I have no idea how these separatists got here in the comment section but I can tell you that the northern extent of the range of Spanish Moss is in between Newport News and York county Virginia in the forested area that is in between Grafton and Newport News and Harwood's Mill reservoir and Lee Hall reservoir and the only reason that that Spanish Moss is still there and survived the poachers to last to this day is because of the ethnic Qarsherskiyan tribe fiercely defends it from would-be poachers. Qarsherskiyan people consider Spanish Moss to be sacred. Spanish Moss used to grow as far north as Eastern Maryland and Southern Delaware, where the first Spanish Moss holotype was collected in the area by the upper reaches of the Pocomoke River. The European colonists logging the primordial forests is the reason for the decline of Spanish Moss that began several hundred years ago and begin pushing its range back, much to the dismay of the ethnic Qarsherskiyan Tribe. They fiercely defend the northernmost remaining patch on the Virginia peninsula. One time a woman with Quebec license plates was trying to haul trash bags full of Spanish Moss that she stole, into the back of her vehicle, and some Qarsherskiyan people came with masks, out of nowhere, and sliced all her tires and shot fireworks until all her windows shattered. She couldn't tell police because she would also get in trouble for taking plants from park property at Grafton ponds so she just drove all the way up North again and was never heard from after that. The Qarsherskiyan Tribe illegally installed trail cams hidden on Newport News Waterworks property and in Newport News Park and used walkie talkies to guard it 24/7. It's making a comeback in the Qarsherskiyan neighborhood in Colony Pines, as well as Huntington Pointe which is downwind of there.

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

I was told by a good friend that when she went to New England her favorite place was Salem. Is Salem truly interesting and worth seeing or is it just a lot of hype? I took a fabulous open air ghost bus tour in Savannah and it was one of the neatest things I have ever done. However, sometimes these sorts of tours are just silly. I also took an on foot ghost tour of New Orleans and it was terrible. So, does anyone have any thoughts on visiting Salem? Thanks so much again for all of your wonderful suggestions!!!

Hey mountaineergirl! Glad to know I'm not the only one from "Almost Heaven West Virginia!" I'm from the big city of Charleston -- fourth generation (at least); went off to college in central Kentucky, seminary on Boston's North Shore, honeymooned across America with everything I owned in a UHaul truck to settle in Los Angeles for 4 years, then came back east, inside the Capital Beltway in Maryland for 6 years, then finally home again, home again to Charlie West. Like Dorothy said, "There's no place like home!"