Tour de Chesapeake 2017

These pictures, taken in 2012 when everything was lush and green, help illustrate how quiet, peaceful, scenic and flat our county's roads are.

Flat and quiet roads are important when you're training for a half-marathon, as I was when I took these.

Flat and quiet--and scenic-- are also important when you're bicycling.

Once a year, Mathews County holds a major bicycling event, the Tour de Chesapeake.  

Not to be confused in any way with the highly competitive Tour de France, our tour involves a day of leisurely cycling through scenes such as these, and includes lots of activities for avid and casual cyclists, friends and family.

Friday night there's an opportunity to cruise the beautiful East River and learn something about our local history.  Saturday morning the 101 miles of routes that cover Mobjack, Gwynns Island, Bethel Beach and New Point Comfort will open to bicyclists.  Chesapeake Bay Paddling will offer kayak and paddle board trials; the Bay School will host an art show and sale, and the weekend of fun culminates with a seafood feast and party at Williams Wharf--my favorite part of the whole weekend.

Open to the public and overlooking the beautiful East River, the Party at the Wharf includes live entertainment from Lynda Smith and 7th Street--a fabulous band that can coax even the most awkward dancer out on the dance floor.  (Ask me how I know. My middle name is Awkward. My other middle name is Uncoordinated.  But the music beckons!)

This year's weekend of fun and festivities will be on May 20th.  If you live here and are interested in volunteering, if you wish to be a sponsor, or if you wish to participate and need more information, contact the event director at Email:  tourdechesapeake@gmail.com.

Check out the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center and the Tour de Chesapeake websites for more details.

I'll be volunteering at this event and will be the awkward one on the dance floor Saturday night, so I hope to see you there!

Mathews

" 'Nobody goes through Mathews to get anywhere" is a common saying.  It refers, of course, to the unique geography.  With few exceptions, roads that start in or enter this peninsular county end at the water.

Over the years, the distinction of Mathews as the 'end of the line' has added to its singular quality. Because it is not along the beaten path, people have sought the county out for its special charms.  Mathews has become a haven for retirees, looking for a slower pace in a quiet waterfront setting.

Mathews is a land rich in history that predates the formation of the county in 1791.  In 1776Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, put out to sea after losing the Battle of Gwynns Island. The rivers and inlets of Mathews County served as a base for the Confederate Coast Guard during the Civil War.

But what attracts most people to Mathews--those who move in and the natives who stay--are its picturesque waterways in a hometown atmosphere and its friendly residents.  Some things still haven't changed after 200 years." - From the April 25, 1991, Bicentennial Collector's Edition of the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette Journal.

"Indeed some things haven't changed much after 200 years, and that's a very good thing.  But if there's any way we can get a good Thai or Vietnamese restaurant in town, that would be one change I'd ardently support. Thank you." - CBW