Friday, May 23, 2014

Carry Me Back...

Thought for the day:  Virginia is for lovers. (state motto)

Queen Elizabeth I 
It strikes me as a teensy bit ironic that Virginia touts itself as a mecca for lovers. I mean, come ON!  It was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth I... AKA the Virgin Queen.

Be that as it may, it's time for another virtual tour, and it's rather appropriate that we're heading to the lover-ly state of Virginia this month. Why, you ask? Because forty-five years ago tomorrow, Smarticus and I tied the knot, (Why, yes, yes, I was but a mere zygote when we got hitched...) and we meandered through the (ta-DA!) lover-ly state of Virginia on our honeymoon. Pretty cool, huh? The Skyline Drive winds through some gorgeous picturesque countryside in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and this time of year, wildflowers are in bloom all over the place, so we saw lots of beautiful scenery. Plus, there's a ton of historical places and other neat stuff to see along the way. We moved to Georgia a couple years after we got married, and made many more trips through Virginia over the years while going to and from Maryland, so a lot of stuff we didn't see on our honeymoon, we saw later with our kids.

                                                         Ready to take a peek at some of it?

Blue Ridge Mountains

See? I told you it's gorgeous. Now, imagine a host of wild azaleas and mountain laurel in bloom all over the place...




Natural Bridge


There are a lot of neat rock formations to see in Virginia, like the Natural Bridge, Natural Chimney, and a bunch of different caverns. We visited both Luray and Skyline Caverns on our honeymoon, and each had a distinctive personality. One featured multi-colored lighting to enhance the features, while the other used more simple white lighting, but there were unique and fascinating structures to see in each. At the bridge, we (and by we, I mean I...) had a good laugh. The old fella helping people into the skylift car to ride down the mountain said to Smarticus, "You and your youngun come on." HA!

Jamestown church


Jamestown was the first English settlement in the New World. (1607) Located on a large peninsula forty miles from the ocean, the English thought it was an ideal location, primarily because it was isolated and no Indians were living there. Turned out, the Indians weren't living there for good reason. They considered the swampy area to be too remote, too cramped for space, and unsuitable for agriculture. What's more, the brackish water there was not only unfit for drinking... it provided an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. More than two thirds of the settlers died from malaria before a supply ship arrived the following year. Founded originally as a place to cultivate silk for trade with the court of King James, a blight fungus killed off the mulberry trees, and put the kibbosh to that plan. On to plan B: tobacco, which ended up being a big cash crop for the state for many years to come.

Jamestown is a fascinating place to visit. It's like stepping into the pages of a history book, or walking on sacred ground. The ruins of the old fort... the church... homes...  the old cemetery... the Indian village. Well worth a trip.

Williamsburg
Visiting Williamsburg is like taking a step back into history, too, but in a different way. While Jamestown is only populated with ghosts from the past, Historic Williamsburg is set up as a place of living history. 


Some ladies of Williamsburg


In Williamsburg, you'll encounter people dressed in the garb of colonial America, and an entire thriving town based on those historical days. Walking through the town, and visiting ye olde shoppes feels like an immersion in the past. Covering 301 acres, the area contains both original and recreated buildings from the colonial and American Revolutionary period.

Mount Vernon

Another place worth visiting is George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon, located in Alexandria on the shores of the Potomac. I haven't visited since I was about eight years old, but I still remember it as a beautiful and exciting look at history. (Yeah, I was a nerdy kid.)

This beautiful old church, built in 1741, is another historic site of note. It is St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, the site of Patrick Henry's impassioned speech, which included the memorable words  " AS FOR ME, GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!"  His fiery words in an otherwise sleepy meeting surely swayed the opinion of many people who listened to him that day.








Monticello



Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's 5000-acre plantation, is located just outside Charlottesville. Jefferson designed his home, and is buried on the plantation grounds.





Union soldiers at Fredericksburg
Virginia contains many Civil War sites. How eerie and heart-wrenching it is to stand beside and walk upon those battlefields where so many soldiers lived, fought, and died so long ago. Eerier yet to see their faces in old photographs.









Virginia Capitol, Richmond

Virginia's Capitol building in Richmond was also designed by Jefferson. Its cornerstone was laid in 1792, and the General Assembly held its first meeting there in 1792. This same building was also used as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War, too. After the war ended, Virginia was under military rule for the next five years.





