No Bars in More Places. That's AT&T at Chesapeake Bay Thousand Trails near Urbanna, VA. Being where we stayed during our trip to the Urbanna Oyster Festival, the camp ground was nice but phone service was nil. On the campgrounds pamphlet the have annotated a "phone stump" for those that have AT&T. We were here in 2007 and I saw a lady standing on a tree stump and I looked up at her and said "You must have Cingular" (which it was at the time). She did and it was the only place she could get phone service. It has not changed yet and the stump is wearing away.
I walked around the campgrounds back then and found a couple places where I could get as much as two bars. Turn a degree or two in any direction and you loose it. This time, with AT&T, It was worst. there were no bars at the stump and only once was I luckily enough to get a couple of bars where I'd gotten them before.
This condition was not just there. It was all along Hwy 17 at least from Urbanna to Cloucester. No bars meant no phone contact, no Internet except through the use of WiFi at the adult center. Slow but it worked. No bars means goodbye AT&T. Hello Verizon. Those who had Verizon had no trouble. But we have decided for the present time to have one line on each carrier. I know there are places that Verizon won't have great coverage and a backup would be prudent
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Urbanna Oyster Festival - 2009
November sixth and seventh Urbanna VA held it's Annual Oyster Festival. People come from near and far to participate in the fresh shell fish prepared in many different ways' The whole Small town is blocked off. Vehicles are parked on the edge of town, money maker, an no bicycles, skateboards or roller shoes allowed. I thought I saw a sign that also said no dogs but that was ignored. A good pair of walking shoes were the order of the day(s).
It's a plethora of signs and banners attempting to to tell attendees their fair has the best whatever to satisfy your pallets. Cheese steaks, corn dogs, butterfly Potato chips, Italian sausage, ice cream, sodas of multi flavors in a ninety-nine cent refillable souvenir mug, cracklin', funnel cake and of course shell fish of oysters, clams, crabs and even unshelled types of fresh fish.
The Chesapeake Bay fresh oysters were sweet tasting. They were raw, fried, soup, stewed and almost any other way you can think of preparing those slimmy little delicacies. We had some fried, naturally with french fries on the side and I must say not being an oyster eater they were good.
There are two parades for the festival. On the first night there is the ubiquitous Fire engines and rescue type vehicles from different town in the area. It is said to be more than two hundred vehicles with horns and sirens a blasting. It is recommended that one cover their ears to drown out some of the noise. We left before it started.
The next day was the big parade and the crowning of the queen. We missed that day too. After all how many parades does on have to see in a life time. Without kids at least one less. And there was no way it was going to hold a candle to the News Years Parade in Pasadena CA.
Worth visiting. If you like fresh oysters by all means. Make sure in your trek through tow you go down ti the museum and docks. A bit of history awaits you. If you plan to eat bring lots of cash. It will take a lot to fill you up and it's not cheap. If you like a parade of noisey sirens, it's high decibel heaven. But if you bring children make sure you have protection for their ears. If you like big crowds in tiny towns ? You got it. And if you think you might want to rest those tired dog, BYOC, bring your own chair. There ain't no park benches in town.
It's a plethora of signs and banners attempting to to tell attendees their fair has the best whatever to satisfy your pallets. Cheese steaks, corn dogs, butterfly Potato chips, Italian sausage, ice cream, sodas of multi flavors in a ninety-nine cent refillable souvenir mug, cracklin', funnel cake and of course shell fish of oysters, clams, crabs and even unshelled types of fresh fish.
The Chesapeake Bay fresh oysters were sweet tasting. They were raw, fried, soup, stewed and almost any other way you can think of preparing those slimmy little delicacies. We had some fried, naturally with french fries on the side and I must say not being an oyster eater they were good.
There are two parades for the festival. On the first night there is the ubiquitous Fire engines and rescue type vehicles from different town in the area. It is said to be more than two hundred vehicles with horns and sirens a blasting. It is recommended that one cover their ears to drown out some of the noise. We left before it started.
The next day was the big parade and the crowning of the queen. We missed that day too. After all how many parades does on have to see in a life time. Without kids at least one less. And there was no way it was going to hold a candle to the News Years Parade in Pasadena CA.
Worth visiting. If you like fresh oysters by all means. Make sure in your trek through tow you go down ti the museum and docks. A bit of history awaits you. If you plan to eat bring lots of cash. It will take a lot to fill you up and it's not cheap. If you like a parade of noisey sirens, it's high decibel heaven. But if you bring children make sure you have protection for their ears. If you like big crowds in tiny towns ? You got it. And if you think you might want to rest those tired dog, BYOC, bring your own chair. There ain't no park benches in town.
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