The Fourth of July this year made a 4-day weekend trip somewhere a necessity. We were invited down to Lake Anna for the weekend to stay with our friend Steve at his mother’s house for the weekend. We visited back in 2010 and had a blast, but just hadn’t managed to make it back down since. The time didn’t matter though, we picked up right where we left off back then! Thanks again Debbie and Tom for having us for the weekend. We had a great time.
Cherie, Steve, and I caravanned down Thursday morning. After unpacking, and checking out the renovations since our last visit, we quickly lubed up and went for a swim off their dock. What was meant to be a quick pre-lunch swim turned into a four hour break… during which time our sunscreen clearly gave up. As with any good water based vacation Cherie, Steve, and I all got good and burned on day one!
While down swimming we met some of our fellow house guests for the weekend. Tom’s daughter Mary, dauther-in-law Laura, and her two kids Nathan and Tyler. Tom’s sons David and Dan would also join us later in the weekend.
Friday morning we got on the new pontoon boat and headed out to a natural sandbar not too far down the lake. We hung out for a while in the sun and shallow water for a bit before heading back to the house just after lunch. The lake was surprisingly not-busy for a major holiday weekend. We assumed this was due to the poor forecast all weekend, which we would never be impacted by.
Friday afternoon was more swimming, and some time inside making sure the old pool cues worked. I played a few games with Steve, and Cherie, and by myself. I really enjoy pool. Midday we also learned how to play Exploding Kittens! Friday night we enjoyed fireworks which Mary had brought down for the kids to enjoy.Â
Saturday was more of the same to some extent. Steve and Dan took us back out in the boat to explore the southern end of the lake. We didn’t go swimming but did get to see all 3 dikes and the dam at the end of the lake. It was a great day for a relaxing boat ride around the lake. We also just swam in the lake, a lot. While swimming we saw a handful of bald eagles soaring overhead, taking advantage of the thermals. It was great to just relax floating in the water for hours! The pads of my feet also got soar (internal bruising?) from diving off the dock so many times that day. They hurt for the rest of the weekend. But when the kids want to jump off the dock together, you climb out and jump off the dock together!
Steve also brought out his R/C sailboat which was a great chill way to enjoy the water from the dock. He taught me how to use it and I got pretty comfortable with it by the end of the weekend. I guess I’ll have to get mine back out and use it now that I know how! Other throughout the weekend activities included feeding the fish from the dock and the kids fishing.
Saturday night Steve, Tom, Debbie, Cherie and I went back out to enjoy the Lake Anna fireworks show. It’s set off from one of the dikes and can only be viewed by water. We joined maybe 200 other boats in the water as the sun set. The show was spectacular from the boat. I’d never seen fireworks from the water before and it was quite the experience. So relaxing.
But the night wasn’t over when the fireworks ended. Next was a mad dash with almost no lights as all the boats immediately raced to get back to their respective docks. Steve did a spectacular job navigating the chaos and minimizing splashing and got us back to the dock without incident under cover of darkness.
Sunday came far too quickly. In the morning, after a quick swim, we got dressed and went for a boat ride toward the north of the lake and had lunch at The Cove at Lake Anna. It’s always neat to go to a place by boat, and so we did, which included crossing under several very low bridges! When we got back, but before we left, I challenged Debbie to one last game of pool. It was a close game, but I won, and ended up leaving undefeated for the weekend!
We headed out around 4pm and hit rain, finally, 20 minutes from the house. What was forecast as 40% chance of continuous thunderstorms for four days straight had held off until just after we left.
Thanks again, Debbie and Tom, and Steve, for inviting us down again. We had a blast and will have to do it again, sooner next time.
