Virginia announces it first bicycling map

A first of its kind map “Bicycling in Virginia” is now available for bike enthusiasts. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has free downloads of its official state bicycling map which describes setting, terrain, elevation and surface conditions for thousands of miles of trails.

Mountain bikers have numerous off-road opportunities in the commonwealth. The Mount Rogers Loop for seasoned cyclists, for example, crosses impressive mountain peaks with some trails climbing to an exhilarating 5,729 feet. And the Sherando Lake Loop in Augusta County has over a thousand feet of vertical climbing for serious bikers.

Virginia  also offers a scenic wonderland for biking in the mountains, as opposed to mountain biking, with hundreds of miles of paved and unpaved roads to choose from. The Virginia Creeper trail near Abington is one. It was once a railroad bed, developed as part of the “Rails to Trails” program, and crosses more than 100 trestles and bridges in its 35 miles.

The Virginia Capital Trail connects the state’s first settlement at Jamestown, the Colonial capital in Williamsburg, and the current capital at Richmond. This 54-mile trail along Scenic Byway Route 5 is being developed with interpretive signage and pedestrian amenities.
The U.S. bicycle routes 1 and 76 cover 838 miles in the state. Urban trails such as those in Northern Virginia are also detailed in the map.

Theme bike excursions include a music trail in southwest Virginia, a coal heritage trail, the John Smith trail, and Revolutionary and Civil War trails. One theme trail is The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail, a 300-mile long trail that commemorates the experience of African-Americans, Native Americans and women from the 18^th through 20^th centuries in Virginia.

Facilities along the trails are detailed by VDOT in the map. To download a copy, go to http://www.virginiadot.org/bikemap/.

Calvary led charge for re-enactment events in Spotsylvania

Hundreds of Civil War re-enactors descended on Spotsylvania this past weekend for the Battles of Spotsylvania, 2011 Civil War Reenactment. Pictured above is a U.S. Park Ranger ahead of leading tours of Bloody Angle where thousands died in arm to arm combat.

A cavalry skirmish was the the first fighting event for the weekend. The battle cries began at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Following that was a dinner of white beans and cornbread, then period music by the 2^nd South Carolina String Band (famous for providing background music on the movie soundtrack for “Gods and Generals”). There was dancing like it was in the 1860s and a guided battlefield tour. Saturday’s events concluded with stories around the campfire.

YMCA Races

The local YMCA hosted three runs earlier on Saturday -- the Battlefield 5K, the Cannonball 1M and the Little Skirmish Tot Trot. These races get underway at 7:30 a.m.

Sunday was packed with events. The day opened with a non-denominational period church service followed by a cannon salute to veterans and men and women currently serving in the Armed Forces. 

The weekend’s main battle began at 1:00 p.m. when re-enactors, horses, cannons and guns converged near the Spotsylvania Courthouse Village at the corner of Old Battlefield Boulevard and the Spotsylvania Courthouse Bypass.

Cheroenhaka Indian tribe celebrates corn, bean and squash in an Inter-Tribal Spring Pow Wow

The Cheroenhaka Indian Tribe is hosting an Inter-Tribal Spring Festival Pow Wow in Southampton County, Virginia, about 65 miles southwest of Richmond this Saturday. Hailed as “a celebration of the three sisters”, the event celebrates “the dance of corn, bean & squash,” according to a tribal flier.

Cheroenhaka (pronounced Che-ro-en-ha-ka) is the traditional name of the tribe which it still uses and prefers. It means “People at the Fork of the Stream.” The Cheroenhaka lived on the fork where the Nottoway and the Blackwater Rivers join. “Na-da-wa” was a derogatory term applied to them by an enemy tribe when speaking with the English and the name stuck as Nottoway. 

The tribe maintains an informative website (see picture above - lovely music when you click on it) that describes their ethno-history, culture and traditions. A tribal motto is: “Quaker-hunte, EE Sun-ke Was-we-kr (Creator, My Heart Sees, Hears and Speaks).

In addition to the inter-tribal Pow Wow, the tribe holds a “Ke-to-ok-neh” (Pow Wow celebrating the Green Corn Harvest) the fourth weekend every July at the Southampton County Fairgrounds in Courtland, Virginia.

For details on this Saturday’s Pow Wow, see: http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/virginia-indian-tribe-celebrates-the-three-sisters-corn-bean-and-squash

Baptist men work for donations to church cause

Men from the Corrottoman Baptist Church in Lancaster County, Virginia, have a mission of service: they work in exchange for a donation to their church’s Lighthouse Thrift Shop. Shown here is the group that moved furniture in Saltaire on Good Friday.  Saltaire is home to Wade Fleming at far left (next to the Rev. David Cromer) and Dave Peterson third from right, the two who organized the move.

The church is located off River Road at 48 Ottoman Ferry Road and the thrift shop is next door.

Rappahannock Indian Tribe of Virginia

“Welcome to the land of the Rappahannock Indians” – that’s how the Rappahannock Indian Tribe describes their homeland around the Rappahannock River. That land is affectionately known as the “rivah” in local parlance, but it’s where the Rappahannock Tribe has lived for some 11,000 years.

