OpSail/Harborfest 2012

My Sunday 'Week In Pictures' post has been pre-empted to bring you this look at one of Norfolk's' biggest festivals. OpSail combined with Harborfest for an exciting weekend of nautical enjoyment reaching full force with the Tall Ship Parade on Friday. I was fortunate enough to spend a good part of the day Friday taking in the excitement. There was so much to see it has taken almost two days to go through the nearly 600 photographs I took.

I could fill a large photo book with just photos of all the terrific Tall Ships. They came from all around the world to participate in the parade. It would be easy to dedicate this entire post to just photos of these beautiful ships. Visit my other blog to check out the Tall Ships. Instead I would like to focus on the the fun sights and entertainment to be witnessed at the festival. Harborfest celebrates the nautical history of the region and with this year marking the bi-centennial of The War of 1812 there was a definite focus on that time period. Actors dressed in period garb entertained and interacted with festival goers.

What would an 1800's nautical festival be without Blackbeard and other pirates?

There were so many amazing sights, like these sailors that stood on the masts for hours while the ships sailed in the parade.

 There were so many different types of entertainment, rides and games galore.

Of course being a Navy family I couldn't pass up a patriotic shot or two.

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The Week In Pictures

Welcome to The Week In Pictures

As often as possible I like to join in with Unknown Mami's 'Sunday in my City' and with 'Your Sunday Best' over at A Rural Journal. It occurred to me that i could create a weekly thread that covers some of my favorite photos from my adventurous for the past week that had not already been posted. This way I could as the saying goes kill two birds with one stone, or in this case three. Not that I want to kill any. I happen to love birds.

So here we go:

The week started off with a trip to Ghent, where I found a number of places to enjoy some outdoor dining, as well as many interesting shops.

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Then I was off headed down town but once again got side tracked by another beautiful old historic district. This time it was the Freemason Street Historic District. This area right off the water was so rich in history I could almost feel the past.

The Norfolk Boat Club is located at the end
of one of these cobblestone streets.

 It was very relaxing walking along the tree lined cobblestone streets. Taking in the beauty of the old homes and finding interesting shots like this fan on a porch of one of the newer brick buildings. As you can guess even the newer buildings were quite old.

Next came a trip to the beach on a quiet afternoon while most people were working or in school. It was during this trip that I captured the photo of the two young boys playing in the ocean that was used in the creation of this tribute.

My Sunday Best submission

When I turned around to head back to the car I was met with this most magnificent sight.

 I am a dreamer and a lover of clouds. Maybe I have never grown up but I still enjoy finding shapes in the clouds and this one I just couldn't resist. Do you see what I see?

Mickey Mouse!

Next was a trip to a local park with my youngest daughter and two of my grand kids for a bit of fun.

 Now this little angle was just so darn cute with her ice cream I had to capture her darling pout.

That brings us to the final exploration of the week. Today was in the mid to high 80's and so where else would I go but back to the ocean! I am really glad I did for I found three shots to finish up my submissions for this weeks scavenger hunt.

There it is, all the places I explored this week in and around Norfolk, VA.

I hope your week was as fun and memorable as mine.

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