Got up around 8:00 this morning and lazed around a bit while we (mainly Barbara) worked on the journal entry and blog for Friday. I started on some housecleaning…after all, we ought to at least think about beginning to make preparations to break camp and start home on Monday.
Shortly after noon we headed into Richmond to meet Mike. His plans for the afternoon were to take us out to the Pony Pasture Rapids, a section of the James River Park System, where Kelly would later join us for a picnic and an afternoon of just enjoying the outdoors. We have visited other parks in the city and found them to be among the most beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing places we’ve ever seen; the site for today’s adventure was no exception.
With over 550 acres of shoreline and small islands, the James River Park System is the largest
and most unique of all the parks in the Richmond area. It extends along 8 miles of the James River from the far west end of the city to a point beyond I-195 that cuts through the heart of Richmond. The river, its shoreline, and the surrounding forests and meadows are home to a wide variety of birds and wildlife. The river holds 6-foot long sturgeon, 50-pound blue catfish, and wild otters. 
While the standard variety of ground critters wander through the woods and meadows, eagles and osprey can be seen flying overhead. Richmond is the only state capitol in the lower 48 states to be home to a bald eagle nesting site.Activities in the park system include canoeing, kayaking, hiking, swimming, fishing, bird-watching, or just sitting around on one of the large rocks and enjoying the view. Mike had great plans for the four of us to go white water rafting while we were here on this trip, but just before we got here the rafting company and the city failed to come to agreement on a new contract, so that wasn’t an option; maybe next time.
The Pony Pasture section of the park was opened in 1981. Formerly a pastureland area for horses, it was selected to be destroyed so a highway could be built through it. Area citizens worked to defeat the project, and now the 130 acre park is one of the most popular of the parks
along the James River and Kanawha Canal, especially with families and young people.Visitors to Pony Pasture can wade along the edge of the river, swim farther out, canoe or kayak through the rapids, or just claim one of the many large rocks, have a picnic,
andenjoy a sunny afternoon of people-watching.
Mike, Barbara, and I got to the park in time to stake our claim to a couple of large rocks – one on the shore, and another about ten feet out in river, a short walk through shallow water.
As we waited for Kelly to arrive, we all talked, dipped our feet in the cool water, and (believe it or not), Barbara took a bunch of pictures.
Have you ever laid back in the grass on a warm afternoon and looked up at the clouds and tried to see “pictures” in them? Well, we (or maybe it was just me) played
a variation of that game this afternoon. Instead of looking at the clouds, I was looking at all the large rocks in the area. As I was looking around, I spied a rock close to us that caused me to burst out laughing…right in front of our eyes was what I had to christen, “Plumber’s Smile Rock.” Check it out and see if I’m not right. Perk…you would have been proud of me!
Kelly soon arrived with our picnic lunch (or should I say banquet). We would have been perfectly happy with cheese sandwiches, potato chips, and cookies for dessert, but Kelly went all out for this one. She had spent the morning preparing barbecued pulled pork,
baked beans, slaw, Greek salad, and to wash it all down, strawberry lemonade…it was beyond fantastic!!! We had to try our barbecue sandwiches “southern style” – that is, with the pulled pork and slaw piled high on hamburger buns. Oh, did I forget to mention…when we were finished with everything (we thought), out came the ice cream! I was beginning to think we would have to call the rescue squad to come lift us off the rock!When we had finished eating, the kids offered to clean up the mess so
we could go for a hike along some of the trails. Mike gave us directions to the main trail and told us about secondary trails through the wetlands area and the beach trails farther south down the river.We hadn’t gone far when the camera came out and we started shooting all around us. I don’t think it was just because we’re a couple of folks from areas where two trees constitute a major forest…this place is just gorgeous! There are all kinds of trees and other vegetation, and when we followed the trail far enough, we
found a beautiful meadow that encompasses a protected pond and surrounding wetlands.Along the way, we each found a broken branc
h that we put to use as a walking stick, making the most of our roles as intrepid hikers and explorers. Luckily, no one was around to see us making fools of ourselves until we eventually got all the way around the trail and caught up with Mike and Kelly to walk an alternate stretch back to the parking lot. We were going to keep the sticks for future use, but we saw a sign that stated that removal of driftwood and natural objects from the park was prohibited. So, we left 
the walking sticks for someone else to use during their walk through the park, saw Kelly off, and got back in Mike’s car for the ride back to Cary Street…another wonderful afternoon and a great adventure in one of Richmond’s beautiful city parks.Mike and Kelly each had other obligations for Saturday night, so we had planned that when Mike took us back to the parking garage on Cary Street, we would stay in the area and take in a movie. When we came to Richmond last September, he kids treated us to a movie at the Byrd Theatre, a magnificent old turn-of-the-century theater in the Carytown district.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that trip that we wanted to go again if the opportunity presented itself. One of the things we checked on last week was whether there was anything showing that we wanted to see. What are the odds…The Byrd was featuring “Wild Hogs,” a fairly recent release about a group of four middle-aged Harley riders who take a ride out west for a break from their regular lives. Well, we had no choice but to make plans to see it.
