Our plans to travel the outer coast of Virginia stalled under the remnants of Hurricane Ian. During the last week of September 2022, we were camping at Kiptopeke State Park in Cape Charles, Virginia.

We rode our bikes on the nature trail, had wonderful oysters at The Oyster Farm, and then the edge of the storm caught up with us. Rain, rain, and more rain.

Our campsite flooded, so we moved to another site that was better situated. Rain and gusty winds rocked the van through the night.

With more rain and wind on the way, most of the other campers packed up and left. Probably a good idea.

We decided to delay our run out to North Carolina’s Outer Banks and, instead, head north and inland to wait out the rains. We spent the first three days of October at Martinak State Park near Easton, Maryland.

Rain makes it impossible to set up our pop-up screen room or cook outside – or do much of anything outside, really. Those were three dreary days in the van. Then the sun returned.

It was now officially autumn in the South. As we toured around, we shared the roads with farmers moving giant equipment. Canada geese were gleaning bits of grain from harvested fields. Farm stands were full of fresh-picked apples and displays of pumpkins. Along the roadside, asters, goldenrod, and fall flowers bloomed under October- blue skies.

The Chesapeake Bay area has always appealed to us. The Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. Its fingers reach into backwater marshes, canals and rivers from the Norfolk area, all the way to the northeast corner of Maryland.

When we lived in the Philadelphia area, we often made daytrips to Annapolis, Kent Narrows, Northeast, Easton, St. Michaels, Chestertown, and Chesapeake City. The dramatic change in scenery always made it seem like a world away, although it was just an hour or two from home.

Fresh oysters are in season, and crab houses still offer spicy steamed Maryland blue crabs. After Labor Day, the summer-busy beaches are almost deserted. Mosquitoes are at a minimum, and the cooler evening temperatures make for comfy sleeping.

We traveled to Hayes, Virginia, where we stayed at Machicomoco State Park on the York River.

This new park is very well-appointed. The campground area is on the small side – just 27 sites. The bath house was the best ever. It’s the Taj Mahal of bath houses. Such amenities are important to full-time travelers!

The park also has an interesting interpretive exhibit about the Virginia Indians and the history of the region. Machicomoco means “special meeting place” in Algonquian. The long house structures replicate structures where tribal leaders would meet.

This farm was originally slated for a large community of homes, but, miraculously, the 645 acre property became a state park dedicated to educating visitors about Virginia’s indigenous peoples.

This was a super park to explore. Lots of places to bike and hike, with history lessons tossed in.

Where the Bay meets the Ocean

A bit further south, we also enjoyed camping at First Landing State Park. This popular park hugs the beach where the Chesapeake meets the Atlantic, close to Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

You can see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from the campground beach. We rode our bikes on the park’s Cape Henry Trail. And we spent an afternoon at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

At the garden, we found ourselves between seasons. Most of the summer displays had been pulled and the garden was preparing for the holiday season.

There’s always something to appreciate, even if the flowers aren’t at full tilt. The garden has good “bones,” with fountains, garden structures, and strong landscaping. It was so nice to spend a warm, sunny afternoon walking in the garden.

On our way back to camp, we found a small, family-owned fish store and bought fresh middle-neck clams for a delicious seafood dinner.

A boardwalk to the beach was just steps from our campsite. A great spot for Happy Hour and bird watching.

We saw eagles and dolphins during our times on the beach.

We wished we could have stayed longer. Next time!

Oregon Inlet, Outer Banks, NC

We eventually made our way out to Oregon Inlet. We loved camping here. Off-season in October, temperatures were absolutely perfect.

We strolled on the beach, which was a quick walk through the dunes from our site.

We biked out to the Oregon Inlet Lighthouse, and realized that we’d enjoy returning to this area, too. It stays on the “gotta return here list.”

Inland again…

We stayed at a number of other parks – Chippokes Plantation, Tuckahoe, and Northwest River Park – taking in the lovely fall weather and the mid-week quiet campgrounds.

Near Richmond, we spent a night at James River Cellars winery, as part of the Harvest Host program.

This was a good stop. The wines were good, the late afternoon view from the deck was pretty, and our parking spot was with a few other HH’ers in a large meadow. They also had great Halloween decorations. Note the giant dragon peeking around the corner.

Traveling up through Maryland, we stayed at Elk Neck State Park. This was our first time staying at this park and we liked it.

One morning we hiked out to Turkey Point Lighthouse and enjoyed the view of Chesapeake Bay.

From here, we made a day trip to Chesapeake City, Maryland, to visit our friends Ronnie and Roger. Ronnie prepared a delicious lunch, and then we had a great walk around town.

Ronnie and Roger have done a lot of traveling and we had fun comparing notes. Among other journeys, they took a year and backpacked around the world. Quite adventuresome, these two! They’ve shared excellent travel tips with us. We look forward to future visits and chats.

Chesapeake City has come a long way since we first visited in 1985. Significant efforts have been made to restore buildings and showcase the town’s history, which focuses on the canal.

A walking tour reveals the architectural details of restored homes. The interpretive plaques detail the history of many of the homes.

We were fortunate to have an off-hours, private visit to the Chesapeake City Museum. This small museum opened in 2021. The collection of artifacts brings the history of Chesapeake City, its residents, and businesses to life. It’s charming and well worth a visit.

Mini history: the C and D Canal

The C and D canal connects the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. The first version of the canal, which was hand dug, was completed in 1829. It cost 3.5 million dollars (roughly 90 million in today’s dollars) making it one of the most expensive canals of its time.

Today, the four locks are gone (so are the mules and the barges they pulled), and the canal is deeper and wider, so it can accommodate large, ocean going vessels. It’s 14 miles long, 450 feet wide, and 35 feet deep.

It’s one of the busiest canals in the U.S., providing a shortcut that saves about 300 miles for ships traveling between Wilmington or Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Moving on…

On October 28, we celebrated our 3rd “Vaniversary” by putting another set of new tires on the van. Our adventures in the U.S. and Canada have put 95,000 miles on the van. We’re looking forward to spending a bit of time off the road in early November and getting organized for year number four of traveling. Can’t wait to see what adventures we’ll find!