McClean House Parlor

Talking about the end of the war... this is where the surrender papers were signed. There, in the McClean House parlor, located in Appomattox Courthouse, Grant sat at that wooden desk on the right, while Lee sat at the marble-topped desk on the left.



Oyster Museum
You know I can't do one of these state tours without highlighting at least one museum. We visited an antique car museum on our honeymoon, but this museum, the Oyster Museum of Chincoteague, features all kinds of information about oysters, of course, and also about the people and culture of the island.

 Swimming into Chincoteague (2007)


The museum also pays tribute to Misty and Stormy, the real-life wild ponies who were immortalized in Marguerite Henry's book Misty of Chincoteague.  The annual swimming of the ponies across the Assateague Channel into Chincoteague is still a popular tourist draw today. I was there as a young teenager, but unfortunately, the ponies weren't. C'est la vie. (la vie)

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is an amazing feat of engineering. At twenty-three miles, this series of bridges, tunnels, and artificial islands is the largest bridge-tunnel complex in the world. We only took that route back home to Georgia once, just for the experience. WOW! Really neat. However, when the toll taker told us how much it cost, Smarticus said, "I didn't want to BUY it; we only wanted to drive over it!"

Yeah, a little pricey. But it's a much more efficient (and fun!) way to cross the bay than the old ferry system used to be.

It's easy enough to identify this building, purely by its shape. The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, is the largest office building in the world. Believe it or not, it covers six and a half million square feet, and contains 68,000 miles of internal phone lines.




Arlington National Cemetery is directly across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial, and these 624 acres have served as military burial grounds since the Civil War. Two presidents are buried here: William Taft, and John F. Kennedy, whose grave also bears an eternal flame. Robert Kennedy is also buried there, and as far as I know, his is the only grave there that bears a simple wooden cross, in lieu of the standard marker as seen in the photograph.

One last thing, before we move on to see what kinda cockamamie laws are still languishing on the books in the fine state of Virginia. And that is a short video taken at Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
                   
                                                               

                                                Okay, ready? Ready to check out those laws?

  • It's against the law for unmarried people to have sex. (So much for that Virginia is for lovers stuff...)
  • Citizens must honk their horns while passing other vehicles.
  • Forget about trick-or-treating. It's against the law for kids to do so on Halloween. (OK to do it on Labor Day?)
  • It's illegal to tickle women. (But men? I guess they're fair game.)
  • It's against the law to have sex with the lights on or in any position other than missionary. (And the state motto takes yet another hit.)
  • When it comes to the campaign trail, state law forbids the use of bribery by anyone other than the candidates. (When it comes to the politicos, I guess anything goes.)
  • It's illegal to hunt any animal on Sunday. Oh, except for raccoons. Them, you can kill. 
  • In Culpepper, it's against the law to wash a mule on the sidewalk. (So keep yer ass offa there.) 
  • In Norfolk, it's illegal to spit on a seagull. (But have you seen the size of those bombs those birds drop on us?)
  • A man can also go to jail there for patting a woman's bottom. (Butt officer, she's my wife...)
  • After sundown, women must wear a corset, and be in the company of a male chaperon. 
  • In Lebanon, it's illegal to kick your wife out of bed. 
  • In Prince William County, you can't keep a skunk as a pet. (That stinks.)
  • It's also against the law there to cuss about another person or to park your car on the railroad tracks. (If someone's foolish enough to block the train tracks, he might be the recipient of a little more than a naughty word or two.)
  • In Richmond, it's illegal to flip a coin in a restaurant to see who pays. (Guess you'll have to stick to a rousing round of paper-rock-scissors...)
  • Get this. In Stafford County, it's legal for a man to beat his wife on the courthouse steps, but only if he does it before 8 PM. 
  • In Victoria, it's against the law to skate down the sidewalk of Main Street. (Get out in the road, dude!)
  • In Virginia Beach, if you're inebriated, but not driving your car... but the person who is driving your car is also inebriated, you're both gonna get a DUI.
  • It's illegal there to ride on a handlebars of a bicycle, too. (Especially when inebriated, which is the only way you'd get my derriere up there in the first place.)
  • It's also against the law to use profanity on Atlantic Avenue or the boardwalk... or to drive by the same place within thirty minutes on Atlanta Avenue. (How about all us directionally-challenged people out here?)
  • And finally, in Waynesboro, it's illegal for a woman to drive on Main Street unless her husband walks in front of the car waving a red flag. 
**************

And there ya have it... a wee taste of Virginny. It's a pretty spiffy state.

