Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve

It was a warm day for December on Virginia's Northern Neck with temperatures climbing to 67F!  On the recommendation of a friend, we stopped at "Merroir - A Tasting Room" restaurant on the Rappahannock River near Topping, VA.  Merroir's is the first of three restaurants operated by the Rappahannock River Oyster Company.  We started our lunch off with a dozen "Rapphannocks" oysters on the half shell.  They were roasted on an outdoor grill and were sweet in taste.  Fabulous! Next came their grilled Scallops. Perfectly done.  Just a hint of heat.  Lastly were Angels On Horseback.  Roasted Oysters with country ham.  Excellent!  We highly recommend Merroir's if you are in the Saluda area.

Next on our itinerary was exploring Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve.  The preserve consists of 204 acres located in Northumberland County on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay near Kilmarnock.  It offers trails, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, undeveloped beaches, dune and upland forest.

We intended to photograph some Eagles, shore birds and waterfowl that we do not see in the Midlothian area.  While we spotted some Eagles during lunch, they were too far away to photograph.  At Hughlettt Point, there were few birds when we were there about 4:00 pm.  Perhaps we needed to arrive in the early morning hours to catch more birds.  We did spot some Buffleheads bobbing in the waves.  Again, too far off to capture a decent photo.  So we walked the 1.9 mile trail shooting landscape photos which we love to do.

Click on my photos below to see them in high resolution on Flickr.  You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!

Merroir - A Tasting Room

Pilings @ Merroir's

Merroir's

Hughlett Point marsh

Observation stand

No idea!

More Marsh

Deck

Driftwood on the Chesapeake Bay

Some more driftwood on the shore.

Late afternoon sun over the marsh.

You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!

Dominion GardenFest Of Lights

Spend an evening exploring the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this Christmas!  You won't be disappointed!  For the Dominion GardenFest of Lights, the botanical garden has been transformed into a fantasy of light.  One can not turn without finding an attractive light display.

Pam and I visited the gardens this past Friday (12/20/2013).  It was our first time to visit for the annual Christmas light show.  It was totally worth it!  We arrived around 8:30 pm to avoid the crowds.  Be sure to visit the garden's tips page.  You can easily spend one to two hours there.  Here's the map of the gardens.  Advice to my fellow amateur photographers: take your tripod and bracket your exposures!  Here is their location!

Click on my photos below to see them in high resolution on Flickr.  You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!

Conservatory At Night

Lion

Conservatory

Light Tunnel

Tree House

Conservatory Dome

Reflections

Some of my apparently creative shots are accidental.

Cinderella

Snowman & Friends

Unicorn & Child

Conservatory Lit

Christmas Tree

Ornaments

Bird Ornament

Fountains @ Night

Departure

You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!