When Mike took us back to the parking lot behind the Byrd and said goodbye for the evening, it was almost 6:00. Our original plan was to walk around Carytown, a wonderful conglomeration of shops, and restaurants that runs for several blocks up Richmond’s Cary Street. But, we were so worn out from our adventure at Pony Pasture Rapids that we decided to just sit in the car and read until about 6:45, then go get in line at the box office to buy our tickets.
That was all well and good, but we both fell asleep while we were reading…don’t know why, but we both woke up at 6:40 and rushed around the corner to get in the line
that was already forming for the 7:30 showing. Mike said that when really good movies come to the theatre, the lines will stretch completely around the block. Perhaps part of the allure, apart from the ambience of the theater, is the great ticket price - $2.00 per ticket for all movies!So, with tickets in hand, we entered the building, made a stop at the concession stand for a bucket of buttered popcorn and a giant diet coke (sorry – they didn’t roll back the prices at the concession stand), and made our way into the opulence of the Byrd.
The Byrd Theatre, built in 1928 and named for William Byrd, the founder of Richmond, features a French Empire Period design. It seats 916 in the orchestra section and 476 in the balconies. The theatre opened December 24, 1928, with a showing of “Waterfront.” With great chandeliers, gilt trim, imported Italian marble, and plush seats, it is easy to imagine that this was surely a showpiece for early 20th century Richmond.
A Saturday night feature at the Byrd is a pre-movie concert on a huge Wurlitzer organ. The current organist is Richmond musician Bob Gulledge, one of twelve who have sat at the mighty Wurlitzer. After a brief showing of “commercials” for local businesses and organizations (the Byrd is a non-profit organization, dependent upon donations and sponsorships to stay in business) we heard the sound of organ music from the area above the stage. As the lights in the theatre dimmed, a set of lights above the pit came up and an elevator in the base of the pit lifted the organ and organist to stage level. For the next 15 – 20 minutes, Mr. Gulledge entertained the audience with a medley of patriotic and turn-of-the-century popular tunes. By the time he was finished and the organ slowly disappeared back into the orchestra pit, we felt certain that we had received our money’s worth!
And then…on with the show. What can we say…even by current Oscar “standards,” Wild Hogs doesn’t come close to an Oscar winning performance. But, with a fun cast and lots of motorcycle slapstick, it provided a great evening of entertainment. Everyone who rides, wants to ride, or knows someone who rides, will find something funny in this movie.
Shortly after 9:00, we were back outside, waiting for the cars to clear the area so we could get out of the garage and head the 16 miles back up the Interstates 195 and 95 to Ashland and our RV park. We were completely worn out from the day’s activities, but unable to remember when we’d had a better time. What a fun and wonderful way to start Father’s Day weekend!
“Trees give peace to the souls of men.”…Nora Waln (engraved on a bench at Pony Pasture Park)
The Byrd Theatre, built in 1928 and named for William Byrd, the founder of Richmond, features a French Empire Period design. It seats 916 in the orchestra section and 476 in the balconies. The theatre opened December 24, 1928, with a showing of “Waterfront.” With great chandeliers, gilt trim, imported Italian marble, and plush seats, it is easy to imagine that this was surely a showpiece for early 20th century Richmond.A Saturday night feature at the Byrd is a pre-movie concert on a huge Wurlitzer organ. The current organist is Richmond musician Bob Gulledge, one of twelve who have sat at the mighty Wurlitzer. After a brief showing of “commercials” for local businesses and organizations (the Byrd is a non-profit organization, dependent upon donations and sponsorships to stay in business) we heard the sound of organ music from the area above the stage. As the lights in the theatre dimmed, a set of lights above the pit came up and an elevator in the base of the pit lifted the organ and organist to stage level. For the next 15 – 20 minutes, Mr. Gulledge entertained the audience with a medley of patriotic and turn-of-the-century popular tunes. By the time he was finished and the organ slowly disappeared back into the orchestra pit, we felt certain that we had received our money’s worth!
And then…on with the show. What can we say…even by current Oscar “standards,” Wild Hogs doesn’t come close to an Oscar winning performance. But, with a fun cast and lots of motorcycle slapstick, it provided a great evening of entertainment. Everyone who rides, wants to ride, or knows someone who rides, will find something funny in this movie.
Shortly after 9:00, we were back outside, waiting for the cars to clear the area so we could get out of the garage and head the 16 miles back up the Interstates 195 and 95 to Ashland and our RV park. We were completely worn out from the day’s activities, but unable to remember when we’d had a better time. What a fun and wonderful way to start Father’s Day weekend!
“Trees give peace to the souls of men.”…Nora Waln (engraved on a bench at Pony Pasture Park)