Needless to say, this post was written a couple weeks ago. We're not off in Virginia to celebrate our anniversary as you read this, but we're probably off somewhere... still celebrating, after all these years. I should be around to respond to your comments by early next week. Y'all have a terrific weekend.

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.


[Images courtesy of Wikipedia... except for that antique one of Smarticus and me.]

92 comments:

  1. Congratulations on passing a significant marital milestone.
    And thank you for giving us a peek at Virginia. I love its natural wonders best - and am chortling at some of the laws still snuggled into the statutes.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. I'm glad you enjoyed our quickie tour of Virginia.

      Delete
  2. Happy anniversary to you both! So far as I'm concerned, you're still a "youngun", in spirit, humor, and happy inquiry into existence. My compliments and appreciation!

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    1. Thanks, dude! Thank goodness we all have the option to stay young at heart, anyway.

      Delete
  3. A wonderful post about a fascinating state. I love the Blue Ridge Mountains. And somewhere, I have a photo of my parents by the Natural Bridge. There's an abundance of rich history in Virginia - - but I've never heard of the Oyster Museum.

    Wherever you and Smarticus are wandering, I hope you're having a great time.

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      Again, thank you. We did some mighty enjoyable wandering.

      Delete
  4. Happy 45th! I hope you're having a wonderful time, wherever you're celebrating!
    We visited Virginia when we were posted south of the border, near Philadelphia. I remember falling in love with Williamsburg and vowing to return - still haven't done that. We spent many happy weekends in Assateague and Chincoteague, camping and crabbing. Lovely memories, all.

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    1. Thanks!

      I'm glad you like Williamsburg, too, and hope you get to return someday. Hmmm, camping and crabbing... now you're talking my language.

      Delete
  5. Happy anniversary.

    I enjoyed the pictures and the history. I hope to visit this state one day.

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    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by. I don't think we'll be heading to India anytime soon, but I'll keep you in mind if that ever changes.

      Delete
  7. Dear Susan,
    happy anniversary - and what a smashing pair you are! (As to the year of marriage, I always said: "I eloped" - but now I "forbid" husband to tell the date).
    Virginia is a really stunning state - so lovely photos! I didn't know that President Jefferson was so creative in design of houses too.
    As to the Laws: (I always pass them on to son and daughter-in-love, who both have very successfully their doctorate in law now, and son wrote a legal comparison between German and American Law): no. 5: is it to minimize the electricity bills? How very considerate for the environment... The only Law I think right is that of Virginia Beach - an inebriated driver should be hindered by the one who isn't drunk - so they are both in it.

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    1. Thanks. You shouldn't "forbid" your hubby from saying how many years he's had you by his side. In today's world, our kinda longevity is worth a little bit of bragging.

      I'm glad you get a kick out of the laws. I kinda doubt if that law came about to save electricity, but it could have. I think it was more of reflection of an early uptight puritan background.

      Delete
  8. Coffee in hand. Check. Choccie biscuits at the ready. Check. Peace and quiet. Check. Right, time to settle down and go on another tour. I absolutely love these posts about different countries, towns and cities. And your side remarks alongside the state laws, never fail to make me giggle.

    Have a fantastic time wherever you are. Oh, I almost forgot to add, you were a super cute bride. :)

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy taking these "tours" with me.

      Oh, we did have a fantastic time. It was kinda like taking a trip to Europe... (I'll tell y'all about it next week.)

      Delete
  9. Have just been looking through your blog Susan and LOVE it! Very interesting and amusing. Happy Anniversary and good luck with your book! I'm just going to check it out on Amazon!

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    1. Hi, Wendy. It's nice to meetcha. Thanks for stopping by, and for signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard!

      Thanks. Now get ready, because I'm on my way to your place now...

      Delete
  10. Happy, Happy aniversary Susan... I truly hope you are enjoying yourselves ♥

    You have to love those odd ball laws... at least they are good for a laugh.. I can't believe how awful it was for women... wow

    Virginia is a beautiful state... the mountains are gorgeous... ♡

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    1. Thanks. We had a super time. (How DO you make those adorable little hearts...?)

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  11. If I can't tickle women, I'm NOT GOING.

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    1. No need to worry. With your charm, I'm sure you could get away with it.

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  12. Replies
    1. Wrinkles treatment, huh? Trying to tell me something...?

