Christmas in Virginia

With COVID-19 and travel restrictions on everyone’s mind this year, the plan to spend the holidays in Virginia and Ohio came up for debate this year. My Ohio relatives told us that they were not accepting visitors, but Susan’s Virginia relatives wanted us to come, regardless. So, before committing to the trip, we went to the clinic and got tested for COVID-19; the results came back negative.

We planned to leave for Virginia early Saturday morning, but that plan was changed. The final SpaceX launch of the year, featuring an LZ-1 landing, was postponed until Saturday morning, so we really had no choice but to stick around and experience it in person. There isn’t anything I can think of that’s cooler or more amazing than watching a rocket return to Earth and land.

December 20

On Sunday morning, we got up early and left for Virginia at 6:00 am. We arrived at Susan’s mom’s house at 6:10 pm. We were greeted with her famous Hungarian dish – Rakott Krumpli. The vacation was off to a great start.

December 21

But then on Monday, things started to get ugly. A few days before our arrival, Nagymama had a new toilet installed, but the seal was too short. The installer suggested that she keep an eye out for leaks. After taking a shower Monday morning, Peter noticed that the tub was not draining properly. We tried to unclog the tub using vinegar and baking soda. After a few hours, the water drained. That evening, we noticed that the toilet was not flushing properly. At this point, we debated about going to a hotel until the plumbing was fixed.

Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn were about to merge into a single object. We went outside to check it out, but it was already pretty low in the sky and the clouds were occasionally blocking the view. Susan took Andrew to the library for a better view, and to freeload some Wi-Fi.

December 22

On Tuesday, we called the plumbers to come check out the pipes. Afterwards, Andrew and I went to Ashland to see trains. We stopped for some hot chocolate, then saw three trains pass by. On the way back home, we stopped at Best Buy and bought an inverter. While there, I received a request to stop and get some Ajax to scrub the bathtub. Turns out that the plumbers couldn’t fix the problem, so a septic system guy was called in. Luckily he made a special after-hours visit and unblocked the line from the tank side.

Meanwhile, Andrew and I were in Ashland, watching the Amtrak Auto Train. The sunset was quite nice.

Sunset in Ashland, Virginia

December 23

On Wednesday, we got out and did some things. First, we took Andrew and Peter to get haircuts. Andrew no longer needs to do the “head twist maneuver” to get the hair out of his eyes. Afterwards, Andrew and I went downtown and walked the bridge on Brown’s Island. I started to notice that the hamstrings on my left leg were pretty sore; must have been from all the driving and sitting. On the way home, I thought it would be nice pick up a strawberry pie from Shoney’s. We stopped, but they said that they had none; bummer. Finally, we stopped at Best Buy to pilfer a little more Wi-Fi.

December 24

On Christmas Eve, we spent most of the day sitting around, waiting for the events of the afternoon and evening to begin. After the church service, we went to the Pearce’s house for dinner. This has become the new tradition as of late. Although several things haven’t changed, a few big differences stand out. This was my first social gathering and I was a little apprehensive about being around more people inside. Also, the house was in the midst of an expansion and the new kitchen was not complete. For example, the refrigerator was still in the old kitchen, which is now included in the family room. Also, there is no plumbing in the new kitchen and the dining room table was on sawhorses.

While Dave was busy frying the fish, Caleb told us the story of the fishing trip. Apparently, five guys went on a fishing trip and caught about 500 pounds of fish. Turns out only one of the guys likes to eat fish, so he was looking to offload it wherever he could. We also got to hear a funny story of how Noah struggled to serve himself wine soup.

December 25

For Christmas, we normally drive to Ohio, but since those plans were dropped, we decided to go find some snow. The weather map showed snow on the ground as close as Staunton, so that was our destination. When we arrived, there was no snow on the ground, but we started seeing vehicles covered in snow. We decided to continue west towards Snowshoe, West Virginia. Heading west along US 250, we started seeing a dusting of snow on the ground. When we entered the George Washington National Forest, there was snow everywhere. As we crested a ridge, we pulled off the road at the Confederate Breastworks, which was a viewpoint and trail head. We got out to see the view and stretch our legs, but it was cold and windy, so we didn’t stay long.

