June 17-June 24                          Kilmarnock, Virginia

Eager to move on, I unwisely chose to leave for Kilmarnock though the weather reports indicated rain and winds of 12 kts.  I calculated we would be out of the bay and into Indian Creek, a sheltered area, before the rain and winds came.  I was wrong.  We entered the bay from the Rappahannock at precisely the time the storm broke with torrential rain, fog, and winds that exceeded the forecast.

We headed into a strong northwest wind and experienced considerable turbulence.  Although I had latched the door to the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, the large upper door was not latched.  A horrible crescendo ensued as the door swung open, hitting the side of the galley booth and multiple items from the shelves fell to the floor.  I was helpless to do anything about it as going below would endanger my safety.  For more than thirty minutes, I listened to repetitive banging of the door and crashing of bottles and containers. 

We finally turned into Indian Creek and I was able to go below and latch the door.  The galley was a mess with food and cooking utensils littering the floor.  We reached the lovely Chesapeake Boat Basin marina in sunshine and calm winds. Given a choice of washing the salt from the exterior of the boat or cleaning the galley, David, to my great relief, chose the latter.  It took almost an hour but he did a great job of putting everything in order (and no recriminations for me!)

Our dockage was at the head of a beautiful creek surrounded by lush greenery and charming homes.  The marina staff was friendly and a courtesy car was available for our use.  We decided to stay for several days and enjoy the ambiance and amenities. David was having difficulty filling a needed prescription (the details are too laborious and boring to relate) and we decided our best option was to contact the Walgreen’s in Kilmarnock and take advantage of the courtesy car to go there.  Nothing could be done until Monday so we would extend our stay.  An hour trolley ride through Kilmarnock and Irvington gave us a good introduction to the area.

On Saturday, the marina hosted a delightful cookout on the veranda of the clubhouse.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and steamed crab were accompanied by a wonderful assortment of salads, breads, and snacks.   We met Al and Mary Boutin, who live on their DeFever44 in Kilmarnock most of the year.  Widely traveled and with considerable boating experience, they were interesting conversationalists.  To our surprise, they had lived in Arlington, Texas for fifteen years and fondly remembered their stay there.

Kilmarnock, named by an early settler for a town in Scotland, is a pretty small town with a main street lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses. Walmart is located on the outskirts of town.  The village atmosphere of Kilmarnock is appreciated by many tourists who come to enjoy this part of Virginia.  A favorite local eatery is Lee’s, which is a throwback to the fifties in décor and food.  David indulged in liver and onions and we shared a fantastic slice of coconut pie.  We agreed the reputation of Lee’s was well-deserved.  David finally was able to get his prescription filled at Walgreen’s but we were reluctant to leave Kilmarnock.  More to see!

For many years during this nation’s early history, the enormous Carter plantation (reputedly more than 300,000 acres) encompassed most of the land in this, the Northern Neck part of the state.  Robert “King” Carter was prominent in Virginia governmental affairs and his descendants include three signers of the Declaration of Independence, two U.S. presidents, eight Virginia governors, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Robert E. Lee.  On family land and at his own expense, he built the magnificent Christ Church, which today is one of the most important Georgian structures in America.  Only a few miles from Kilmarnock and down a heavily wooded, winding road, the restored church dominates the spacious grounds surrounding it.

A knowledgeable and very pleasant docent gave us a tour of the church and explained the intricacies of its architecture and the histories of some of the people who had once sat in its high-backed pews and preached from its rare triple tiered pulpit.   We found it to be fascinating and marveled at the levels of skill and effort required to construct such a beautiful building during a time when most structures were quite simple and ordinary.

In Irvington, only a few miles from Christ Church, I located Village Needlepoint, a beautiful little shop with an amazing supply of thread, canvases, and other supplies.  I was delighted to find the thread I needed to finish my needlepoint project.  This shop was a place where one would love to come and spend the day stitching with friends.  I was told this was often true as stitchers in the area make this a destination where they come to sew, learn, and share lunch at a nearby restaurant.  In November, this small shop in a tiny village in a remote area of the state, hosts a three day Needlepoint Retreat at The Tides, a renowned, upscale, resort a few miles down the road.  It is a popular event!

Despite more than ample food on board, we chose to have lunch at another locally acclaimed restaurant.  Northern Neck Hamburgers has won accolades for their delicious and creative food.  We chose hamburgers with caramelized onions, garlic mayonnaise, perfectly cooked beef and soft fresh buns.  David added grilled pineapple to his and raved that it was the best hamburger he had ever eaten.  Twisters, homemade potato chips dusted In Old Bay Seasoning, are a decadent accompaniment.  Spicy and crisp!

Thursday evening was an opportunity to have guests aboard.  Al and Mary were joined by Susan and Fred, also DeFever owners who recently arrived at the marina.  We love learning about fellow boaters and these couples were especially interesting.  Susan is a cancer survivor whose motor skills have been impaired by chemo.  Sadly, she is no longer capable of making the prize-winning expensive lace wedding dresses and confirmation gowns that earned her recognition and a trip to France to visit lace making industries.  With an upbeat attitude, she has accepted this dramatic change in her life and optimistically enjoys each day.  Mary is also an accomplished seamstress who made most of the canvas for their boat in addition to interior curtains, etc.