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  13. Happy Anniversary to your and your husband Susan!! That's so awesome :) I am happy for you both and wishing you many more years ahead. And Virginia is a beautiful state to drive through. I used to drive through it when I traveled to Richmond a few times for my previous employer.

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    1. Thanks! Yes, Virginia is a very scenic place, and all of the neat historical sites make it even better.

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  14. Happy anniversary!
    Virginia is a beautiful state. Colonial Williamsburgh is neat place, because you really step back in time.

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    1. Thanks!

      I wish there were more places around the country similar to Williamsburg so school children could get a better understanding of our history.

      Delete
  15. that is one big plantation indeed
    Happy anniversary at your feed
    And look at those ponies go
    Sure would be quite the show

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    1. It was my pleasure to begin ya
      On a virtual tour of sweet Virginia.
      Lots of plantations, and ponies, too
      And plenty fun things for all to do.

      Delete
  16. >>... Queen Elizabeth I... AKA the Virgin Queen.

    It's easy to see why.

    >>... Jefferson designed his home, and is buried on the plantation grounds...

    ...where he is turning over in his grave!

    >>... this is where the surrender papers were signed. There, in the McClean House parlor, located in Appomattox Courthouse

    I've been there. It was the first time that the Civil War suddenly seemed very real to me.

    Happy Anniversary, Susan!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. I don't any woman would look all that swell with a stiff ol' collar like that choking the daylights out of her. A touch of mascara and a bit of lipstick, and... oh never mind. So she wasn't a natural beauty.

      We went to Appomattox on our honeymoon, and Smarticus took a picture of me in the jail cell there. (Teaching me early who was boss...?)

      Thanks!

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  17. Happy anniversary! I hope wherever you are you make it a place for lovers.

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  18. Susan, you and I have an anniversary on the same weekend. :) I hope you and Smarticus are out truly enjoying yourselves.

    And, yes, Jamestown is a very worthwhile place to visit. When I went with my husband and father-in-law more than ten years ago, now, I kept telling Shawn, 'I can feel the ghosts.'

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    1. How cool is that?! I hope you and your hubby had a fabulous anniversary, too.

      Yes! That's how I felt about Jamestown, too. (And lots of other historical places we've visited.)

      Delete
  19. Happy Anniversary! Virginia is a lovely state. Growing up in PA, we trekked south to visit any and every historical spot possible. Plus we loved Virginia Beach. Here's to many more years of bliss wherever you are.

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    1. Thanks! Same for us. Growing up in Baltimore, Virginia and D.C weren't all that far away. I can't remember ever going to Virginia Beach, though. We usually went to the beaches in Delaware and Maryland.

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  20. Happy Anniversary!
    I was just in Virginia last weekend, and phew ... I didn't break any laws!

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    1. Thanks!

      Cool. Very good to know you're still on the right side of the law.

      Delete
  21. I'd love to visit Monticello and Williamsburg. I've heard Monticello is an absolutely fabulous place (per the parents). Happy Anniversary to you and Smarticus :)

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    1. Well, then, I hope you get to visit Monticello and Williamsburg someday. Both are little pieces of heaven for history buffs.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  22. Been there so many times. Happy Anniversary! I don't know if Mount Vernon is still open on Christmas Day, but we went one year to see how Washington and family would have celebrated Christmas and saw the food that would have been on their table. Love the wild ponies on Assateague. The Hurricane called them "podies". I think she was three and then four when we went to
    Chincoteague. I was a little freaked out by the stuffed Misty.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. What a neat way to spend Christmas day! Um, yeah, I think seeing a stuffed Misty would have freaked me out a little, too.

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  23. Happy anniversary to you and Smarticus! I love your wedding picture...you were and still are such a cute couple.

    I don't know much about Virginia, but about 11 years ago we visited Washington D.C. for a long weekend and took a trip out to Monticello. We took a tour of the house and the group of tourists peeked into one of the guest bedrooms that had about four bunk beds in it. One of the gentlemen in the group asked the tour guide about the chamber pot that was on the floor in the middle of this bedroom. Certainly, he said, this was just for show. The tour guide just smiled and mentioned the idea of privacy was a "very modern idea."

    So there you have it...confronted with evidence of this country's history, I remember the chamber pot.

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    1. Thanks! Our daughter keeps telling us we're "cute"... probably because she gets such a kick out of old people... HA!

