Things I learned in Virginia

At the end of July, my family and I made a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia to watch my older daughter play in the 2014 NSA B East World Series.  In addition to LOTS of softball fun and World Series activities, we made time to hang out and visit some of the tourist attractions in the area.

As I always do, I learned some things while we were in Virginia.  Below are some of them…

1. There is something pretty special about going on vacation with a whole BUNCH of your favorite friends.  This is our third year traveling for a Softball World Series, and yes, we are ALL making memories.

2014 NSA World Series

2. People from Ohio are confused (those are Michigan colors)

3. Robby likes Roller Coasters.  Alex, not so much.  Busch Gardens was a super fun day!

Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA

4. The plantation house at the Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg is haunted….the kids went on a ghost hunting excursion inside.

Powhatan Resort, Williamsburg, VA

5. At the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum in Williamsburg, I learned that the tallest man in the world was a LOT taller than my husband, you really CAN build a gorilla out of nails, and if I don’t pay attention Robby might get eaten by some random teeth.  The 12 foot transformer and shrunken heads were pretty awesome, but by far the best part was the Impossible LaseRace where you had to navigate through a web of green lasers without breaking the beams of light.  The kids had a blast!

Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, Williamsburg, VA

6. At the Nauticus museum in Norfolk we saw a log book from May of 1951 with Riley’s name in it,  other artifacts, and super cool models.  Riley stuck her head in a cannon.  I learned more than I ever wanted to know about boats. And stuff.

Nauticus museum, Norfolk, VA

Also there was this.  (Battleship Wisconsin)

Battleship Wisconsin, Norfolk, VA

7. From the museum to the boat tour of the Norfolk Naval Base, I learned how much my dear husband likes boats and military stuff.  Me…not so much.  But here are some of them, cause it was cool for the first 15 minutes or so.

Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia

8. If I get tired of taking pictures of ships, I turn the camera on my family.

Well that’s it.  8 things.  Profound, huh?  After Virginia we made a trip to Washington DC for a couple of days.  I learned stuff there too, stay tuned.

Historic Powhatan Resort

The lodging for this years World Series trip (Go Canes!) is the Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg,Virginia.

In the words from their website:
The Historic Powhatan Resort offers guests a little piece of colonial history with the restored Manor House (circa 1735). Nestled among 256 acres of beautiful woodland, this resort is loaded with fun things to see and do, and learn a little bit of American history. 

In my words:
Simply….beautiful.

Manor House of Powhatan Plantation - Williamsburg, VA

Powhatan Resort, Williamsburg, VA
Powhatan Resort, Williamsburg, VA
A little wildlife found at the resort…
And here is the wildlife I brought with me…
Can’t wait to explore more!

Backyard Baby

A small tree in my backyard held a little surprise.  A nest with three eggs.  I told myself I’d photograph the progress frequently….then I got distracted (squirrel!).

By the time I took my camera outside, one baby had hatched and grown up!!

Baby Bird - Tressie Davis Photography

Mama bird was NOT very happy that I was looking in her nest…

Bird on Wire - Tressie Davis Photography
Bird on Wire - Tressie Davis Photography

The next time I went to check, mama bird had kicked the baby out of the nest!!!  All that was left was the two eggs that never hatched.

Robin Eggs in Nest - Tressie Davis Photography

The End.

ps – if you have a little time to waste and want to watch something cool, check out this video of a robin hatching from its egg.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor

What better way to spend time on Memorial Weekend than with fellow photographers at Matthaei Botanical Gardens?  It was beautiful, and what a great place to look for critters and practice “seeing” details.

Our first friendly visits were with geese, frogs, turtles and a muskrat.

Mama Goose and Goslings
Gosling
Frog
Muskrat
Turtle

We were kinda hoping that the mama goose would bite Brian, but we weren’t that lucky.  She just hustled her babies away.

After the critters, we concentrated on color, texture and tiny details.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Ann Arbor
Matthaei Botanical Gardens Ann Arbor

One of my favorites of the day 🙂

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Ann Arbor

And my partners in crime, Kiah and Brian.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Ann Arbor

Suggestions for our next outing?  I’m all ears!