Once Again North Bend Park, VA

We have a rule that we try to follow when possible, it is 2x2x2. Travel 200 miles, be off the road by 2 and stay at least 2 days. On travel days Mark usually cooks breakfast, I pack our lunches, clean up, load up and hit the road by 10am.

In April we stayed at North Bend Park, VA to visit my Aunt Ruthie & Uncle Cliff that live in Bracey VA.  We could stay at this campground for weeks.  It is on Buggs Lake and is a Corps of Engineers Park at John H.Kerr Dam.

We arrived by 2pm, got settled and walked down to the beach just off our campsite and Mark went swimming.

The weather was great with low humidity and cool enough for a fire at night.  There are paved bike trails all over the park which we made good use of.  In the evenings we rode down to the point and enjoyed the cool breeze in the moon light.

Wish we could have stayed longer as we didn't get a chance to take out the kayaks.  We will be back and stay at least 2 weeks.  They do have workamp positions available that we may consider in the future.  The workampers sites are in a separate location with full hookups and they want you to stay 4 1/2 months.  The rates in April for electric and water were $22 and in August were $24.  I can't say enough about this place.  The closest town for shopping is 17 miles away at South Hill, so get your groceries and have lots of clean underwear (no laundry on site) and enjoy your stay.  

We rate this campground a 5.

Ruthie, Cliff & I visited her niece that had just moved to a house on a cattle farm that had Jerusalem Donkeys.  These gentle creatures had a cross on their backs but they can also been tough kicking to death certain prey of the cattle.

You may have heard the term "Jerusalem donkeys" or "Sicilian" used to indicate a gray-ish donkey with a cross and stripe over the shoulders and back. However, neither of these terms are correct. Sicilian is a bloodline of small donkeys that can trace parentage back to the original animals imported from Sicily.  MOST donkeys, regardless of color, and especially non- Mammoths, have a cross and stripe. Even some Miniature donkeys that appear to be black actually have a faint cross and stripe. In other words, solid colored donkeys often have an "invisible"  cross and will throw offspring with a cross because genetically it is still present although hard to see.

There is a quaint story often  told that a donkey acquired its cross because it carried Jesus into Jerusalem. It’s also told that the leg stripes were received from walking through the palm branches that were laid in its path in honor of the burden it was carrying.

                                   Headed to Charlottesville VA on Thursday.

                                                                 Our Picture Window