road trip next weekend with my other friend. We’re heading up to Pennsylvania and Delware. More on that over on my travel blog.

Summer 2007 Road Trip: Delmarva Peninsula

scenicdistractions — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:16:33 +0000

Sometime in mid-late July, my friend Daniel and I will embark on our annual summer road trip. After much discussion and thought, we have decided to go pay a visit to the lower Maryland eastern shore, aka the Delmarva Peninsula, which stretches south of Delaware into the Chesapeake Bay.

It will be my first real venture out to Virginia’s shoreline. I’ve been to Virginia Beach before, but was not impressed. As I’ve told several friends, California is where the real beaches are. I’m looking forward to checking out the small fishing towns there, as well as hopefully hitting the beach.

Historic Hanover

scenicdistractions — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 05:19:07 +0000

Just a short jaunt up Route 301 (Chamberlayne Rd. north), passing several rural farming communities, is the old historic town of Hanover. Despite it’s small size and despite being tucked away out in the country, the town of Hanover has hosted very distinguished historical figures, including the statesmen Henry Clay and Patrick Henry, and Generals George Washington, Lafayette, and Cornwallis.

The trip to this part of Hanover is in and of itself quite a pleasant drive. About 10-15 minutes after you get off of I-295 onto Route 301 North, you traverse through rustic, quiet farming countryside, passing small homes with vegetable gardens out front. You won’t find any Walmarts or strip malls out here. Instead, you’ll find motels that look like something out of the 1960s, several antique stores, small mom and pop restaurants/diners, and plenty of gently rolling hills and farmland as far as the eye can see. Of course, this isn’t even the main attraction. Drive a little further and you’ll get to the town itself, which is full of history, incredible given how small the town is. On the right, you’ll see the old Hanover Courthouse where Patrick Henry made his famous “Parson’s Cause” speech, condemning the Church of England for suppressing dissent.

On the left, you’ll see the Hanover Tavern, a favorite place to stop for food and rest for travelers during the Colonial and Civil war eras. George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Lord Cornwallis, and Henry Clay are said to have dined at the tavern. During the early 1900s, the tavern lost much of its use due to the rise of the automobile, and the tavern fell into disrepair until a group of aspiring actors bought it, restored it, and turned it into a parlor of sorts for themselves and their friends, opening a small theater inside for community entertainment. Today, it is open for tours, is still home to the popular Barksdale Theatre where several well known plays are performed each summer, and a small but very nice restaurant upstairs. The tavern also hosts weddings, banquets, art exhibits, among other civic activities.

When you get hungry, next to the tavern is the Hanover Cafe, a quaint mom & pop restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. The menu is quite satisfactory for such a small place. They serve bagels, English muffins, eggs, sausage, biscuits, bacon, your traditional breakfast.

Happy travels!