Along the shores of Eastern Virginia lies the York River, a 34-mile long estuary of brackish water that empties into the Chesapeake Bay. At the largest point near the entrance to the Bay, the York River stretches nearly 2.5 miles across bringing in Navy warships, sailboats and a large variety of marine life that thrive in the unique coast waters.

My sister and her family live on the York River and I always love visiting them in the summer time. The views of the river from her home are gorgeous and the sweet smell of salt water and flowering trees always makes me feel like I’m on vacation.

Yesterday while we were on the pier, we saw dolphins feeding off in the distance so we jumped on my brother-in-laws boat and followed the pod while they splashed around the boat. At one point, a dolphin came so close to our boat, I could have reached in the water and touched it. My six-year-old daughter screamed with joy and said “Mama, this is so much better than the Zoo!”. Ospreys who migrate all the way from South America and come to build their nests along the York River, soared around us and dove for fish.

Here are some photos I took that show the beauty of this part of the world, often known most for its history in the US Civil War, and a launching off point to see Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.

Today we are off to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for some fresh cool air and more exploration. Stay tuned….