Historic Occoquan, VA

June 26, 2013
Horses tied to the stalls in front of saloons; cobblestone sidewalks lined with lined with rocking chairs; old men smoking their tobacco-filled pipes watching the sunset; boats scraping up against the dock as they are pulled in for the night after a long day of trading on the river; men coming home after a hard day’s work at the grist mill; children running after fireflies on a warm summer night while the women stirred the huge metal pot that hung on a stand in the oven, ready to lay the table for supper. 
These were some of the images that flashed through my mind as we walked through the town of Occoquan, taking in the historic buildings and sounds of people laughing and talking on a warm summer’s night, last Friday. It was Aaron’s surprise date night location and he picked well.  
Imagine living in a town of 975 people! (as of 2010 census)

Occoquan, in Native American, means “at the end of the water”. The little town, located on the Occoquan River, was inhabited by indigenous people and later, by British colonists. The river was the life source of the town, being used for transportation, trade, and fishing, as well. 
Cobblestone sidewalks and ghost stories—what more could you ask for in a little historic town! 

We walked in the streets, taking in the quaint buildings mixed in with the modern.

We then walked past the Mamie Davis Park, dedicated in 1974 and had this lovely little gazebo with benches going around the inside. It reminded me of the Sound of Music scene with Rolfe and Leisl!

This darling little bridge led to the Occuquan Riverwalk, where people sat on benches reading, others watched the ducks, and still others hung out in their boats, eating and drinking.

The Riverwalk bridge also connected to Madison’s—a lake view restaurant that was packed and quite lively.  You can boat up to the restaurant, pull into one of its ‘parking’ spots, get off and go get something to eat. The guy in the bottom right of the picture just pulled in a boat called Guilty Pleasure. Nice.

 We walked along the dock, held hands in the warm summer breeze, watched the ducks feeding, and strolled back to the car. It was a lovely evening—watching the moon, as we chatted away happily.

Yolanda Taylor

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Yolanda

Hi! Welcome to our blog! Family, friends, photography, food, fun, travels, books - there is a little bit of everything here. It is the place where I record things that I know I would love to read and remember, and hopefully, you get to share a part of our lives with us. It may not be perfect but this is us. And, you are welcome any time! Read More

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