      Yeah, I guess privacy is a modern concept. In colonial days, the whole family slept in the same room... sometimes in the same bed. Kinda makes me wonder how they managed to have such large families.

      Delete
  24. What a beautiful trip! I haven't been to Virginia in YEARS but now I'm wishing I could go. Would also love to see Arlington.

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    1. Virginia does have a lot to offer, doesn't it? You're right; there's something special about Arlington. It feels like sacred ground.

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  25. Great blog today.
    I love the photo trip.I have been to Virgina and thought it a lovely state.
    And I love when you do the laws still on the books.

    A very Happy Anniversary.
    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      And thanks for the anniversary wishes, too! Cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  26. It's illegal to tickle women in Virginia? Man, that's asking for trouble. Some women are uncontrollable without the threat of being tickled.

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    1. Leave it to a gorilla to think of that...! HA. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

      Delete
  27. Happy Anniversary to you and your wonderful husband! Wow, you truly were a child bride, and you still look great today! Though your wedding photo was my favorite, thanks for including so many fascinating facts and photos about Virginia. I remember how powerful it was to see the eternal flame at Arlington National Cemetery, and I still got choked up seeing it over thirty years later with my own family. Glad your honeymoon is still going strong, and remind your hubby "no tickling!"

    Julie

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    1. Thanks! Yep, I was a zygote... not even born yet.

      Now, I could definitely go along with that "no tickling" law. (Unless it's my funny bone.)

      Delete
  28. Lovely. If I ever visit the US that's one state I'd love to go to. Hope you're having a good time, wherever you are.

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    1. Virginia would make a terrific place to visit. Thanks... we did!

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  29. Hey Susan,

    Yes, I'm here. Another comprehensive post that I thoroughly skimmed thoroughly skimmed through, um thoroughly read and observed the photos. Okay, keep this comment short, Gary. Hearty congrats to you and your husband on your anniversary.

    Enjoyed the virtual tour of Virgins. Enjoyed the virtual tour of Virginia and I noted the irony at the beginning of your post.

    A poignant reminder of your Memorial Day Weekend, Susan.

    Have a good one, y'all.

    Gary

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    1. Hey Gary,

      Always good to hear from you. Even if you DO skim. (Yeah, I know some of my posts are on the longish side...)

      Thanks. You have a good un, too.

      Delete
  30. Firstly may I wish you and your husband a wonderful 45th wedding anniversary.
    Secondly, thank you for a wonderful tour. It is always so interesting to read and see information about another's country. My husband Phil has studied a lot about your civil war and it has always saddened both of us to see countrymen killing countrymen. There has never been a civil war in Australia although we in the West have never been all that chuffed with those over in the east. In the last century a referendum held voted YES to secession for Western Australia from the rest of the country but we were apparently talked out of it. There is still a secessionist party in W.A. however but we would never take up arms against our fellow Aussies. I think our isolation has lead to a lot of dissatisfaction and one reason why we were called the "Cinderella state" for many years. It's a long story
    I love your wedding photograph; you look so dainty stepping down the church steps. Wherever you went to celebrate your anniversary I hope you both had a wonderful, romantic interlude.
    I'd love to comment on all your pictures but it would take too long and much too much space. Sufficient to say I enjoyed it all so very much. Thank you.

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    1. Why, yes you may! Thank you.

      I'm glad you enjoyed the tour. It's good to know you Aussies can disagree with each other without resorting to war. I kinda like to think of your country as a kind of paradise. For sure, it is visually.

      Thank you. We went someplace unique to celebrate. I'll tell all about it next week.

      Delete
  31. Congratulations on your 45th anniversary. What a delightful number to be celebrating. Hope you are having a walk through the memories, the ones tha go by like the blink of an eye.
    Rock formations are always intriguing.
    I almost forgot..... I once lived in Virginia.

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    1. Thanks, Manzie! Yes, you're right, it all seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.

      Oh, neat that you once lived in Virginia. I don't guess you had quite as much wide open spaces to enjoy there as you do now.

      Delete
  32. Read some interesting thinks in your post. Congratulations on the anniversary!

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  33. I LOVE living history towns! I've only ever been to a couple, but they're great.
    Happy Anniversary!

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    1. Me, too! They really make history come alive.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  34. I lived in Virginia for a little while several years ago. Lots of familiar sights and mentions here. I'm told one of my ancestors was among those early Jamestown settlers, but I've been unable to prove it.

