I hope you all had a wonderful and safe July 4th with family and friends. My husband and I took some friends out on our boat for an afternoon of fun. We anchored in the Potomac River front of the Lincoln Memorial to watch the fireworks. It was spectacular as usual. The next day we took a boat ride to one of our favorite beach towns in Virginia, Colonial Beach. We’ve gone there quite a few times since we discovered it about eight years ago. This quaint little beach town, whose area is just 4 square miles in area, goes back to 1650, when it was settled by Andrew Monroe, the great-great grandfather of President James Monroe. For such a small town, it has quite a number of famous people associated with it. George Washington was born near here at what is now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Sloan Wilson, who wrote The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, retired and died in Colonial Beach. Alexander Graham Bell owned a home there called the Bell House and it’s been renovated into a bed and breakfast.
One of the things I love to do when on vacation is admire the homes around me. Over the years I’ve witnessed the popularity of this lovely beachside community grow. A number of homes have been popping up, both permanent homes and summer vacation cottages. No two homes look alike, which greatly pleases me. I like to see homes where the architect captures the personality of the homeowner and designs a home that unique to the community. Today, the homes in many developed neighborhoods all look the same, and this is unappealing to me.
These pictures were all taken by my smartphone, so the quality is not great as with my camera. I’ll begin my walk through Colonial Beach streets looking at two homes that have been updated but which have managed to retain some Old World charm. This home is built on concrete stilts to prevent any flooding.
What a charming cottage this is, with the windows and glass-framed storm door. The front porch is just simple and has nothing to obstruct its view.
Many of the newer homes still use Victorian-era architectural designs. I love the scalloped shingles and porthole window in this house! The blue and white paint colors are perfect for a coastal community.
One design feature that I found in many homes was the presence of ceiling fan fixtures over the front porch. I wouldn’t mind having one of those during the hot and humid months of summer!
The owners of this house have a spectacular view of the Potomac River.
This home has the added perk of having its own private dock.
I found this home to be the most unique. Unfortunately there is something about the placement of the stones on the outside of the house that makes them look artificial.
I’m going to end my walking tour with one of my favorite houses in Colonial Beach. I love the porches, the scalloped shingles, windows and steeple. I can just picture myself lazing around on the porches or finding a nice quiet spot by the windows to admire the views on the river and the beach.
Aside from admiring homes, I found time to satisfy my craving for crabs. I ate them every day of the trip! Yum! We also enjoyed the marina dockside restaurant, sitting and enjoying the live bands and watching the sunset.
This vacation was just what I needed to re-ignite my creative juices. I hope you all had a wonderful and safe July 4th.
Simone