Westmoreland State Park

8-10 October 2010

We had plans to take the Phaeton out for a spin in September, but those plans were back-burnered when a family emergency had Mui hopping on a plane to Turkey instead. So, we transferred our reservation at Westmoreland State Park (WSP) in Montross, Virginia to October. Our weekend getaway has now come and gone, and we’re back home after a relaxing and fun time (achy tummy notwithstanding) in our condo on wheels.

To say that we had spectacular weather for our getaway would be an understatement. The sky was blue; the sun shined brightly. The temps, ranging from 60F to 80F (15.5C to 27C), were a cross between fall and summer. With none of the stickiness that usually accompanies high temperatures around here, even at the height of the day, it was comfortable enough to be out and about.

The stop-and-go traffic on the way down to WSP was a bit of a pain — to be expected since it was the start of the 3-day Columbus Day weekend. Our alternate route, by-passing I-95, made the drive less painful and didn’t add any appreciable difference to the distance.

Taking I-95 on the way back cuts just a bit off our drive.
[88 miles (141 km) vs 93 miles (149 km]

WSP is set in a heavily-forested area, which makes for a great shade canopy. In addition to three campgrounds, there are cabins for rent, as well as a retreat area. The 155 campsites (42 with water/electric hookups) are a mix of tent and RV sites, with the latter restricted to 40 feet (~12m) or less ... with good reason.

The red star marks the location of B17.
[map courtesy of the WSP website]

We were assigned B17, a pull-through site located conveniently near the entrance to Campground B. The narrow lane and the tight turn to get into the site was tricky, and some tree branches did scrape against the top of the Phaeton, but we made it in OK — this time. I’m not sure if we’d be able to do so after another season of tree growth. The 30-amp electricity was sufficient for our needs, but the water pressure was very low. If we were to go back, we’d fill the water tank and rely on that instead. (Rate $25/night + tax.)

B17 is home to the Phaeton this weekend.

After settling in Friday night, we made short work of dinner (leftovers from home) and spent the evening relaxing. Much to our surprise, the TV antenna picked up 10 HD stations, but the signal was so-so. Instead, we watched a Netflix movie (Kevin Costner’s Swing Vote … I’d have to rate it as “ehhh”) and made a dent in the stack of magazines we had in the Phaeton.

We were both up around 5:00a on Saturday, but it took us a while to get going. We had breakfast; we read; we poked around the Phaeton. I had a bit of a tummy ache, but I wasn’t about to let a little thing like a virus ruin the day, so around 10:00a, we headed off to hike the .4-mile (.6 km) Beach Trail.

The name of the trail is a bit of a misnomer in that it runs through a heavily-forested area atop the cliffs. But it does eventually lead down to a beach on the shores of the Potomac River.

The trail is level, until ...

… you get to the stairs that…

… Lead down to the beach.

Even though it was mid-morning on a summer-like day, the beach was not yet crowded. As we strolled along the golden-sand, we came across fishermen bemoaning the fact that the fish weren’t biting and a few other couples like us enjoying the quiet morning. At the Osprey Boat House, kayaks were laid out on the sand for a group of youngsters who arrived while we were treating ourselves to a couple of ice cream sandwiches. For a few minutes, there was a hub-bub of activity as they readied to shove off. Soon they were gone and we were left to quietly enjoy the company of a lone great blue heron.

if you’re on the beach, you’re in Virginia; if you go in the water,
you’re in Maryland — where does that leave me?

The kayaks are ready for a day on the water.

Fish, fish, where art thou?

Eventually, the parking lot near the boat house started to fill up. That was our cue to stroll back towards the trailhead. We were hoping to walk to the Horsehead Cliffs at the far end of the beach, but we were deterred by a sign reading “beach closed due to dangerous slides.” The cliffs were indeed heavily eroded, with the tangled roots of many of the trees exposed to the elements.

A tribute to “Potomac ness.”

Remember the stairs we had to climb down to the beach? Well, yes, we had to climb up them to get to the top of the trail and back to our rig. It was slow going, but we made it without huffing and puffing too much. A simple lunch; an hour or so of reading and relaxing; a few Phaeton checks; and by 3:00p, we were ready to check out another trail.

the tires meet the specs.

This time, we headed in the opposite direction and hiked the .69-mile (1.1 km) Big Meadow Trail. Like the Beach Trail, this one also runs through a heavily forested area and there is a drop down to the river level, but it isn’t as sharp of a drop … a good thing, since there are no steps to help ease the descent.

American beautyberries are considered to be a powerful
insect repellent by gardeners.

The trail dead-ended at Fossil Beach, which was crowded with families searching for shark teeth and other ancient fossilized remains. Visitors to WSP are allowed to sift through the sand and legally take away any fossils they might find, but digging into the Miocene Era cliffs is STRICTLY prohibited. Understandable not just because of the erosion factor, but also because of the geological history that could easily be damaged or lost. In fact, it was from one of these cliffs that geologists unearthed an intact skeleton of a 15-million year old whale, which, we were told, is on exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Though we had sifters, I wasn’t feeling up to rolling up my pants and digging around the cold river water. Instead, we sat on a tree trunk, basked in the sun, and watched the action around us.

On one side of the beach, fossil hunters …

… on the other side, a lone boy fishing.

Back at the Phaeton after our hike, Mui grilled chicken for dinner and served it with a side of artichokes and rice, and a green salad. Afterwards, it was another quiet evening at home for us.

We both had a rather restless night thanks to my tummy cramps, which led to a later wake up time on Sunday. I was feeling better and ready to get on with our plan to hike one or two trails before our planned 2:00p departure. Not so fast; once I had a bit of food in my stomach, the cramps were back. Granted, they weren’t as bad as the day before, but we decided it was time to break camp and head home instead.

Despite my rather achy tummy, we enjoyed our weekend at Westmoreland State Park. Whether we go back to camp there again is to be determined, but there’s nothing to stop us from driving down for a day to enjoy the hiking trails and the picnic facilities. As well, we can visit the birthplaces of two figures who have played an important role in history — George Washington and Robert E Lee.