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    1. Oh, how neat. It'll be cool if you could research that Jamestown connection and find out more about it.

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  35. Forgot to wish you a happy anniversary, so here ya go: Happy Anniversary! And many more!

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  36. Happy Anniversary! Love the wedding picture.

    Another fun and informative post. I've never been to Virginia, but being a history fan, I've been yearning to go to Williamsburg since Jr. High. The two places I was sure I'd finally get to visit when I moved to Georgia were Williamsburg and Disney World (interesting combo, yeah?). I didn't manage either, but I haven't given up.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. Thanks!

      I hope you get to go to Williamsburg some day. Every history buff should get to go there at least once. Then again, where you are now, you've got scads of historical buildings all over the place. But Disney World? Reeeeeeally expensive.

      Delete
  37. blue ridge mountains? reminds me of john denver, rock formation looks outtasight. i have been in virginia many times and I don't remember any citizen honking their horn at me. perhaps they lived in d.c. or maryland or delaware, or west virginia - lol! great post as always. cheers!!

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    1. The rock formations and caverns are pretty cool.

      Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Cheers back atcha!

      Delete
  38. LOL! It's a good thing no one enforces those old laws. I think I remember hearing it is illegal to have a bathtub in a house too.

    I've been to quite a few of those places you mentioned.

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    1. Some of the old laws I've found are hysterical, and I do remember several regarding bath tubs and when it's okay to use them. In one state... Arizona, maybe... it's illegal to keep a donkey in the bathtub. Really makes ya wonder why it was necessary to pass that particular law.

      Delete
  39. This was a fun and interesting tour of Virginia. Thanks for sharing it. Happy Anniversary to you and your husband. :)

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      Thanks! We had a terrific anniversary.

      Delete
  40. I never thought about Virginia and virgins along with the saying. Interesting. These photos are great.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2014/05/ww-wordless-wednesday-tug-of-war.html

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    1. I only thought about the Virginia-virgin link because I have a weird-ish mind. Glad ya liked the pics.

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  41. Congratulations, gorgeous couple! 35 years.
    I can't get over those laws...the one with only having lights on for sex when you're in missionary position? But that's when he least needs help finding his way.

    I love Virginia, have been to Arlington and saw bits of the area.
    Hugs!

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    1. Thanks, gorgeous lady! (But it's FORTY-five, not thirty-five.) I know... "OY! and she looks so young!" HA!

      Good point about the missionary position working better in the dark than other, um, non-missionary positions... Then again, they could always wear miners' lights.

      Hugs back atcha!

      Delete
  42. 45 years is awesome. Happy Anniversary!

    The laws are funny and the first one made me laugh, considering the nickname of the state. :) My oldest and his wife live in VA. (military). I haven't seen the capitol building in Richmond, but now I'm curious. :)

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    1. Thanks. I know it sounds trite, but the years really have flown by.

      The irony of that first law cracked me up, too. Sounds like you'll have to visit your son and DIL and do a little sight-seeing while you're there.

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    2. There's so so so much to do there, I never knew it was so bustling up in that area until we started to visit.

      Delete
  43. I know I am late but congratulations! 45 years. Wow. My wife will celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary this year and that to me is a milestone. We've been together 18 years now and just the other day we were talking about the various circumstances that conspired in our favour for us to meet. Life is so... unpredictable.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Thanks! Whether it be 45, 75, 17, or 3 years, I think the secret is to consider every day together as a milestone worth celebrating. Yes, life is unpredictable, but ain't it great?

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  44. Hi Susan .. congratulations to you both and what a lovely photo to see ... I must Virginia does resonate with a need for a visit! Looks amazing ... and those laws are quite extraordinary .. fun read though .. and hope you've had a great remembrance holiday ...

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. Thanks for the congrats. Yes, Virginia is a terrific place to visit.

      Cheers back atcha.

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  45. I liked so many parts of this post. First, my hubby and I just celebrating our 45th, too. We weren't hitched in VA but I lived there from age 6 to age 12, or as kids measure it, from 1st grade to 7th grade. Luckily that made me too young to break most of the laws you mentioned (we won't talk about trick-or-treat) but I recognized a lot of the places in your pictures. And I clearly remember having to draw that stupid state seal in art class almost every year.

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    1. Cool! Glad ya liked it. What can I say? Obviously, 1969 was a terrific year to get hitched, right? I hope you guys had a terrific anniversary.

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