Wednesday, October 14, 2015

COLONIAL VIRGINIA RALLY - OCTOBER 2015

Rockahock Campground, Lanexa Virginia
October 9 - 11 (809 miles)

Leaving on Friday morning we drove on Highway 17 most of the way through North Carolina into Virginia taking 664 over the bridge/tunnel into Newport News continuing north on 64 to Rockahock Campground.

Rockahock Campground on the Chickahominy River

#3 Our Yurt

Tony and Kendra trying to get the air conditioning going

  The Yurts were conveniently located next to the rally building, bathrooms and showers.

Rally Building Headquarters

Showers across the road
The rally is hosted by BMW Motorcycle Club of Hampton Roads.  Last year and other years prior this rally was held in Virginia Beach making this a new venue for the rally.


Friday night dinner was excellent home made chili along with hot dogs.  This is our fourth Hampton Roads Rally, it was great seeing everyone again.  To end the evening we watched the movie "Wild Hogs".

Saturday morning started out in the high 40's and rain was forecast so we ate breakfast at the rally and had a late start.  One of the club members planned a route for us along the northern banks of the James River with civil war historic stops along the way.

Stop at Richmond National Battlefield - Glendale Malvern Hill Visitor Center

Lunch in Charles City at Courthouse Grille

Back at the rally First Landing K9 Search and Rescue gave a demonstration with their cadaver search dog.



Saturday night was a catered dinner, closing ceremony, pot luck drawings, door prizes and a movie "On Any Sunday" a documentary on motorcycle racing including Steve McQueen (filmed in 1971).

We picked out two great items from the pot luck (t-shirt and D-ring straps) and won a battery tender and cruise control for the F800 and I got the award for the Longest Distance Female Rider (322 miles).



Sunday we rode to Yorktown Battlefield (Colonial National Historical Park), watched the movie (the story of the Siege at Yorktown - the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War) at the visitor center, saw the museum exibits including headquarter tents used by George Washington.

Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center
It is a short walk to the Yorktown Victory Monument.  From there we took the trolley through historic Yorktown.



  
Lastly we drove the 16 mile battlefield tour.

Moore House where surrender terms were negotiated October 18, 1781




Sunday night we stayed in Elizabeth City and had an excellent dinner at Montero's Restaurant.  The restaurant is family owned, in a converted 1904 home in a neighborhood within walking distance of our Comfort Inn.  This restaurant was written up in Our State Magazine.

On Monday's ride home we hit some moderate and heavy rain between Washington and Jacksonville.  Luckily the weather cleared up (after heavy rain in Wilmington) by the time we got home.