The end of November brings Thanksgiving and the subsequent online shopping binge that marks the beginning of the holiday season. In contrast to October which saw me jet-setting across two continents trekking across the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and then eating my weight in pastel de nata in Portugal, November was a fairly quiet month for me travel-wise. Luckily for me November is a great month to hang around Coastal Virginia, with fairly mild temperatures and the yellows and maroons of fall finally reaching the south. The second half of the month I was laid up due to a surgery, but we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s take a look at how stinking pretty Coastal Virginia is.
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Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Tucked away in the southeast corner of Virginia Beach along the North Carolina border, the secluded beaches of Back Bay Wildlife Refuge are even more stunning in the fall. With no vehicle access throughout the refuge more often than not I have this gorgeous stretch of coast to myself.
York River State Park
A twenty minute drive from the cobblestone streets and tri-corner hats of Williamsburg the landscape of York River State Park has changed little since colonial times. The marshes and wooded trails are even more inviting with the golden light of autumn and it’s I place I need to visit more often.
Williamsburg Winery
My favorite winery in Coastal Virginia, Williamsburg Winery offers up European style wines minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Steve and I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to sample their finest vintages on a Reserve Tasting tour. Virginia does Cabernet Franc very well so it’s no surprise that the 2015 Virginia Trianon, a Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot blend, was a personal favorite.
Ok, back to that surgery thing.
My left ovary has developed a habit of growing massive, but thankfully benign, cysts. They aren’t painful but left to their own devices they would keep growing getting all up in the grill of other organs so they’ve got to go. I didn’t write about it at the time but I had this exact same surgery two years ago, that cyst was a whopping 16 cm wide (about 6.5 inches), or about the size of a grapefruit; this time around it was only lime-sized. I was home the same day but have four new incisions in my belly, about an inch long each. Steve has been a great nurse, I was off the strong pain meds after two days and off of Tylenol after 5 days. Recovery is going well though I have a few more weeks of laying low. I’m just wondering how long I can use post-op swelling as an excuse for my pants being too tight…….
Things I’m loving
– Keeping an eye on plane tickets to London for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
-In other Royal news, I’ve been binge watching the first season of The Crown.
-I’ve found my new favorite pumpkin pie recipe (there is rum!) courtesy of Ina Garten.
-Getting inspiration for next year’s travels from my friends at Twist Travel Magazine .
-Best new shoe purchase has been the Villa Booties by Blondo ; cute, super comfy and waterproof.
Jenna says
Coastal Virginia looks gorgeous! And I’m glad your recovery went well. 🙂
terra @ terragoes.com says
I’ve been in Virginia for most of my life and I STILL haven’t been to Williamsburg Winery. I’ll be heading that way to do the Colonial thing later this month and I’m thinking I might have to finally make it happen. It’s so pretty out there!