York River & Northern Neck of Virginia – Sunsets

After a three-year hiatus I am resurrecting my site, as travel picks up we will have more areas to explore and information to pass on to fellow travelers and more sunsets to savor.

Living on the River

The nickname of these areas is “The Rivah”, the name is not river specific but could be any of the rivers and their communities along the Chesapeake Bay. This area has a combination of year-round homes and vacation homes. The “The Rivah” offers a community for lovers of watersports, kayaking, boating, fishing, and nature. “The Rivah” has an amazing ability to host spectacular sunsets.

Get Along…

Met a man wearin’ a t-shirt, says “Virginia is for lovers”
Had a Bible in his left hand and a bottle in the other
He said “all you’re really given is the sunshine and your name”
We both started laughin’ when the sky started to rain…

We find out when you die the keys to heaven can’t be bought
We still don’t know what love is but we sure know what it’s not
Sometimes you got
To get along, on down the road
We’ve got a long long way to go
Scared to live, scared to die
We ain’t perfect but we try
Get along while we can
Always give love the upper hand
Paint a wall, learn to dance
Call your mom, buy a boat

Drink a beer, sing a song

Make a friend, why can’t we all get along…

Get Along – Kenny Chesney

Visits to the “Rivah”

Where the water meets the land sets the stage for beautiful sunsets. On the East Coast, these are not easy to find. But in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, there are some really special ones. Growing up I lived a few years in the Yorktown area of Virginia. Now I have the opportunity to stay on the York River periodically, to spend time with family and recharge my batteries with some rest and relaxation.

This trip for me is a 6 to 7-hour drive. So I often use my Audible membership to make the trip go faster. Audio books are my go-to for long trips especially if I am by myself.

This is a peaceful community that attracts boaters, fishermen, and naturalists. The properties along the river are dotted with boat docks, jet ski lifts, kayaks, and oyster floats. During the summer months, the river is teeming with activity.

Naturalist’s Paradise

The York River is a feeder to the Chesapeake Bay. Subsequently, this area is home to a variety of birds and aquatic life. Many of the riverfront owners are stewards of the land. Thankfully, these naturalists participate in a number of activities that support and protect the flora and fauna of the area. Several raise oysters in oyster floats. Oysters are a natural filter for the river and the floats help to replenish the native oyster population which is a major food source for many birds and animals. In addition, there are bird feeders and folks that raise butterflies. Also up and down the river you will see man-made stands for Osprey nests. All these efforts help support the wildlife in the area along with the livelihoods of the oystermen and fishermen along the Chesapeake.

The Power of Water

Humans have a love affair with water and they want to own a place near it. Land along the water is limited, whether it is the ocean, river, gulf, or bay, it is constantly changing. I took a course in college called “Beaches, Coasts, and Rivers”. This course discussed in depth the balance of the forces of water transforming the land. As a result, man is constantly battling the changes in the shoreline. Tides and storms are changing the coasts, eroding away the sand of barrier islands, and rivers flood, washing the shore downstream. Since the beginning of time, humans have tried to protect our investment by creating bulkheads, seawalls, and jetties, importing sand for protective berms, and planting vegetation to keep the shore from changing. Time and time again the water will prevail despite our efforts.

My parent’s place had a berm that protected their shore and dock from the destructive wave action of the York River. Over the past few years, storms and hurricanes have eroded the berm. Because of nature, their property has moved from “waterfront” to “riverfront.” But with that, the bulkhead and dock that held for so long could not handle the change in tides and wave action and had to be replaced.

In 2022, I made a fair number of trips to this area, seeing it in all seasons. The rhythm of the tides and the movement of the shoreline is an analogy to our lives, constant subtle tidal changes with some major hurricanes that change the path and the structure of how we live. Savor every sunset!