David in the snow in George Washington National Forest

Back in the truck, we continued toward Snowshoe. As we entered Cass, we saw that the old train depot was open, so we stopped to look for food and use the facilities. The kitchen wasn’t open, so we crossed the river and stopped at the Bear Creek Lodge, aka Route 66 Outpost. Their kitchen was open, so we ordered lunch and sat for awhile. They also had Wi-Fi, so we partook while eating before returning home.

December 26

On Saturday, we stayed in Richmond. We dropped Susan off in the Best Buy parking lot – she was meeting a friend at Kohl’s – while we updated our apps with the Wi-Fi. Then we headed downtown to the Pipeline trail. With the recent rains, the James River was flowing heavy and muddy. The Pipeline trail runs along the top of a pipe that is right next to the river. While walking upstream, the pipe eventually went under water and we could no longer follow the trail.

David on the pipeline in Richmond, Virginia

Next we drove down to the Great Shiplock Park. From here, Andrew requested a drone flight clearance from Richmond International Airport, received it, and prepared the drone for flight. Meanwhile, I thought I heard a train. Sure enough, a CSX train with empty coal hoppers was heading our way on the raised track. I started shooting a video on my phone to capture the audio while Andrew fussed over the drone. As the train passed overhead, I saw the drone launch in the corner of my view.

After the train passed, we noted a green signal in the opposite direction. We had to make a decision – should we stay and wait, or should we try to see it from a different location? We decided to head up town and try to see it from a different viewpoint. We packed up the drone and started driving to another park. I took a wrong turn (darn one way streets) and had to cross the river, then cross back over again. Meanwhile, we saw the train approaching and passing. By the time we reached the park and jumped out of the truck, the last coal hopper passed by.

With another hour of daylight left, we decided to head to Ashland to see the Amtrak Auto Train. We checked the Amtrak train tracker web page and saw that it was just north of Ashland, but it wasn’t moving. We parked and turned on the scanner and waited. According to the dispatcher, there was a incorrect signal indication on the crossover and a crew was sent to look into it. About an hour later, the Auto Train was finally given permission to pass the red signals and continue southbound.

December 27

On Sunday, we used a gift certificate, did some home improvements, and visited family. First, we went to Tiny Tim’s Toy Shop in Ashland so Andrew could use his gift certificate. On the way, we stopped at Arby’s to get my favorite, only-in-Richmond health shake. Turns out they no longer have the custom menu. Another victim of the trying times brought on by COVID-19, perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that a tradition that has lasted since 1990 has now come to an end. In Ashland, we searched the toy store for something in the correct price and age range. Andrew ended up getting a gift for one of his friends.

Later that day, we went to visit our nephew Ephraim at his new house. On the way, we stopped to get some new bulbs for the kitchen light and the refrigerator. When we arrived, Ephraim was outside working on a special surprise for Magnolia. the four year old daughter of his fiancé Darby. Maggie is quite the little character. While we were there, she was excited telling her mom that she wanted to create a band and call it “Magaroni and Cheese”.

December 28

On Monday I needed to go for a hike. Andrew and I headed to the Texas Beach trail head in Richmond. From there, we hiked along the river to Belle Isle and back. Along the way, we saw an eastbound CSX coal train waiting at a signal. Later, we heard another train coming along the parallel track, but once again, Andrew was a little too slow at getting the drone ready to fly. Once the drone was ready, he flew it out over the river and got some nice shots of the city.

Two trains waiting near Richmond, Virginia

Garmin track of our hike to Belle Isle

Back at the truck, we decided to do some more exploring. We headed to Monument Avenue to see how many Confederate statues still remain. We came to the Robert E. Lee monument first and I was nearly horrified at how bad it looked. It was completely covered with graffiti and was surrounded by people taking pictures. It reminded me of something you might see in some war-torn country in Eastern Europe. Further down Monument Avenue, we saw bases where statues presumably once stood.

Feeling hungry, we decided to find a burger joint. We found Burgerworks on the map and drove to it. I was happy to see that they had shakes on the menu, so we ordered. Turns out, they had no ice cream, so once again, another shake failure. Grr. But the burger and fries were great.

December 29

Early Tuesday morning, we packed the truck and returned to Florida. We were on the road by 5:20 am and arrived at home around 6:00 pm.

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