The heat that's been baking much of the mid-Atlantic and northeast since the late spring has sent a lot of us to the beaches, lakes and rivers nearby to cool off. A few days ago I was in Richmond, VA and hiked along Belle's Island's trails and took a refreshing dip in the James River that encircles the island.
I wasn't alone. While there were probably more than fifty people hanging out on the rocks along the river's shore, a few folks stood out.
The first one is this guy who decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to bring
his iPad to the river, instead brought a book and just plopped down on a rock in the middle of the river flow and read. With the water level no higher than five feet, he had a great spot to stay cool and catch up on his summer reading list.
A little further downstream, where the river frothed across a smattering of rocks, a group of rafters tried to navigate the open spaces into the wider and flatter parts of the river. One group of rafters didn't quite make it through without a hitch, catching themselves on the rock. Above the roar of river I heard the expedition leader string a few choice curse words to the group. Eventually he had to get out of the raft and push them from the rocks, but not before another raft in the group slid past, waving at the stranded team.
But the real highlight of the afternoon was the group of kayakers. They paddled skillfully down the river and through the rapids, although one of them decided that the best way down was to just let the river do all of the work.
And while the river was the coolest place to be that hot July afternoon, the most fun was probably had by a group of girl scouts from Williamsburg, VA who made their first attempt at rock climbing.
The James River is a beautiful place to beat the heat and cool off in scorching summers. It is surrounded by Belle's Island's trails which are favorite place for hiking in Richmond Virginia.
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