The Rappahannock Indian Tribe is located south of the “rivah” these days on its old hunting grounds in the countryside near Tappahannock.  According to their website, the Rappahannock first met Captain John Smith at their capital town "Topahanocke" in December 1607 when he was a prisoner of Powhatan’s brother Opechancanough, and it was the Rappahannock who cleared Smith of suspicion of murder and kidnapping.

Smith came back the next summer and mapped 14 Rappahannock villages on the north side of the river, the tribe records. Because of the subsequent English settlement on the Northern Neck, the Rappahannock had moved to its present location by the late 1660s.

The Rappahanocks formally incorporated in 1921 and received state recognition by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1983. They are still seeking federal recognition.

Woman Chief

The first woman chief to lead a Virginia Tribe since the 1700s, G. Anne Richardson, a fourth generation chief in her family, was elected by the Rappahannock to lead their tribe in 1998. That same year the tribe purchased nearly 120 acres to establish a land trust, retreat center and housing development. They finished building a cultural center the previous year there in Indian Neck, Virginia, which is about 34 miles east of Richmond, and began construction on homes for tribal members.

Every October, the Rapphannocks host their traditional Harvest Festival and PowWow at their Cultural Center in Indian Neck which is open to the public. The Rapphannock Native American Dancers perform with the Maskapow Drum Group (“maskapow means “Little Beaver” in the Powhatan language).

For more information, or to buy a tribe t-shirt or make a fully tax deductible contribution, contact the tribe at: Rappahannock Tribe Cultural Center, 5036 Indian Neck Road, Indian Neck, VA 23148 or call  (804) 769-0260 or email: info@rappahannocktribe.org or visit their website at http://www.rappahannocktribe.org/

Other articles in this series on Virginia Indians include:

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/chickahominy-indian-tribe-lives-on-ancestral-land-virginia

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/upper-mattaponi-indian-tribe-persists-into-the-21st-century

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/mattaponi-indian-tribe-s-mission-is-sustainability-and-harmony

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/pamunkey-indians-seek-federal-recognition-for-the-tribe-of-chief-powhatan

Carytown shopping district has a unique ambience

Shoppers who love boutique shopping may find Carytown irresistible. Dubbed a “mile of style,” Carytown is eight blocks of unique retail shops located near the Museum District in Richmond’s near West End.

Quirky, upscale, homemade, trendy, bohemian – lots of words are used to describe Carytown by people who have been there. It’s a district with a mood-altering ambience.

Most of the 300+ shops in Carytown are independently owned and operated. Grocers, coffee shops, restaurants, jewelers, salons, clothing, furnishings, vintage and a whole lot more awaits the visitor.

Carytown Events

Events big and small are standard fare for Carytown. There’s the Sidewalk Sale each May – look for deep discounts on the pink tablecloths outside. The Carytown 10K Run/Walk is also held in May

Carytown First is held the first Thursday of each month – that’s when merchants offer special deals and also events like tastings and workshops.

Come August people flock to what may be the world’s largest watermelon festival. Then there’s a wine festival held each October, and New Year’s Eve in Carytown has become a tradition for many people.

Byrd Theatre

A beloved Carytown institution is the Byrd Theatre, a grand movie palace that has operated continuously since 1928. Now a state and national historic landmark, the Byrd still provides live Saturday night performances on an original Mighty Wurlitzer.

The Cary Court Shopping Center was built in the 1930s, a first for Richmond and a draw to shoppers and even tourists captivated by the idea of park and shop strip shopping. It is now officially recognized for its inaugural role in commercial development.

For additional photographs, check out: http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/carytown-shopping-district-offers-shoppers-a-mile-of-style

Virginians scan Civil War documents for cyberspace archiving

Virginians all over the state are bringing their family’s treasured Civil War documents to local scanning events sponsored by the Library of Virginia through a partnership with the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission.

Their mission: cyberspace eternity.

Letters, diaries, military papers, home front memoirs – most anything that describes life in Virginia during and after the Civil War is being sought and preserved. Not just for future generations – the state library and commission are making the digitized material available online to anyone in the world, be it long lost relatives, researchers or Civil War aficionados.

Local organizations from libraries to city halls throughout Virginia are inviting descendants to bring in family papers, and archivists are traveling the state to digitize their documents, guaranteeing a place in history for the soldiers and their families.

Scanning Process

Officially dubbed the “Civil War 150 Legacy Project: Document Digitization and Access,” the scanning process goes like this:

·        Call and make an appointment for the designated day that library archivists are in your area – while walk-ins are welcome, appointments help the event planners balance workload.

·        Bring your family memorabilia to the event. Staff will ask you to sign a permission form, then they will go over a couple of handouts on how to care for your personal collection and donation possibilities.

·        The archivist will review your documents with you and write down identifying information.

·        Event associates will scan the material.

·        Later your digitized documents will be uploaded for internet access.

This is a multi-year effort. For a schedule of upcoming events, visit:

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/virginians-bring-their-civil-war-documents-to-scan-for-cyberspace-archiving