Occoneeche State Park, Va.

On our way to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, we stopped at Occoneeche State Park, Clarksville, Va. The park is on the John H. Kerr Reservoir (Buggs Island Lake).

The park is designed to appeal to boaters, horseback riders, campers and hikers alike.

While there, we walked on the Big Oak Nature Trail and the Old Plantation Trail where we explored the site of the former Occoneeche Plantation, reading interpretive signs about the home's foundations, the terrace gardens and cemeteries.

What's this?

We saw this duck over the weekend on the Ararat River Greenway in Mount Airy, N.C. She/he was a little leery of us, but didn't fly off or waddle away.

Do you know what she/he is? I think she's a muscovy.

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Here's some photos from our trip to Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, near Suffolk, Va. If you're out that way, check out the Plaid Turnip, a delicious restaurant in Suffolk! Here's a Hampton's Road article about it.

Nearly all the trails at the refuge were closed for bear and deer hunting season while we were there, so we stuck to the Washington Ditch Trail and the Boardwalk Trail for our exploring.

We, unfortunately, didn't make it to Lake Drummond, which is 4 1/2 miles from the trail head.

This is a park I've wanted to visit a long time and this one day trip was a let down. But I hope to go back when we have more time to explore it.

We didn't get to see too much wildlife, just some birds flitting about, including either a parakeet or flycatcher and some other walkers. Oh, and what is possibly bear scat. Does that count?