aloft a-go-go - captain's blog

Captains Blog- Virginia Beach

My plans are consistently changing. Being on the road, things come up, some events take president over others, and events are canceled. Because of this, I found myself with a few open days between Syracuse and the Chesapeake groundbreaking. As the mornings were a bit cold in Syracuse I felt the need to hold on to my summer. I needed to be in Chesapeake, VA be Monday so I thought Virginia Beach would be a nice place to spend the weekend. I had heard some interesting stories about Virginia Beach in the past and must admit I was a bit skeptical.

On Friday, I rented a bike and rode it up and down the boardwalk. This was a good way to get my bearings and it only cost about $14. In the summer, there is a band almost every night at the two main parks. This weekend was no different. The bands were local and fun.

I spent much of Saturday at the beach (I know it's a tough job). The weather was great and I got a lot of time to relax. Here's a few pictures from the trip.

Captains Blog- Front Royal, VA

I stumbled upon this random band in Front Royal, VA. It was an interesting sight to see. Thanks to the waiter from lunch for the video work.

Captains Blog- A worthwhile detour

Along this trip it is easy for me to get highway tunnel vision. I get tired of the road and focus on the destination. I am passing by some pretty cool spots but I tell myself I will see these places later. I try to avoid this mentality. With a 10 hour day of driving who wants to take a 2 hour detour for something that might be totally lame? Well, I do, or at least, I am going to make myself. 

I stepped of the beaten path a little the other day and took a venture on Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. It was beautiful, it really was worth the time. In the short few hours I was there I saw two Black Bears.

The small black thing next to the tree is a bear, I promise. This is the best shot I could get as towing a giant tin can on wheels seems to scare bears a bit.

Here's a cool panoramic. This is my new favorite feature of my camera so expect to see a lot of them in the events to come.

I wanted to give you an idea of what the drive was like. I took a video from my dashboard. Now that I watch it, it's a little ire. Can you say "Deliverance?"

The music for this video was provided by George Gaytan, a great musician who plays regularly at the Westin San Antonio.

Here I am in the park. Notice the Taco Bell kicking in! Maybe I should have taken the time for a hike or two.